The Financial Planning Association (FPA) has called on the Federal Government to create a “level playing field” for commissions paid on insurance sold through superannuation.

FPA CEO Mark Rantall is questioning why different rules would apply to the treatment of commissions paid by life and general insurance companies.

This anomaly in the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms was pointed out to Treasury by insuranceNEWS.com.au several weeks ago, and officials have since confirmed there will be a two-tier commission system for insurance sold through superannuation.

“Such awkward policy inconsistencies create a potentially damaging double standard that will ultimately impact the quality and cost of [life] insurance for all Australians,” Mr Rantall said.

“The FPA is disappointed by an emerging uneven playing field created by the FOFA reforms.”

Mr Rantall says the discrepancy would be particularly obvious when a self-managed superannuation fund trustee pays a fee for advice on life insurance and nothing when buying a general insurance product, as that advice would be covered by a commission.

“As the peak professional body representing financial planners in Australia, the FPA supports conflict-free remuneration and promoting new professional standards,” he said.

“However, it is important there is a level playing field for all providers of advice.”

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Cash-strapped consumers and thrifty laundrette proprietors may no longer wish to fork out the £4.48 cost of a packet of Calgon tablets after Which? found no evidence that washing machines live longer with the water-softening agent.

The consumer group simulated three years worth of washing and found that while Calgon did help to prevent the build-up of limescale, there was no evidence that it extended the life of a washing machine in “normal” washing conditions.

Which? said: “Using Calgon in every wash, the average person would spend £295 over the course of six to eight years – the time our expert believes it would take before a normal machine in an area with particularly hard water would require attention as a result of limescale build-up.

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It is easy to look for life insurance quotes online. For people who possess the determination and time in looking for excellent deals, online research tenders both massive deals as well as convenience. Similar to any kind of insurance coverage quotation, it still depends on the shoppers to check out in details the provisions and conditions to end up a pleasing product.

The provider from the insurance is an essential thing you must find before selecting a plan. You need to verify the status from the insurance agency. Ask some inquiries regarding their service proficiency and how speedy they disburse claims. You can chat to somebody that had bought an insurance plan from that company and ask him/her about the reputation of the insurance group.

In reality, you do not wish to do business with an insurance company that gives bad services to their consumers or a company that is incapable to pay your statements.

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Brazil’s national development bank BNDES’s disbursements to the chemical and petrochemical sector were up by 39% year-on-year to 1.17bn reais (US$728mn) in the first quarter of 2011, bank president Luciano Coutinho said in a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

The number of projects approved by BNDES in the sector rose 129% to 2bn reais in Q1, while over the 12-month period to end-March, approvals climbed 28% to 35.3bn reais, a BNDES spokesperson told BNamericas.

Over the last 12 months, the bank’s disbursements to the sector have totaled 34bn reais, a 37% improvement on the previous 12-month period, the spokesperson added.

The quarterly figures for the sector, however, contrast with the overall 2% year-on-year decline in BNDES disbursements in the first quarter, which totaled 24.9bn reais.

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The downward revision, which raises the risk of a downgrade of Italy’s sovereign rating, may heighten fears that contagion from Greece’s and other European countries’ debt crisis could be spreading to the eurozone’s third-largest economy.

“In our view Italy’s current growth prospects are weak, and the political commitment for productivity-enhancing reforms appears to be faltering,” Standard & Poor’s said in a statement early on Saturday.

“Potential political gridlock could contribute to fiscal slippage. As a

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