Thought leadership

Expert commentary on public policy issues which shows how actuaries, as a profession, serve the public interest and use data for good across a wide range of topics.

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Our latest thought leadership

Explore the Institute’s thought leadership publications, which show how actuaries, as a profession, serve the public interest and use data for good across a wide range of topics.

View all thought leadership
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Housing in Australia: Financial Journeys Through Affordability, Retirement and Climate Challenges

A paper presented to the joint conference hosted by ABS and RBA examining Australia's dual housing challenges and their impact.

Building Tomorrow: Preparing Australia for the Age of AI

A Dialogue Paper examining Australia's readiness for the AI revolution and calling for urgent action on infrastructure, talent and literacy.

Younger woman hugs older woman from behind her, smiling.
Superannuation Tax Reform: Sensible Changes for a Fairer System

A Discussion Paper that sets out a vision for meaningful tax reform that aims to make super simpler to invest, easier to spend and fairer with bequests.
A man working on his computer in a busy office.
Cyber Protection Gap Widens for SMEs

A Dialogue Paper which provides a temperature check on cyber risk and calls out the risk to SMEs being left behind.
Close-up shot of three people sitting at a table, showing three sets of hands gesturing and writing on a clipboard.
Fairness in Insurance

A challenge to Boards of insurance companies to strengthen their oversight of customer fairness.
A smiling First Nations woman sits outside at a table writing in a notebook while looking at a laptop.
Getting to Grips With Indigenous Data

A Report that discusses changes to the types of data collected, how it is used and who controls it are needed to help progress improving the lives and futures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
A shot of a suburbia Australian street.
Home Insurance Affordability and Home Loans at Risk

Analysing the drivers of rising affordability stress in Australia and potential implications for the home loan market.
How COVID-19 Has Affected Mortality in 2020 to 2023

A Research Paper on how COVID-19 affected mortality in Australia from 2020 to 2023.
An older gentleman and women staying with their backs to the camera in front of a lush garden.
More Than Just a Roof

Changing the narrative on the role of the home, and the equity that has been built up, to help fund retirement.
Retirement Matters

The time for Australia to reimagine retirement is now.

man with sunglasses holding mobility cane sits on grass with black Labrador
Not a Level Playing Field — People with Disability

This Report examines the intersection of inequality and disability in Australia.
Young boy crouching in the sand.
Providing Better Support for Children with Autism and Developmental Delay

This paper explores the NDIS within the context of support for children with autism and developmental delay.
Upwards-looking image of white weatherboard house roof and cloud sky.
Home Insurance Affordability Update and Funding for Flood Costs

Reports on insurance affordability and the impact of flood risk.
People walking in business attire through a tunnel.
Not a Level Playing Field

This paper brings together a raft of data to analyse income and wealth inequality, building on our earlier intergenerational equity research.
Night time image of city building with code superimposed over the top.
Guidance Resource: Artificial Intelligence and Discrimination in Insurance Pricing and Underwriting

A collaboration with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Housing in Australia: Financial Journeys Through Affordability, Retirement and Climate Challenges

A paper presented to the joint conference hosted by ABS and RBA examining Australia's dual housing challenges and their impact.

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Submissions

All submissions
Submission

1 CPD Point

6 June 2025: Submission to Productivity Commission - Investing in Cheaper, Cleaner Energy and the Net Zero Transformation

This submission details key barriers and enablers to improving the resilience and adaptation of Australia’s housing stock to climate change.

6 June 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

6 June 2025: Response to APRA Governance Review Discussion Paper

The Institute supports APRA's objective to strengthen governance practices and encourages APRA to consider further guidance for successful implementation across diverse regulated entities in the financial sector.

6 June 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

Letter to the Hon. Chris Bowen MP – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute wishes you and the Government continued success as you lead Australia through a period of significant transition to address climate change challenges and to seize emerging opportunities. We share our support for progress on several initiatives including an ambitious but achievable 2035 National Determined Contribution and a significant step up in timely and coordinated investment in adaptation and resilience.

23 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

Letter to the Hon. Dr Daniel Mulino MP – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute congratulates you on your appointment and wishes you and the Government continued success. We encourage consideration of several key areas including Australia’s financial advice gap, sustainable finance and climate change resilience and adaptation, restoring a strong fiscal position and creating space for tax reform, and strengthening the mental health financial safety net.

23 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

Letter to the Hon. Mark Butler MP – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute wishes you and the Government continued success as you lead Australia’s health system through a period of significant change. We encourage the Government to continue improving access and sustainability to Australia’s mixed public/private health system, strengthening the mental health financial safety net, and continue considering the wider ecosystem of Australia’s health and disability systems.

23 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

Letter to the Senator the Hon. Tim Ayres – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute wishes you and the Government continued success as you guide Australia’s industries through technological and structural transformation to position our economy for future prosperity. We share our insights on progressing AI and Quantum computing in this Parliamentary term.

23 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

Letter to the Treasurer – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute wishes you and the Government continued success as you lead Australia through a period of significant structural change. We share our insights on three inter-related key areas for this Parliamentary term: sustainable finance and climate change resilience and adaptation; restoring a strong fiscal position and creating space for tax reform; and continued consideration of inter- and intra-generational equity, including housing.

23 May 2025
Submission

0 CPD Points

Letter to the Prime Minister – Policy considerations for the Government

The Institute congratulates you on your return to Government. We look forward to continuing to work with your Ministers. I share a summary of our insights we have provided to Ministers to assist meaningful reform across a wide range of areas in these complex times.

23 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

8 May 2025: Treasury Consultation – Improving access to affordable and quality financial advice

The Institute fully supports Government’s steps to address the financial advice gap in Australia, where many consumers cannot access or afford full personal advice. Overall, and subject to a few qualifications around superannuation trustee certainty, advice through superannuation limitations and targeted superannuation prompts, the Institute believes these reforms represents positive developments which should increase access to and affordability of financial advice and guidance.

Actuaries Institute

8 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

28 April 2025: ASIC Consultation - Public and Private Markets

The Institute supports effectively regulated capital markets, both public and private, in Australia and globally. In relation to private markets, our main concern is that some retail investors may not fully understand what they are purchasing. To support informed retail investor participation, more transparency of fees, risks and performance will help consumers compare the different investments across private and public market options.

Actuaries Institute

28 April 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

10 April 2025: Treasury Consultation – Payday Super Exposure Draft Legislation

The Institute broadly supports the ‘payday super’ exposure draft legislation to require employers to pay their employees’ super at the same time as their salary and wages and to help ensure individuals receive the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions to which they are entitled. Focusing on appropriate treatment of individuals with defined benefit (DB) interests, we recommend that the SG compliance test for accumulation members in DB arrangements be based on the employer contributions actually paid (or credited from reserves).

Actuaries Institute

10 April 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

12 March 2025: Consultation - Ban on the Use of Adverse Genetic Testing Results in Life Insurance

The Institute supports the Government’s decision to ban adverse genetic test results in life insurance underwriting. This will give the Australian community certainty and assurance on the way forward and support medical advances that can benefit society in many potentially profound ways. As genetics research is a rapidly advancing field, we recommend policy that can adapt to the advances in genetics so that life insurance balances accessibility of insurance and equity to the insured population as a whole.

Actuaries Institute

12 March 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

14 February 2025: APRA Consultation - Targeted Adjustments to General Insurance Reinsurance Settings

Reinsurance is a critical element of risk management for general insurance. The Institute welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on reinsurance settings to assist in maintaining access for Australian insurers to global reinsurance arrangements and high-quality alternative protection markets.

Actuaries Institute

14 February 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

31 January 2025: Pre-Budget Submission

In its Pre-Budget submission for 2025\26, the Institute supports measures to: target cost of living relief; increase investment to capture opportunities and build resilience against climate change and technological shifts (including AI, cyber risk, and quantum computing); progress reforms in healthcare funding, the retirement income system, and disability and rehabilitation schemes; consider future tax reform to address inequality; and further invest in education to support a future STEM workforce.

31 January 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

28 November 2024: Submission to Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy - Second Consultation

The Institute is highly supportive of inclusion of ‘Climate change adaptation and resilience’ as one of the six headline ambitions for the taxonomy. We support its inclusion as a DNSH criteria, through consideration of a physical climate risk assessment using at least two relevant scenarios. We are concerned there is no clear timetable for when adaptation and resilience will be considered and believe delaying creates significant risks for insurance affordability, the required investment and action on adaptation and resilience, and the overall costs of the net zero transition.

Actuaries Institute

28 November 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

22 November 2024: Submission to SIRA Review into Home Building Compensation Scheme

Given the significant financial risk involved in home building, it is critical for societal resilience that Home Building Compensation schemes remain efficient and effective. We set out six key areas we encourage the Review to consider, including: an increased maximum cover to reflect contemporary building costs; reviewing the maximum cover for incomplete work; and protection for ‘no fault’ owners who find themselves uncovered.

Actuaries Institute

27 November 2024

Societal issues

All societal issues publications
Publication

2 CPD Points

Getting to Grips With Indigenous Data

Getting to Grips With Indigenous Data highlights that, despite decades of focus on the rights and outcomes of First Nations people, limited progress has been made on Closing the Gap targets. The Report suggests that better progress could be made if changes were made to how data about First Nations people is collected, used, and controlled.

Actuaries Institute

23 September 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

Not a Level Playing Field -People with Disability

Written by actuaries Dr Hugh Miller and Dr Laura Dixie, Not a Level Playing Field – People with Disability seeks to enrich the insights available from the earlier Paper by providing a deeper and more nuanced examination of inequalities for people with disability in Australia.

Hugh Miller, Laura Dixie

23 October 2023
Report

2 CPD Points

Not a level playing field

The Actuaries Institute paper, Not A Level Playing Field, for the first time brings together a raft of Australian survey data with new analysis to paint a snapshot of income inequality in Australia. Importantly, it builds on the established work of the Australian Actuaries Intergenerational Equity Index and the investment valuation work actuaries pioneered for Federal and State governments. The paper highlights that inequality is significantly higher than in the 1980s, with the wealthiest 20% of households currently having six times the disposable income of the lowest 20%. Wealth inequality is even larger with the wealthiest quintile having 230 times more net assets.

Hugh Miller

1 May 2023
Publication

2 CPD Points

An Introduction to Space

As our world gets more complex and reliant on space technology, the risks of this business increase and must be managed, and therefore actuarial skills will be valuable.

Khai Ling Chan, Suvitti Deo, Judy Dinh, Jimmy Nguyen, Callum Roberts, and Marcus Stavrakis

21 December 2022

Fairness in Insurance

In Superannuation Tax Reform: Sensible Changes for a Fairer System, actuaries Richard Dunn, Michael Rice, Jennifer Shaw and Alun Stevens set out their vision for meaningful tax reform that aims to make super simpler to invest, easier to spend and fairer with bequests.

Read more
14 October 2024
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General insurance

All general insurance publications
Submission

1 CPD Point

22 November 2024: Submission to SIRA Review into Home Building Compensation Scheme

Given the significant financial risk involved in home building, it is critical for societal resilience that Home Building Compensation schemes remain efficient and effective. We set out six key areas we encourage the Review to consider, including: an increased maximum cover to reflect contemporary building costs; reviewing the maximum cover for incomplete work; and protection for ‘no fault’ owners who find themselves uncovered.

Actuaries Institute

27 November 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

22 May 2024: Consultation on Enhancements to APRA's Quarterly Insurance Publication Suite

The Institute supports APRA’s ongoing role in the collection and reporting of industry data, the evolutionary approach it proposes to take and, more generally, the continuing development of insurance industry statistics. However, we encourage APRA to release additional information in general and life insurance beyond what is proposed to ensure its statistical publications support all stakeholders being well informed and provide further commentary regarding the proposals for private health insurance statistical publications.

Actuaries Institute

22 May 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

Funding Costs for Floods: Affordability, Availability and Public Policy Solutions

This Report examines riverine flood risk alone and outlines a package of short, medium, and long-term policy measures that should be considered by governments, insurers, and other stakeholders to reduce affordability stress for households who are also facing the highest risk.

Evelyn Chow (Chair), David Barnes, Jonathan Blunden, Julia Davidson, Elaine Pang, William Turvey and James Manton-Hall.

23 October 2023

Data science and AI

All data science and AI publications
Dialogue Paper

2 CPD Points

Building Tomorrow: Preparing Australia for the Age of AI

A Dialogue Paper examining Australia's readiness for the AI revolution and calling for urgent action on infrastructure, talent and literacy.

Jon Shen

27 May 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

12 November 2024: Response to Treasury - Review of AI and Australian Consumer Law

Responding to Treasury's review of AI and Australian Consumer Law, the Institute has drawn on recommendations made in prior extensive submissions to Government on AI including the need for regulation to be outcomes focused, prioritisation of existing regulation and guidance rather than new regulation and the creation of a centralised expert body to consider AI governance, regulation and guidance.

Actuaries Institute

13 November 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

2 October 2024: Response to Department of Industry, Science and Resources Consultation on Mandatory Guardrails for Safe and Responsible AI

The Institute acknowledges the complexities of regulating AI systems, welcoming the acceptance of the OECD definition of AI systems and more detailed outline of risk dimensions for AI systems. We recommend further refinement of the proposed guardrails including more detail in the risk classification system and an understanding of the costs associated if the guardrails are implemented.

Actuaries Institute

2 October 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

Big Data and the Digital Economy

This Green Paper explores how big data is transforming the insurance industry and the implications for the cost and availability of insurance

Elayne Grace

1 June 2022
Publication

1 CPD Point

People, Projections and Payments: A Look at Modern Government Service Delivery

In this Dialogue, High Miller explores how fiscal pressures, heightened expectations on measurement and improved longitudinal data bring pressure to improve the effectiveness of government services to meet people's needs. This means both ensuring the programs are delivering meaningful improvements in people’s lives and improving cost-effectiveness.

Hugh Miller

25 September 2018
Publication

1 CPD Point

The Impact of Big Data on the Future of Insurance Green Paper

This green paper explores how big data is transforming the insurance industry and the implications for the cost and availability of insurance.

Actuaries Institute

14 November 2016

Superannuation and investments

All superannuation and investments publications
Submission

1 CPD Point

10 April 2025: Treasury Consultation – Payday Super Exposure Draft Legislation

The Institute broadly supports the ‘payday super’ exposure draft legislation to require employers to pay their employees’ super at the same time as their salary and wages and to help ensure individuals receive the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contributions to which they are entitled. Focusing on appropriate treatment of individuals with defined benefit (DB) interests, we recommend that the SG compliance test for accumulation members in DB arrangements be based on the employer contributions actually paid (or credited from reserves).

Actuaries Institute

10 April 2025
Report

2 CPD Points

Superannuation Tax Reform: Sensible Changes for a Fairer System

A Discussion Paper that sets out a vision for meaningful tax reform that aims to make super simpler to invest, easier to spend and fairer with bequests.

Richard Dunn, Michael Rice, Jennifer Shaw and Alun Stevens

8 December 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

11 October 2024: Submission to Treasury Consultation on Legacy Retirement Product Conversions and Reserves – Draft Regulations

The Institute supports the proposal to remove obstacles to winding up legacy retirement income products and to create a more flexible avenue for allocations from superannuation reserves. Introducing this flexibility would enable members with legacy products to rationalise their superannuation without compromising the integrity of the superannuation system.

Actuaries Institute

14 October 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

More Than Just a Roof: Changing the Narrative on the Role of the Home

While more than 80% of people currently aged 65 to 74 live in their own home, many of these ‘asset rich cash poor’ retirees are living more frugally than they need to. In More Than Just a Roof: Changing the Narrative on the Role of the Home, Andrew Boal argues that we should reconsider the role of the home as a fourth pillar of our retirement income system.

Andrew Boal

22 July 2024

Life insurance

All life insurance publications
Submission

1 CPD Point

12 March 2025: Consultation - Ban on the Use of Adverse Genetic Testing Results in Life Insurance

The Institute supports the Government’s decision to ban adverse genetic test results in life insurance underwriting. This will give the Australian community certainty and assurance on the way forward and support medical advances that can benefit society in many potentially profound ways. As genetics research is a rapidly advancing field, we recommend policy that can adapt to the advances in genetics so that life insurance balances accessibility of insurance and equity to the insured population as a whole.

Actuaries Institute

12 March 2025
Publication

2 CPD Points

Disability Insurance in Australia: Findings and Recommended Actions

The Disability Insurance Taskforce has released its final Paper, Updated Findings and Recommended Actions. This Paper offers key recommendations to promote sustainability across disability insurance and align with meeting APRA's sustainability expectations for IDII and beyond.

Disability Insurance Taskforce

27 September 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

22 May 2024: Submission to Senate Inquiry into Excess Mortality

The Actuaries Institute welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee’s Inquiry into Excess Mortality. The comments draw on the extensive work of the Institute’s Mortality Working Group to analyse pandemic-related data to inform the actuarial profession, the industries they advise, and policy discussions, which focus on the excess mortality experience in Australia during the period 2020 to 2023.

Actuaries Institute

22 May 2024
Papers

2 CPD Points

Work Capability Assessments in Individual Disability Income Insurance: Introductions and Considerations for Actuaries

This Paper, Work Capability Assessments in Individual Disability Income Insurance: Introduction and Considerations for Actuaries, provides insights into good practice principles that insurers might use to improve the effectiveness and clarity of defining disability and work capacity in IDII. Additionally, the Paper offers relevant case studies and principles for consideration when assessing work capacity at time of claim.

Disability Insurance Taskforce

1 April 2024

Health

All health publications
Publication

2 CPD Points

How COVID-19 has Affected Mortality in 2020 to 2023

The new Research Paper from the Mortality Working Group explores how COVID-19 affected mortality in Australia from 2020 to 2023 and how Australia’s experience compares with the rest of the world.

Mortality Working Group

28 July 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

15 August 2023: Submission to Department of Health and Aged Care Consultation on Private Health Insurance (PHI) Incentives and Hospital Default Benefits Studies

The Institute recommends policy solutions to address the financial sustainability of Private Health Insurance including the integration of health system funding to further benefit access to, and affordability of, the health network.

Actuaries Institute

15 August 2023
Submission

1 CPD Point

29 March 2022: Submission to APRA: Review of Private Health Insurance (PHI) Capital Framework

This submission outlines the Institute’s views of APRA’s proposed revisions to the PHI capital framework and draws on previous submissions from July 2020 and May 2019. The Institute supports adoption of the Life Insurance and General Insurance Capital (LAGIC) structure for the capital standards in PHI and the introduction of the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) to encourage better management of risks and capital in a consistent manner. The Institute supports the tailoring of capital standards to suit PHI and this submission details further recommendations for APRA’s consideration.

Actuaries Institute

29 March 2022
Podcast/Vodcast/Audio

2 CPD Points

How to Make Private Health Insurance Healthier: Actuaries Institute Green Paper

Actuaries Summit 2019 The healthcare system in Australia is complex. It involves many funders and healthcare providers with competing interests, both from the public and private sectors. However, despite its complexity, the healthcare system in Australia is one of the best in the world and, for a long time, private health insurance has been a part of that system. So, without reducing or expanding the role of PHI in the healthcare system more broadly, how can the community get more from private health insurance? In this Green Paper, prepared for the Actuaries Institute by EY, industry and stakeholder consultation identified four key areas needing to be called out for change, being: Potential patients should be given a genuine informed choice about their treatment by improving access to the right information, providing patients with an independent advisor on their options (a ‘care coordinator’) and enhancing informed financial consent rules. Insurers who reduce unnecessary claims should be fairly rewarded by changing the industry’s risk sharing mechanism. Inefficiencies in the supply side of private healthcare services should be targeted through a combination of further government reform and more sophisticated contracting between insurers, specialists and providers. All stakeholders should work to improve the health of people with insurance by, for example, providing additional benefits/discounts for healthier people, increasing the rebates, levies and surcharges that incentivise people to take out insurance, and providing health management services to insured people. We will take you through the process and into more of the detail of the issues and options.

Bevan Damm, Matthew Crane

3 June 2019

Risk management

All risk management publications
Publication

2 CPD Points

Cyber Protection Gap Widens for SMEs

Small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMEs) risk being left behind in the fight against costly cyberattacks unless they receive more help to bolster their defences. In Cyber Protection Gap Widens for SMEs, Win-Li Toh, Dr Michael Neary and Sarah Wood take a temperature check on cyber risk.

Win-Li Toh, Dr Michael Neary and Sarah Wood

12 November 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

Fairness in Insurance

Authored by former APRA deputy chair, insurance company chairman and actuary Ian Laughlin, Fairness in Insurance argues Boards sit in a powerful position to hold management to account on customer fairness at a time of record high complaints about insurance, parliamentary inquiries into the sector, adverse publicity about rising premiums and affordability pressures.

Ian Laughlin

30 October 2024
Publication

2 CPD Points

Cyber Risk and the Role of Insurance

This Report notes that while the first line of defence against cyber risk will always be good cyber hygiene and security, cyber insurance is an important second line of defence.

Actuaries Institute

21 December 2022

Climate and sustainability

All climate and sustainability publications
Public Policy Position Statement

1 CPD Point

Climate Change Public Policy Statement - March 2025

This statement highlights key public policy positions of the Institute relating to climate change.

Actuaries Institute

1 March 2025
Submission

1 CPD Point

28 November 2024: Submission to Australian Sustainable Finance Taxonomy - Second Consultation

The Institute is highly supportive of inclusion of ‘Climate change adaptation and resilience’ as one of the six headline ambitions for the taxonomy. We support its inclusion as a DNSH criteria, through consideration of a physical climate risk assessment using at least two relevant scenarios. We are concerned there is no clear timetable for when adaptation and resilience will be considered and believe delaying creates significant risks for insurance affordability, the required investment and action on adaptation and resilience, and the overall costs of the net zero transition.

Actuaries Institute

28 November 2024
Submission

1 CPD Point

2 July 2024: Submission to Senate Inquiry into Impact of Climate Risk on Insurance Premiums and Availability

Climate risk is one the greatest challenges and opportunities for all countries. While some of the risks of overall increased adverse weather conditions and events have begun to be realised, there is significant uncertainty over future decades. Because insurance is a critical part of resilience, it is a critical enabler for economies to function well. This submission provides a response to all the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry.

Actuaries Institute

2 July 2024

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