AMP Limited has announced it will be divesting its Australian and New Zealand wealth protection and mature businesses and reinsure New Zealand retail wealth protection for $3.45 billion.
The company announced to the Australian Securities Exchange today that it would exit its Australian and New Zealand wealth protection and mature businesses via sale to Resolution Life and that it had entered a binding agreement with Swiss Re to reinsure New Zealand retail wealth protection, releasing additional capital of up to $150 million to AMP prior to completion of sale.
It said that it intended to seek divestment of the New Zealand wealth management and advice businesses via an initial public offering next year.
Commenting on the move, AMP acting chief executive, Mike Wilkins said the moves followed completion of a portfolio review.
He said that for shareholders, the agreement with Resolution Life and AMP’s exit from wealth protection and mature delivered important strategic benefits and substantially simplified AMP’s portfolio.
The future of superannuation policy remains uncertain, with further reforms potentially on the horizon as the Albanese government seeks to curb the use of superannuation as a bequest vehicle.
Superannuation funds will have two options for charging fees for the advice provided by the new class of adviser.
The proposed reforms have been described as a key step towards delivering better products and retirement experiences for members, with many noting financial advice remains the “urgent missing piece” of the puzzle.
APRA’s latest data has revealed that superannuation funds spent $1.3 billion on advice fees, with the vast majority sent to external financial advisers.