Christine Cupitt

CALI has named Aisha Elnour and Kristen Agius as the first of ten ReCALIbrate recipients in its expanded 2026 program, backing them to help shape what comes next for the risk advice profession.

Both recipients will receive $2,000 to support their attendance at the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress in Melbourne from 24 – 26 November.

Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) CEO Christine Cupitt said strengthening the pipeline of professional risk advisers was vital to helping more Australians make informed decisions about protecting their financial future.

“The future of life insurance and financial risk advice will be shaped by the people we back today,” Ms Cupitt said.

“Aisha and Kristen bring different experiences to risk advice, but they share a deep belief in the difference it can make when people face some of life’s hardest moments.

“By helping talented women like these to build their skills, networks, and visibility, we are investing in a stronger future for the advice profession.”

Brisbane-based risk adviser Aisha Elnour, who recently completed her professional year, said her experience of migrating to Australia shaped her commitment to financial security and risk advice.

“I came to Australia from a background where security and opportunity could never be taken for granted. That experience shaped how I see the world,” Ms Elnour said.

“Life insurance is not simply a product or a policy; it can preserve a family’s dignity, choices, and financial stability at the moment they need it most.

“ReCALIbrate will help me broaden my technical knowledge, strengthen my confidence, and build relationships beyond my immediate professional network.”

Sydney-based financial adviser Kristen Agius has worked in risk advice for 10 years, progressing from administration and paraplanning roles to becoming a financial adviser.

“Risk advisers can have a profound impact on people’s lives at the worst possible time in their lives. The role we play in enabling individuals and businesses to insure against death and disability is pivotal to protecting families, society, and the economy,” Ms Agius said.

“ReCALIbrate will help me develop my communication and leadership skills, build relationships with more women in the profession, and shape what the future may look like for me.”

FAAA CEO Sarah Abood said the Congress would give both recipients an opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to the future of professional advice.

“Australia needs more skilled financial advisers who can make a huge positive difference in people’s lives,” Ms Abood said.

“We look forward to welcoming Aisha and Kristen to the FAAA Congress, where they can strengthen their professional networks, exchange ideas, and bring new insights back to their clients and communities.”

ReCALIbrate has supported 15 women financial risk advisers to attend the FAAA Congress since the program began in 2023.

This year, CALI doubled and expanded ReCALIbrate from five grants to ten career-shaping opportunities for women across life insurance and financial risk advice. Aisha and Kristen are the first recipients announced under the expanded program.

The eight women selected for the new 12-month ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program, delivered in partnership with Future Women, will be announced in November 2026, completing the 2026 ReCALIbrate cohort.

The post ReCALIbrate backs women to shape what comes next in risk advice appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Cupitt

Australia’s life insurers have set out their action plan to strengthen their commitments to customers under the Life Insurance Code of Practice, following an independent review commissioned by the industry.

The industry has committed to better claims processes, greater clarity for customers about mental ill-health and cover, improved access to information and assistance for First Nations peoples, and stronger independent oversight through upcoming changes to the Life Insurance Code of Practice (Life Code).

The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) commissioned the independent review to test the Life Code’s commitments to customers.

“Australia’s life insurers support a strong, clear, and accountable Life Code that protects people when they need it most,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.

“We initiated this independent review because trusted industries listen, test their commitments, and improve.”

Led by respected consumer and financial services expert Peter Kell, the review made 85 recommendations. The life insurance industry supports the majority of the recommendations, with further work and consultation on more complex recommendations to wrap up in the first half of 2027.

Ms Cupitt said the Life Code must keep pace with changing community needs and expectations.

“We will implement changes to deliver meaningful improvements for the life insurance customers we serve every day and to strengthen the Life Code overall.”

Those changes include:

• Improving how claims processes work in practice
• Offering tailored support earlier to customers experiencing financial difficulties
• Access to a real person with the right knowledge to help during a claim
• Making it easier for First Nations peoples to find information and support
• Stronger privacy and safety protections for people experiencing family and domestic violence
• Clearer, more useful information about what customers are covered for, how much life insurance costs, and how discounts may affect future costs
• Greater accountability, including broadening the powers of the Life Code Compliance Committee

Mental ill-health is one of the biggest social and productivity challenges Australians and their employers are facing today and was a key focus of the Life Code review.

Life insurers will strengthen their support for customers experiencing mental health challenges by embedding mental health commitments into the main body of the Life Code. Clearer, easy-to-understand guides to life insurance and mental health will also be developed with lived-experience input.

“Throughout this process, it is essential customers remain at the centre of all our discussions, particularly those with lived experience,” Ms Cupitt said.

“As we continue to work on final drafting of the updated Life Code, we will be focused on bringing consumer voices, lived experience, specialist expertise, regulators, and our industry together.

“A better Life Code does not mean a longer or more complex Life Code. The real test is the difference it makes for customers.”

Read the full list of recommendations and actions.

The post Life insurers outline action plan for a stronger Life Code appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Cupitt

Ten career-shaping opportunities are now available for women working across life insurance and financial risk advice, as the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) doubles and expands its popular ReCALIbrate annual program.

Applications are now open for ReCALIbrate 2026, inviting all women working in life insurance to shape what comes next in their careers and their industry.

The expanded program includes $4,000 in FAAA Congress grants and eight places in the ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program, which includes membership to Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders program.

CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said the expanded program would help more women shape their careers by offering a new pathway to professional success.

“The future of life insurance and financial risk advice will be shaped by the people we back today,” Ms Cupitt said.

“Women across life insurance and financial risk advice have the talent and ambition to lead.

“By doubling and expanding ReCALIbrate in 2026, we are giving twice as many women across our industry the opportunity to build their skills, strengthen their networks, and advance their careers.

“This is an investment in women and their ideas, perspectives, and leadership that will help shape the future of our industry,” Ms Cupitt said.

ReCALIbrate 2026 offers two pathways:

• Two $2,000 FAAA Congress grants for women working in financial risk advice. The funding can be used for registration, travel, accommodation, childcare, and other costs that support recipients to attend the Congress.
• Eight places in the ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program for women working across life insurance. Each place includes a 12-month membership to Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders program.

The FW program includes career planning, expert-led masterclasses, group mentoring, peer learning and networking, a virtual ticket to FW’s Leadership Summit in March 2027, and invitations to CALI events including a complimentary ticket to CALI’s next conference.

FW founder and Managing Director Helen McCabe said the partnership would help women turn career ambition into action.

“Your future is shaped by the opportunities you can see and the support you have to seize them,” Ms McCabe said.

“ReCALIbrate combines practical development, mentoring, and an ambitious peer network to help women turn capability into influence.

“These women will not wait for the future of their industry to be decided. They will help shape it.”

The 2026 FAAA Congress will be held in Melbourne from 24-26 November under the theme Explore.

“Congress is a fantastic opportunity to share new ideas that shape the future of risk advice. We are excited to welcome our ReCALIbrate participants again this year and help them explore what is possible for them, their clients, and the advice profession,” said FAAA CEO Sarah Abood.

Women are invited to apply for both pathways, with applications open today and closing 27 September 2026. Recipients will be announced in early October 2026.

All eligible women are encouraged to apply at https://cali.org.au/recalibrate/

The post ReCALIbrate doubles opportunities and expands to women across life insurance appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Christine Cupitt

Working Australians are a step closer to getting the advice and support they need to make informed choices and build and protect their financial safety net.

The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) welcomed the decision to proceed with introducing a New Class of Adviser for life insurers and APRA-regulated superannuation funds, alongside wider reforms to make advice simpler and more accessible.

CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said Wednesday’s National Press Club announcement by Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Daniel Mulino was an important step towards closing Australia’s growing advice gap.

“Australians should be able to ask their life insurer a simple question and get a simple answer,” Ms Cupitt said.

“The New Class of Adviser will complement the vital work of professional financial advisers by giving Australians more choice about where and how they get help with straightforward questions.

Ms Cupitt said Australia’s life insurers are well placed to deliver the simple advice Australians have been asking for and the new class of adviser enables.

“After three years of promised action, the Government must give a clear timetable for the introduction of legislation as soon as possible,” she said.

“We commend Dr Mulino and the Government for listening to consumers, advisers, superannuation funds, and industry, and for moving these reforms forward.

“This is what delivering better financial outcomes looks like: more choice, more support, more consumer protections and stronger financial safety nets for working Australians.”

The post Government moves to deliver on financial advice promise appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Cupitt

Australian workers are increasingly concerned about their financial security, yet many may not realise that life insurance inside their super could already be working in the background to protect them and the people they love.

The latest CALI Life Insurance Sentiment Tracker found two in five Australians feel uncertain about their financial situation over the coming year.

Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) CEO Christine Cupitt said insurance through superannuation was one of the most accessible, yet least understood, forms of financial protection.

“Many people may already have life insurance switched on inside their super, giving them access to death and disability cover,” Ms Cupitt said.

“This protection may be quietly working in the background, but it isn’t a set-and-forget benefit. Your job, income, family, mortgage and working hours can all change, and your cover needs to keep pace.”

Only one in three Australians said they understood the life insurance products and benefits they had, despite superannuation remaining one of the most common ways working Australians protect their future.

Ms Cupitt said financial pressures could also lead some Australians to rethink their cover without fully appreciating what they could be missing out on.

“People are dealing with a lot. Budgets are stretched, living costs are increasing and that could get worse if you are forced out of your income through illness or injury,” she said.

“That’s why we encourage people to regularly check in with their insurance cover rather than wait until their life gets turned upside down to find out what they do or don’t have.”

In the past 12 months, life insurers supported about 54,000 claims for Australians and their families with almost $6 billion in payments through group superannuation policies.

Ms Cupitt said the payments showed that life insurance through super was already at work financially supporting thousands of Australian workers and their families facing illness, injury, disability, or death.

“Almost $6 billion in payments in 12 months shows this protection is not a minor consideration. It is an important part of Australia’s financial safety net.”

Ms Cupitt said Australians also needed better access to simple, reliable information about the insurance they already had.

“For many Australians, accessing a financial adviser is out of reach. But they should be able to get straightforward, professional help to understand the cover they have,” she said.

CALI believes the Federal Government’s Delivering Better Financial Outcomes reforms would help close Australia’s advice gap by allowing life insurers to provide simple advice about their own products when customers ask for help.

The post The quiet protector sitting in your super appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Christine Cupitt

Australia’s life insurers have welcomed the Australian Government’s new Statements of Expectations for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) CEO Christine Cupitt said the Government’s new expectations were a strong message that regulation was there to protect Australians without holding back growth, innovation and competition unnecessarily.

“Strong, effective regulation protects Australians and gives them confidence that their life insurer will be there when they need it most,” Ms Cupitt said.

“At the same time, better regulation doesn’t mean more regulation. It means making pragmatic choices that support customer protections, while simplifying or removing rules that are outdated or duplicated.

“A regulatory environment that supports innovation and competition will give Australians greater choice and help ensure life insurance remains affordable and accessible.

“These settings are especially important as our industry looks to provide affordable and sustainable cover that responds to the challenge of rising mental ill-health in the community.”

CALI and its members look forward to working with APRA and ASIC to continue to support a stronger, more innovative life insurance industry, while maintaining strong customer protections.

The post Australia’s life insurers welcome stronger regulatory focus on growth and innovation appeared first on AdviserVoice.

CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said a blanket ban would reduce customer choice and restrict Australians’ access to life insurance. She said the industry is seeking an exemption from any broad lead generation ban or other restrictions the Federal Government is considering in the wake of the Shield and First Guardian collapses.

“Life insurance lead generation plays an important role in helping customers access information, compare products and obtain life insurance protection,” Ms Cupitt said.

“A blanket ban for life insurance risks limiting legitimate information and connections that support customers to build their financial safety net.”

Ms Cupitt said a blanket ban would prevent life insurers from receiving customer enquiries from comparison websites, a popular and convenient way for customers to access basic information about financially protecting themselves and their loved ones.

“One in two Australians want personalised advice about life insurance and more people are turning to online tools, including market comparison sites, to learn about life insurance,” Ms Cupitt said.

Lead generation from these sites provides a safe and quick way for potential customers to get more information about the life insurance products that might suit their needs.

“The government should not cut off safe, regulated pathways that help Australians access life insurance.”

Ms Cupitt said CALI would be arguing a strong case for exemption, as well as the urgent need for the Delivering Better Financial Outcomes legislation to be released in full over the coming weeks as the government looks to finalise its promised reform package.

“Australians need easier access to life insurance, not more barriers,” she said.

CALI said an exemption should apply where:

• lead generation is undertaken for the sole or dominant purpose of promoting, referring or facilitating access to a life insurance product or service; and
• the initiating party complies with obligations under the Corporations Act, ASIC Act, Privacy Act and other consumer protection laws.

“This approach keeps reforms tightly focused on harmful conduct while preserving legitimate customer access to life insurance protection,” Ms Cupitt said.

The post Australians need easier access to life insurance, not more barriers appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Christine Cupitt

The number of people accessing financial support because they can’t work due to injury or illness has surged in Australia over the past decade, with two million more Australians now claiming income support payments.

New research commissioned by the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) and prepared by SuperFriend shows that growing demand is putting the nation’s financial safety net under significant pressure.

Income support claims are rising across government, employers and insurers, with mental health conditions the key driver.

“This report shines a light on a major productivity challenge facing our nation. More and more Australians are taking time off work and getting financial support because they’re injured or sick, with mental health conditions often the main reason,” CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said.

“The surge in mental health claims is testing the income support safety net’s ability to cope because it wasn’t built with mental health in mind,” she said.

“No single part of the safety net can tackle this challenge alone. We need a connected and coordinated approach, led by the Federal Government, to respond to the productivity challenge of mental ill-health in our community.”

Ms Cupitt added the lack of coordination across systems can leave people making difficult financial decisions, with consequences extending beyond health and into long-term financial security.

“Without clear, coordinated pathways and earlier access to support across the ecosystem, Australians risk missing out on help that could make a real difference to their recovery and their connection to work,” Ms Cupitt said.

The report finds 8.5 million people accessed some form of income support in the past year, claiming a total of $78.9 billion.

The Cross Sector Project Update, Mapping Australia’s ecosystem of income supports report maps 11 distinct income support systems that together make up Australia’s broader income support ecosystem.

It spans employer-funded sick leave, workers’ compensation, life insurance, social security payments, motor vehicle compensation schemes, veteran compensation and pensions, and early superannuation withdrawals.

Life insurance plays a distinct role within the ecosystem, typically supporting people later in their income support journey. Mental ill-health accounts for around one in three total and permanent disability claims and one in five income protection claims.

“By the time someone turns to life insurance, they have often moved through other parts of the ecosystem. These claims tend to be more complex and longer in duration,” said Ms Cupitt.

In 2023/24, life insurers paid $8.3 billion in income protection and total and permanent disability benefits, supporting approximately 55,000 Australians unable to work, representing 11 per cent of the total national income support.

The research also highlights the complexity of navigating multiple different systems when support is needed.

“This report shows that Australians don’t have a single, clear income support pathway. Many people need financial assistance when they are unwell or unable to work, and it can be confusing to find out where to go and how to apply,” said Dr Ross Iles, Chief Research Officer, SuperFriend.

He said the findings reinforce the importance of keeping people connected to work wherever possible.

“Participating in work has clear health benefits, both on physical and psychological levels for individuals, and on multiple levels of society in general. However, the longer someone is out of work, the less likely they are to return to work,” he said.

The post Mental ill-health straining the nation’s income support safety net appeared first on AdviserVoice.

The review, led by highly respected financial sector expert Peter Kell, involves deep engagement with the community, consumer advocates and regulators to ensure the Life Code remains strong, relevant and trusted.

“This independent review is an important part of our industry’s promise and commitment to the people we protect every day,” said the Council of Australian Life Insurers CEO Christine Cupitt.

“It provides a robust, independent process to hear a broad range of views about how we can continue to ensure our industry lives up to the expectations of the community,” she said.

“It is critical that the Life Code reflects the needs of our customers, keeps pace with changing laws and regulations, and is practical and easy to understand.”

The interim report concludes the first phase of the independent Life Code review and sets out initial observations, findings and recommendations, which will guide further consultation in the months ahead on potential improvements to the Life Code.

The next phase of the review will invite further submissions on the interim report’s recommendations and include additional consultation questions.

The consultation period will remain open until 8 May 2026. CALI strongly encourages Australian customers, industry partners and other stakeholders to have their say.

A final report on the independent Life Code review is expected by 30 June 2026.

The post Independent Life Code review interim report welcomed by Australia’s life insurers appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Christine Cupitt

Australia’s life insurers welcome the passage of federal laws that will give Australians more confidence about getting a genetic test, knowing it can’t be used in insurance underwriting.

The post Life insurers welcome the passage of new laws that give people confidence on genetic testing appeared first on AdviserVoice.