Quality of Advice Review
People who seek financial advice, including in relation to insurance, deserve to have confidence that it will be high-quality and free from conflict of interest. Despite this, conflicts of interest co...
Financial Sector Reform Bill 2022 – Compensation Scheme of Last Resort and Financial Accountability Regime
Consumer groups strongly support the passage of a well-designed Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (‘CSLR’) and Financial Accountability Regime (‘FAR’). These reforms are landmark recommendations of t...
Quality of Advice Review: Proposals Paper
Australians who seek financial advice have the right to expect that the advice they receive will be independent, high quality and in their best interests. Poor financial advice has lasting impacts on...
Consumer advocates praise court decision against Cigno loans
Consumer advocates have welcomed a Full Federal Court decision striking down a credit law avoidance strategy used by Cigno Pty Ltd and BHF Solutions. For years, fringe lender Cigno has preyed upon...
Options Paper: Possible reforms to the bankruptcy system
This joint submission to the Attorney General's Department is made by Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centre. It is staggering that the Government is proposing to roll back its own highl...
Quality of financial advice review–Draft Terms of Reference
Conflicted remuneration is the root cause of many of the problems uncovered by the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (Royal Commission)....
Consumers win as long-awaited financial services sector reforms commence
A raft of major reforms in the financial services sector have come into effect this week, the culmination of years of consistent campaigning and casework from consumer advocacy groups representing hun...
15 consumer groups and professional associations call for stronger compensation scheme
A diverse coalition of organisations is calling for a broad financial compensation scheme, as legislation is expected to be introduced into Federal Parliament in the coming weeks. The coalition, wh...
Review of the 2021 Australian Banking Association Code of Practice
This is a joint submission made on behalf of members of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA), the peak body for consumer organisations in Australia. CFA represents a diverse range of consum...
Consumer groups concerned that travel insurance has unwarranted exemptions from Hayne reforms
Consumer advocates are calling on the Federal Treasurer and ASIC to implement the ban on unsolicited selling of insurance and superannuation consistently with the letter and spirit of Commissioner Hay...
ASIC Consultation Paper 346 – The Hawking Prohibition: Update to RG 38
This submission has been prepared by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsement from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Super Consumers Australia...
Finance executives who break the law must be held to account
The Banking Royal Commission revealed that many decisions made by senior leaders of financial services firms have had a devastating impact on people across Australia. Their conduct has driven many mem...
Federal Government’s commitment to compensation scheme of last resort welcomed
A coalition of consumer groups has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to establish a compensation scheme of last resort. Uncompensated losses arising from financial misconduct can cause a...
Framework for reform –Modernising Victoria’s building system
This submission responds primarily to the proposed improvements relating to consumer protection, in particular, the proposals to: Improve existing advocacy and support services for individual con...
Implementing the Royal Commission recommendations: The deferred sales model for add-on insurance
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) broadly support the content of the draft regulatory guide for the industry-wide direct sales model (DS...
Royal Commission add-on junk insurance reforms must be implemented industry-wide
Community legal centres are urging the Government to deliver on Commissioner Hayne’s recommendation that the deferred sales model for add-on insurance apply ‘industry-wide’. The Final Report of the...
Opinion: Responsible lending law repeal will undo good
First published in the Herald Sun, 8 February 2021. In the two years since the Hayne Royal Commission Final Report while the Federal Government has made some changes to strengthen consumer protecti...
Consumer groups comment on Banking Royal Commission reforms
Consumer groups welcome today’s passage of Royal Commission recommendations into law, but condemn the government for introducing the law to axe safe lending laws into the House. “This week the govern...
Calling out the banks: Why responsible lending laws need to stay intact
First published in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald, 2 December 2020 It's a great pity that the banks are weighing in so publicly to support the rollback of our responsible lending laws. Just when...
Scrapping lending laws would take away legal rights and hinder economic recovery
Consumer advocates have published a submission on exposure draft legislation that would repeal lending consumer protections in the National Consumer Credit Protection Act, in direct contradiction of t...
Government waters down payday lending reforms
The Government has announced that it will weaken proposed consumer protections it promised to implement nearly four years ago in relation to small amount credit contracts (payday loans) and consumer l...
Revamped Koorihelp website and Facebook page launched for community
Consumer Action has launched a revamped Koorihelp website and new Facebook page focused on providing the latest information about pressing consumer issues and services to Victoria’s Aboriginal and Tor...
Report misses the mark on buy now pay later regulation
The Senate Select Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology has published its Interim Report. Consumer groups say the Interim Report has missed the mark on its recommendation encoura...
Responsible lending law reform needed urgently
Consumer groups are extremely disappointed in ASIC’s decision not to appeal the Full Federal Court’s decision in the Westpac case to the High Court of Australia.[1] The Financial Rights Legal Centr...
Regulator proposes to stop the latest predatory lending model involving Cigno
The corporate regulator is proposing to again use its product intervention power (PIP) in relation to Cigno and BHF Solutions. Consumer Action Law Centre supports the move, saying there is a desperate...
Consumer groups: Federal insurance pricing monitor a ‘national priority’ ahead of next bushfire season as NSW office closes
The closure of the NSW insurance pricing monitor today leaves a gap in consumer protection that should be filled by an independent national body says a coalition of consumer groups. The NSW Emergen...
Junk insurance rorts continue despite millions in refunds
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s (ASIC) announcement today that it has secured its final tranche of remediation for consumers sold junk consumer credit insurance (CCI) by 11 bank...
Government reaffirms commitment to implement Banking Royal Commission reforms in full
Today the Government announced a six-month deferral to the implementation of commitments associated with the Banking Royal Commission. Under the updated timetable, measures previously scheduled for...
Hayne Royal Commission insurance reforms should be introduced into Parliament in next sitting
A coalition of consumer advocacy groups is calling on the Federal Government to urgently implement much-needed reforms to the insurance industry as recommended by the Royal Commission into Misconduct...
Submission: Bushfire Royal Commission and insurance affordability
Consumer Action’s submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements covers the insurance and financial challenges faced by communities in the aftermath of the Black Summer...
Joint Submission: Implementing the Royal Commission recommendations: Mortgage brokers and the best interests duty
A joint consumer submission from Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), CHOICE,Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Financial Rights Legal Centre. It’s time to make mortgage...
Banking Royal Commission reforms: “Pivotal moment in implementing Hayne’s vision”
Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Financial Rights Legal Centre and Super Consumers Australia have today published policy submi...
Joint submission: Re: Financial Regulator Assessment Authority Bill 2020
This is a joint consumer submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE and the Consumer Action Law Centre to Treasury providing comment on the Financial Regulator Assessment Authority Bill 202...
Joint submission to the Treasury re: Duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation to an insurer
This is a joint consumer submission from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, and the Consumer C...
Joint submission: Exposure draft – Deferred sales model for add-on insurance – FSRC Rec 4.3
This submission has been prepared by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsement from Financial Rights Legal Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, CHOICE, Consumer Credit Law Cent...
Joint submission: Exposure draft – No hawking of financial products – FSRC Rec 3.4 and 4.1
This submission has been prepared by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsements from Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE, Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), and Financial Counse...
Joint submission: Strengthening breach reporting
This is a joint consumer submission from Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), CHOICE, Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Rights Legal Centre. We strongly support proposed reforms to the breach re...
Joint submission: Enforceability of financial services industry codes
This is a joint submission by Financial Rights Legal Centre, the Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA) and the Consumers’ Federation o...
Joint submission re: Exposure Draft Implementation of ASIC Enforcement Review Taskforce – Directions Power
This submission has been drafted by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsement from Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE, Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA), and Financial Counsell...
Joint submission re: Exposure Draft: Cap on vehicle dealer commissions
This submission has been drafted by Consumer Action Law Centre with contributions and endorsement from Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE, Financial Counselling Australia, and Consumer Credit Legal...
Joint submission: Financial Services Royal Commission Recommendations 4.6 – Limiting avoidance of life insurance contracts
This is a joint consumer submission from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Financial Counselling Australia and Consumer Credit...
Joint submission: Financial Services Royal Commission Additional commitment in response to Recommendation 4.2 – Restricting the use of the term ‘insurance’ and ‘insurer’
This is a joint submission from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre, CHOICE, Financial Counselling Australia and Consumer Credit Legal Service (WA) and provides comment on th...
Joint submission: Re: Ongoing fee arrangements and disclosure of lack of independence
This is a joint consumer submission from Financial Rights Legal Centre, CHOICE and the Consumer Action Law Centre. Read the full submission [here] ...
Establishing a Compensation Scheme of Last Resort
Consumer groups have made a joint submission to the Treasury’s Discussion Paper, Implementing Royal Commission Recommendation 7.1 – Establishing a Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (December 2019). T...
Consumer advocates welcome Act implementing three key Banking Royal Commission recommendations
Today the Government passed the first omnibus bill in the wake of the Banking Royal Commission, which consumer advocates say will help address long-standing problems with unfair insurance contracts, f...
Making the insurance claims process fair
From a consumer perspective, claims handling is the most critical part of the insurance process, and one of the most problematic. Too often, the claims process is arduous, lengthy and unfair. In ou...
Fairness must drive consumer policy in 2020
by Gerard Brody, CEO of Consumer Action Law Centre Fairness will be the big issue in consumer policy during 2020. It is being talked about like never before. This follows on from Kenneth...
Opening statement: Public hearing on ASIC’s responsible lending guidance
The following is the opening statement from Consumer Action CEO, Gerard Brody at the public hearing on ASIC’s responsible lending guidance held in Melbourne on Monday, 19 August 2019. I’m G...
Regulator slams ‘junk insurance’ sold by banks as Aussies demand over $2 million in refunds
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) report released today confirms that consumer credit insurance, commonly tacked on when taking out a loan or credit card, is junk. This news...
Comment on the ACCC’s authorisation of amendments to the 2019 Banking Code of Practice
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action), the Financial Rights Legal Centre (Financial Rights) and Financial Counselling Australia (FCA) have provided comment on the Australian Banking Association...