Aviva targets the well-heeled
By Mike Taylor
AvivaAustralia has come to market with a new insurance product that it claims will provide greater peace of mind for wealthy individuals carrying higher levels of personal debt.
The new product is called Debt Replacement and is available within Aviva’s Income Protection Gold product.
According to Aviva’s general manager, wealth protection products, Natalie Eckersall, the product provides payment of a higher monthly income to claimants during the first 12 months of injury or illness.
“This benefit is a first in the Australian market and is currently not offered by other financial services providers,” she said.
Eckersall said that, usually, in the first 12 months of injury or illness, lifestyle adjustments had to be made to meet personal debt commitments, and, in the case of Australians earning high incomes, this adjustment was often more significant because of their committed living expenses.
“A period of illness or injury is stressful enough without having to worry about how to pay for it and maintain a standard of living,” she said.
Eckersall said that by adding the Debt Replacement option, payments in the first 12 months could be increased significantly, with only a small reduction in the ongoing monthly benefit thereafter.
Recommended for you
Retail investment into private credit funds could surpass that of sophisticated investors, according to ASIC, but the regulator admits it is unsure how and where these individuals are first being introduced to the vehicles.
With the high cost of advice keeping young Australians locked out of advice, a fintech provider has said digital advice is key for licensees to capture this unadvised demographic.
ASIC chair Joe Longo has announced he will step down at the end of his term, departing the corporate regulator in May 2026.
When it comes to the phase-out of AT1 bonds, Schroders fixed income manager Helen Mason has urged financial advisers to sell up sooner rather than later or risk capital losses.