One of the more appealing parts of this rewards program is the idea that you can earn points through organised events—everything from a free 5km park run to a full IRONMAN. On paper, it sounds like a great system. Complete an event, have a publicly available finish time, and you’re rewarded. Simple. Parkrun is the easiest entry point. It’s free, accessible, and ticks the box. But once you start training for larger events, the logic begins to break down. If you’re preparing fo

In October 2025, one of the world's largest reinsurers announced it would stop accepting new life insurance business in Australia. The decision by Swiss Re Life & Health Australia to pause new business activities was not framed as a retreat — it was framed as a statement about product sustainability. The company said it would use the pause to "drive sustainable product design, particularly in Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance, where there are significant sustaina

A life insurance review in Australia is warranted when one of four things happens: a premium increase notice arrives, a major life event changes financial circumstances, an SMSF is established, or a policy has not been looked at in five or more years. According to Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP, Authorised Representative AFSL 526688, these four triggers account for the overwhelming majority of the 500+ policy reviews he has conducted across Australia — and in almost every case, t

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | March 2026 · Updated July 2026 Most Australians assume that because their super fund provides life insurance, they are covered. It is one of the most widespread and costly assumptions in personal finance. The reality — observed across more than 500 policy reviews — is that default super cover is, for the majority of Australian families, inadequate in amount, restrictive in definition, and frequen

An SMSF can hold life insurance, TPD (total and permanent disability) and income protection insurance for its members. The ATO has published guidance on the deductibility of insurance premiums for complying SMSFs under section 295-465 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 — the specific tax treatment for your fund is worth exploring with your tax adviser, as outcomes vary depending on your fund's individual circumstances. Since 7 August 2012, the ATO has required every SMSF t

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 Published: March 2026 | Last updated: April 2026 The ATO does not require SMSF trustees to hold insurance — but it does require every trustee to formally consider whether each member needs cover and document that decision in the fund's written investment strategy. This obligation has been in force since 7 August 2012, when SIS Regulation 4.09 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulat

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | July 2026 Published: March 2026 | Last Updated: July 2026 TPD insurance — Total and Permanent Disability insurance — pays a lump sum to a policyholder who becomes permanently unable to work due to illness or injury. It is not income replacement, and it is not the same as trauma cover. It is a one-time capital payment, paid in full once a claim is accepted, intended to cover the financial conseque

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | March 2026 · Updated July 2026 Arrow Equities is a specialist life insurance advice practice based in Rose Bay, Sydney. Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP, AFSL 526688, has completed more than 500 personal life insurance policy reviews for everyday Australians — families with mortgages, professionals and SMSF trustees across every state and territory. (C. Hall, Arrow Equities, 500+ policy reviews) The p

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | June 2026 A codicil to a will is a short, formal legal document that amends an existing will without replacing it. In Australia, a codicil must generally be signed, dated, and witnessed by two adults who are not beneficiaries — the same execution standard as the original will. It is used for minor changes, such as appointing a new executor or adjusting a specific gift. The point most Australians

Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 Published: March 2026 | Last Updated: July 2026 Most Australians with superannuation assume their default TPD cover is adequate. In my experience reviewing more than 500 Australian insurance policies, approximately 1 in 3 clients holding default super-only TPD cover have coverage that has fallen well below what they assumed — in some cases to less than 10% of the figure they believed they held. One