Financial Ombudsman Service Sees Average Rise Of 22.8% In New Disputes

MEDIA RELEASE

Embargo: 11am, 10 December 2008

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE SEES
AVERAGE RISE OF 22.8% IN NEW DISPUTES

Highlighting impact of the global financial crisis













The Financial Ombudsman Service today released its first annual review of disputes

across the financial services sector, reporting an average 22.8 per cent increase in the

number of new disputes received up to 30 June 2008.



During the last financial year, the Banking & Finance division (which covers a very broad

range of financial services providers) recorded a 22.7 per cent increase in new cases, while

the General Insurance division handled a 12.6 per cent increase in new cases. The

Investments, Life Insurance & Superannuation division experienced an increase of 33 per

cent in new cases over the six month period from 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008*.



The Chief Ombudsman of the Financial Ombudsman Service, Colin Neave, said there was

little doubt that this year's global financial turmoil has had a significant impact on the

number of disputes being brought by consumers and small businesses to the Ombudsman.



"There has been a considerable increase of 152 per cent in disputes about managed

investments and a 55 per cent rise in financial planning disputes, involving allegations of

inappropriate advice and standard of service," he said.



"We have also seen 26.7 per cent growth in cases relating to variable rate home loans, a

62.7 per cent rise in cases relating to fixed rate home loans and a 9.4 per cent rise in

credit card cases. The General Insurance division meanwhile has dealt with an increased

workload mainly resulting from significant weather events in the 200708 year, with an

increase in home buildings insurance disputes of 50 per cent."




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Mr Neave said such rises in dispute numbers were obviously having an impact on

timelines for resolving disputes: "The Financial Ombudsman Service is doing all it can to

deal with cases promptly. At this time it is essential that financial services providers

continue to invest in staff and systems to deal with complaints because, in the short

term, the trend of increasing numbers of disputes will continue."



ENDS



* The Investments, Life Insurance & Superannuation division, formerly the Financial

Industry Complaints Service, reported only on the six months to 30 June 2008 as it

operates on a calendar rather than financial year basis. For the period 1 July 2007 to

31 December 2007, the new case increase for this division was 4%.



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Notes to Editors

Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Ombudsman Service was created on 1 July 2008 by a merger of the
operations of the three major financial services dispute resolution schemes: the Banking
and Financial Services Ombudsman (now the Banking & Finance division), the Financial
Industry Complaints Service (now the Investments, Life Insurance & Superannuation
division), and the Insurance Ombudsman Service (now the General Insurance division).

The Financial Ombudsman Service provides independent dispute resolution services for
most banking, insurance and investment disputes in Australia. The service is free to
consumers and can make decisions which are binding on participating financial services
providers. The Financial Ombudsman Service is approved by the Australian Securities and
Investment Commission and membership of the Financial Ombudsman Service is open to
all financial service providers operating in Australia.

Companies participating in the Financial Ombudsman Service include:

Banks, mortgage and finance brokers, general insurers, insurance brokers, credit and
finance providers, credit card providers, financial planners, life insurers, stockbrokers,
managed funds, and collection agencies, and other financial service providers.




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THE STATISTICS IN DETAIL

Investments, Life Insurance & Superannuation
(formerly Financial Industry Complaints Service)

Substantial increases in financial planning and managed investments disputes

The table below shows the increase in disputes across all Investments, Life Insurance &

Superannuation product areas between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2008:


1 January 2008 30 June 2008

Percentage change Number of cases

Financial planning 55% 257

Life insurance 9% 202

Managed investments 152% 126

Stockbroking -23%
78

Complaints against non-members 48% 62

Other * 27% 14



Within financial planning and managed investments, which saw the most substantial rises

in disputes, the main areas for disputes were: inappropriate advice; standard of service;

misrepresentation; and redemption delay. Ombudsman Investments, Life Insurance &

Superannuation, Alison Maynard, said, "We are seeing a significant increase in disputes in

the areas most affected by overall economic conditions. Volatile market conditions and

falls in the value of investments will reveal inappropriate advice and highlight service and

administration issues."


* E.g. futures traders, contracts for difference








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General Insurance
(formerly Insurance Ombudsman Service)

Home building insurance disputes increase by 50% while Ombudsman expects

travel insurance disputes to escalate


General Insurance handled a 12.6% increase in new disputes over the last financial year.

The information hotline received 122,605 calls, up 9% from 112,442 in the previous year.

Of the 2,170 general insurance disputes resolved during the year, the largest category

was motor vehicle with 32% of the total.



Due to several significant and damaging weather events during the year, the biggest rise

in disputes was in the home buildings category with a 50% rise in the number of disputes

received to 604 from 403.



Ombudsman General Insurance, Sam Parrino, said "It is interesting to note that, of the

604 home buildings disputes which came to us during the year, 79% involved disputes

over the impact and nature of `exclusions or conditions' in policies. Exclusions and

conditions remain the single greatest cause of disputes across all categories and these

statistics highlight once again how crucial it is that consumers read the policy document

and that insurers more clearly communicate what is and is not covered."



A further 360 disputes, or 16.5%, were travel related. This has fallen slightly from the

previous year when this category provided 18% of the total, although travel insurance

continues to prompt a high volume of disputes given the number of policies sold relative

to other products. Mr Parrino added: "Travel is likely to continue to `punch above its

weight' given the increasing number of civil unrest and terrorism related incidents as well

as more frequent severe weather related events."








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Banking & Finance
(formerly Banking & Financial Services Ombudsman)

Housing finance cases increase

Banking & Finance recorded 7,911 new cases during the year, an increase of 22.7%

compared with the previous year. During the year, there were 4,928 products recorded in

respect of 4,332 cases closed after referral to a participating company. The following

table shows the increase in cases closed according to product categories compared with

the previous year:


1 Jul 2007 30 Jun 2008

Percentage change Number of cases closed

Consumer finance 7.7% 1,842

Housing finance 27.3% 1,041

Payment systems 2.3% 795

Deposit account - 3.6% 687

Business facility 5.6% 373

Financial planning 24.0% 57

Other products 1.5% 57



Within the housing finance category, cases relating to variable rate home loans rose by

26.7% to 767 cases, while cases relating to fixed rate home loans rose 62.7% to 169

cases, compared with the same period in 200607. Within the consumer finance

category, credit card cases rose by 9.4%. The financial planning category is not large for

this area and this increase only reflects an additional 11 cases year on year.



ENDS