Income Insurance Explained

Income Insurance
Type:Public
Key People:Ronald Ong (Chairman)
Andrew Yeo (CEO)
Industry:Insurance
Area Served:Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam
Products:Life, health, and general insurance, savings and investment-linked products
Assets:S$47.2 billion[1]

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Income Insurance Limited, commonly known as Income and previously also known as NTUC Income, is a composite insurer based in Singapore, offering life, health and general insurance. Initially founded as a cooperative in 1970 under the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), it was restructured as a public non-listed company limited by shares in 2022 as part of a corporatization exercise.

Currently, it has seven branches and lite branches respectively across Singapore, as well as operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

History

The idea of co-operatives, also known as social enterprises, was first conceived at NTUC's Modernisation Seminar in 1969, where delegates from NTUC-affiliated unions gathered to discuss the challenges Singaporean workers were facing. Then, Singapore was a developing nation with a population comprising mostly blue-collar and low income workers.[2] One of the founding leaders of NTUC, Devan Nair, articulated the need for the labour movement to turn into a social institution to serve Singaporean workers in various ways. Then-Finance Minister Goh Keng Swee supported this and urged NTUC to set up social enterprises in areas such as life insurance and essential consumer goods to meet the needs of the working population.[3] NTUC Income was established in 1970.

In April 2010, NTUC Income launched the Income Family Micro-Insurance and Savings Scheme (IFMISS), a free insurance scheme for low-income households with young children.[4] In August 2013, NTUC Income became the first insurer in Singapore to provide insurance coverage specially designed for children with autism. The plan provides coverage for medical expenses from accidents and infectious diseases.[5] In December 2014, NTUC Income expanded its insurance coverage for the special-needs community when it unveiled SpecialCare (Down Syndrome).[6]

In 2021, NTUC Income also expanded to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam with partnerships in those countries, operating by an insurance-as-a-service model.[7]

On 6 January 2022, NTUC Income announced it would be restructured from a cooperative to a company and rebranded as Income Insurance Ltd, amid stiff competition in the insurance industry, with no changes to staff and existing policyholders' coverage. NTUC Enterprise would remain the majority shareholder.[8] [9] The corporatisation exercise was completed on 1 September 2022.[10] [11]

In July 2024, it was announced that NTUC Enterprise co-operative gave an irrevocable undertaking to sell a majority 51% stake of Income Insurance Ltd to German insurer Allianz.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021 Financial Statements. Income. December 31, 2021.
  2. Web site: Unions to map out new strategy to check slide.. The Straits Times. November 15, 1969.
  3. Web site: The NTUC Social Enterprise Story.. NTUC. February 15, 2015.
  4. Web site: March 19, 2014 . Income's free insurance scheme to cover more families. . Channel NewsAsia..
  5. Web site: Income launches insurance plan for children, young adults with autism.. TODAYonline. August 15, 2013.
  6. Web site: December 5, 2014 . Income starts insurance policy for Down Syndrome children, youth. . TODAYonline.
  7. Web site: Ang . Jolene . 28 October 2021 . NTUC Income to expand digital offerings to Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia through partnerships . 6 January 2022 . The Straits Times.
  8. Web site: Ang . Prisca . Tan . Sue-Ann . 2024-07-17 . NTUC Income co-op to convert to a company amid stiffer competition in insurance industry . 26 July 2024 . The Straits Times . SPH Media.
  9. Web site: Tang . See Kit . 6 January 2022 . NTUC Income co-op to become corporate entity amid 'intensifying headwinds' in insurance sector . 6 January 2022 . CNA.
  10. Web site: NTUC Income Corporatises to Further Strengthen Its Competitiveness for Long-term Growth . NTUC Income . 6 November 2022 . 6 January 2022.
  11. Web site: We are now Income Insurance Limited . Income Insurance Limited . 6 November 2022.
  12. Web site: Tan . Angela . 2024-07-17 . Allianz offers to buy at least 51% of Income Insurance at $40.58 a share in cash . 2024-07-26 . The Straits Times . SPH Media.