More transparency needed for insurers

Property agents and stock brokers are among the most unloved people in the world. They feign sincerity in looking after your interests when it's the commission they get for closing a deal that most interests them. Even so, we usually know how much they charge for services rendered. Not so when it comes to insurance agents. This is a worldwide anomaly and it should be corrected.

Continuing talks between the insurance industry and the government include a proposal to require insurance agents to disclose to clients the amount of commission they earn from selling a policy or an insurance-related product. The discussion is still at an early stage but it deserves to be kick-started and taken seriously. It will enhance transparency and help lower costs by enabling potential clients to shop for the best products and prices. A similar proposal was shot down in Britain late last year, though regulators have the option to revive it later this year.

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