Financial institutions, including insurers, should pay to cover the costs of their own regulation.
- Agree (47%)
- Disagree (40%)
- Not sure (13%)
Loading ...The advice sector appears very firmly divided on the premise that financial institutions, including insurers, should pay to cover the costs of their own regulation and supervision.
As we go to press just over four in 10 advisers (44%) disagree that the financial institutions should pay the cost of regulation, while another four in 10 (41%) agree with the premise. A sizable 15% were not sure.
Our latest poll question arose after Budget 2026 introduced a new prudential levy on insurers, banks and other financial market participants to help cover the costs of their own regulation and supervision.
We were keen to understand if the advice community felt this was a reasonable position for the Government to adopt?
Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, had noted in her Budget announcement that the levy mirrors the approach taken by the FMA and the Commerce Commission “..which fund much of their activity through levies on financial market participants.” (See: Budget 2026 – Financial Sector to Bear the Cost for Regulation).
Willis had also said the move was consistent with international practice in countries like Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“This levy will ensure the cost of regulation and supervision is borne by financial market players rather than taxpayers,” she said in the announcement.
Our poll remains open for another week and interested to know if you see the levy as a fair call by the Government…