MONDAY 26TH JUNE 2006

QUICK THINKING ON QUEENSLAND'S SUNSHINE COAST POTENTIALLY SAVES LIFE OF WOMAN IN S.A.

AN INSURANCE call centre operator on the Sunshine Coast may have saved the life of a South Australian woman last week. After hearing a strange scream, followed by what sounded like a home invasion, the quick thinking call centre employee called the police, which in turn, may have saved the interstate customer.

A Budget Direct customer from Magill in South Australia was only 5 minutes into a call with her insurer when she felt a little 'off balance.'

"I was talking to Michael and next thing I know there were two police officers at my back door." she said.

Experienced call centre operator Michael Fogden from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, knew there was something wrong by the sounds over the phone, so he held on to see if his customer was okay. "I just heard a cry of fear and knew there was something wrong," Michael said.

After calling the police Michael replaced the phone call to a supervisor who again with police they should attend the residence to make sure the customer was okay. After finding the woman on the floor the police then readied for an ambulance, which was on the scene within 15 minutes.

The woman was told she had suffered a major seizure, which she can confirm she had never suffered in the past. She rang Michael to thank him and say that his actions may have saved her life. "I am just so thankful, his actions were so exceptional," she said.

Michael has been employed with Budget Direct for four years and has a lot of experience in speaking with customers. "I've never experienced anything like this before but I believe some of the safety training I have been put through by Budget Direct helped me to recognise I needed to take further action," he said.

Currently holding a position of Workplace Health and Safety Officer, Michael was glad he knew the procedures.

"No one likes to call their insurance company to make an insurance claim, although for the customer it was simple one of the luckiest calls she could ever make," Michael concluded.

THURSDAY 22ND JUNE

BUDGET DIRECT CELEBRATES MAJOR ASIA-PACIFIC IT AWARD BY LAUNCHING GROUNDBREAKING NEW CAR INSURANCE WEBSITE

Fresh from collecting an Asia-Pacific IBM System I General Manager's Award for Innovative On Demand Utilization in recognition for Budget Direct's use of IBM's System i technologies, the company this week launched its new look web site and on-line sales system.

The project incorporates two groundbreaking developments that are guaranteed to challenge the dominance of the company's less advanced car insurance competitors.

The new online sales system, which was created entirely by the company's award winning Brisbane-based in-house IT team, is the first in Australia to make extensive use of the AJAX programming technique, which unlike smart client technologies (e.g. Flash) that seek to replace HTML, empowers software developers to create highly interactive, desktop-like interfaces with standard HTML technologies.

Budget Direct's Director of Technology, Paul Matt said the company's goal from the outset was to make sure the on-line sales system met five criteria, that it was customer focused, secure, fast and robust while delivering an enhanced customer experience from the company's award winning On Demand infrastructure.

"Rather than purchase a middleware product from an external software developer, we chose to build it ourselves from scratch so we could be in charge of our own and end product... it allowed us to optimise every stage in the quoting and sales process rather than be constrained by the generic systems used by our competitors, which at best could be described as impersonal," Mr Matt said.

"The new online system is instantaneous, not needing to constantly update the quote or purchase pages with new information as you progress. It's also a more personal experience, for example eliminating re-keying by remembering information they've already entered and referring to the user by name as they progress through the process

Budget Direct's insurance application and underwriting process has always been a user-friendly, paperless practise for consumers, but never before has it been made so easy to purchase on-line," he said.

eCommerce General Manager Johnathon Kerr, who led the website side of the project, said the company appointed Australia's most award-winning website design agency, TribalDDB Sydney to make sure the new site was the most useful and attractive of it's kind in Australia.

"People are tired of spending hours trawling through bland, badly structured website content in an effort to make an informed decision about their car insurance provider," Mr Kerr said.

The website is the first Australian car insurance website to immediately provide the public with example quote prices, as well as actual customer examples of real money saved by switching insurance providers. Other vital elements of information about the company, its products and procedures are all one-click links from the homepage. The attention to detail, aesthetics and information architecture makes the new Budget Direct website the most simple, fast and informative website in its category.

"We also worked with ethical search engine optimisation company, Amplify to make sure the website attracts the search engine ranking it deserves. This is a vital element to the success of the project as more of the public who are unsatisfied with their current high price insurer turn to the web to shop around for a better deal." added Mr. Kerr.

To view Budget Direct's brand-new website and experience the user-friendliness the company's new online quoting and sales system visit http://www.budgetdirect.com.au.

Budget Direct is part of the Budget Insurance group of companies. Internationally, the group administers more than 3 million policies and $1 billion in premium income worldwide. The Australian business currently issues more than 4,500 policies to Australians every week, offering customers security and long-term protection.

All of Budget Direct's policies are underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Ltd. Auto & General is also part of the Budget Insurance group of companies and is an Australian Insurance company authorised by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Australia (APRA). The company also holds an Australia Financial Services License.

MONDAY 29TH MAY 2006

Insurance industry consumer champion Richard Talbot recommends BUDGET DIRECT to AUSTRALIAN drivers

In the coming weeks, almost every New South Wales household will receive a letter in the mail from consumer car insurance campaigner Richard Talbot, recommending Budget Direct as his preferred provider of car insurance.

The long-time industry consumer champion has finally revealed the answer to the question many New South Wales car drivers have asked him in recent years, and that is, "Who do you insure with now?"

"I've championed the principles of mutual insurance for many years, but with the shake out of the industry in recent times I've found that there is now a more competitive car insurance alternative for consumers, and that is why I'm endorsing Budget Direct," Mr Talbot said.

"My wife and I have been Budget Direct customers for the past three years, so it's with first-hand experience that I am now advising the public to, at the very least, obtain a quote and compare Budget Direct with their current insurer.

"Budget Direct keep their prices low through careful risk selection and excellent operational efficiency, not by reducing the quality of their service or level of coverage. I have been over their operation and have seen how well they do it," he said.

"I'm quite certain that if you're a good driver with a standard vehicle, then you could make substantial savings with Budget Direct compared to your current insurer," he said.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said he was extremely pleased to have Richard Talbot endorsing the company.

"Budget Direct is proud to be associated with a man who for many years, has been a leader in consumer advocacy, always acting in the best interests of car owners whether it be in relation to road safety or better insurance savings," Mr Weston said.

"Richard's endorsement only reiterates recent figures released by Cannex indicating that over ninety percent of the time, Budget Direct offered the best quote price for comprehensive car insurance for average Australian good drivers.¹

"Every week thousands of Australians are insuring through Budget Direct, we just hope that Richard Talbot's endorsement will be the catalyst for more Australians to compare their current insurer's deal with what's on offer from Budget Direct. We are confident they too will soon be recommending Budget Direct to their friends." he said.

Budget Direct² is part of Budget Insurance group, an international insurance group that administers more than 3 million policies and $1 billion in premium income worldwide. Budget Direct began operations in Australia in 1999 and currently employs nearly 400 people in Australia. The company issues more than 4,500 policies to Australians every week, offering customers security and long-term protection. All of Budget Direct's policies are underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited. Auto & General is also part of Budget Insurance group and is an Australian insurance company authorised by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA). The company also holds an Australian Financial Services License. The public is encouraged to go to www.talbotdirect.com.au or call 1-800-280-210 to get a quote to see how much they could save.

1 Cannex Report May 2006 - Australian Car Insurance Providers. Average Australian, Good Driver, Comprehensive Car Insurance, Quote Price Comparison. To read the Cannex report go to www.cannex.com.au/carinsurance

2 Budget Direct is a trading name of A&G Insurance Services Pty Ltd. (ACN 003617909)

WEDNESDAY 17TH MAY 2006

CANNEX REPORT SAYS BUDGET DIRECT IS THE QUOTE PRICE LEADER FOR GOOD DRIVER, COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE

Figures released yesterday by research firm Cannex show that over 90% of the time, Australian car insurance provider Budget Direct offered the best quoted price for comprehensive car insurance for average Australian good drivers.

The CANNEX study covered 20 of Australia's leading Car Insurers across 200 scenarios and 2,890 quotes.

Cannex found that not only did Budget Direct provide the best quoted price over 90% of the time when compared to the other 19 companies, but its average quote price also beat the other providers' combined average quoted price by 37.39%.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said the reason Budget Direct commissioned the report was to help consumers cut through the mountain of price-based advertising often in the marketplace.

"Unlike other insurance providers Budget Direct's only interested in insuring good drivers, which means our customers aren't subsidising the cost of high risk drivers. Budget Direct is delighted with the Cannex results, but we're certainly not surprised," Mr Weston said.

Based on information obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the various state transport bodies, CANNEX devised standard male and female driver profiles, which were designed around what CANNEX believes to be an average Australian, good driver.

Ten cars were chosen based on their size class, as outlined by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). Data from Carsales.com.au encompassing most popular used cars and average age of available cars was combined with this to identify the cars selected.

Ten postcodes were then picked from around Australia, focusing on metropolitan areas with high usage of cars and low usage of public transport. The Northern Territory was excluded from the comparison, as were drivers under 25 and over 65. In each case a standard set of predetermined answers was used to complete the quotes.

The quotes for this research were undertaken from the 27th to the 31st of March, 2006. In each case, Cannex used the company's publicly available online quoting systems to obtain the quote prices for the research. The same online quoting systems used by the general public to check and compare quote prices from the providers.

In the cases where any of the other providers in the research offered a discounted premium if the customer were to buy the policy online, that discounted quote price was used in the comparison, making the Budget Direct result even more noteworthy.

The public is encouraged to read the results and methodology of the Cannex study by going to www.Cannex.com.au/carinsurance

Budget Direct is part of Budget Insurance group, an international insurance group that administers more than 3 million policies and $1 billion in premium income worldwide. In Australia, the company currently issue more than 4,500 policies to Australians every week, offering customers security and long-term protection.

Please read the Product Disclosure Statement before making a decision relating to this product. Contact us for a copy. The insurer is Auto & General Insurance Company Limited.

THURSDAY 6TH APRIL 2006

NEW FIGURES SHOW RISING FUEL PRICES ARE FORCING MOTORISTS TO DOWNSIZE

More than 10% of Australian motorists have traded in their four-wheel-drive or large eight and six-cylinder vehicles in an effort to reduce growing fuel costs, according to figures released today by insurance provider Budget Direct.

The independent online survey of more than 22,000 respondents asked whether they had considered or if they had changed their vehicle for a more fuel-efficient model, to which nearly 50% (47.5%) said they had considered the option.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said he was not surprised by the figures, given the continued surge in fuel prices over the past two years.

"There are certain segments of the Australian population, namely high income earners, who will be largely unaffected by fuel price increases, but for the average Australian, it's forced a serious re-think of their car maintenance preferences," Mr Weston said.

"Manufacturers of four-wheel drives as well as eight and six-cylinder vehicles are certainly starting to see the ever-increasing negative effects of rising fuel prices, with 2.6% of survey respondents telling us they had already traded their four-wheel drives for more fuel-efficient cars, and 7.5% of eight and six-cylinder drivers doing the same."

Official figures released in early March by The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed a 9% decline in sales of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) throughout February, compared to the corresponding February 2005 period.

Mr Weston said this trend had seen car owners offsetting rising fuel costs by purchasing a small car to ensure they can maintain their car usage.

"We also asked respondents whether or not the rising fuel prices affected their car usage, to which 48% said no. However, just over 40% said they had been using their car less often…these respondents could be part of the 47.5% of car owners who are on the verge of downsizing," he said.

Budget Direct is part of the international Budget Insurance group insurance group that administers more than 3 million policies and $1 billion in premium income. In Australia, the company's call centres currently issue more than 4,000 policies to Australians every week, offering customers security and long-term protection.

2 NOVEMBER 2005

BUDGET DIRECT HITS CAR INSURANCE MARKET WITH PREMIUM COMPARISON OFFER

Budget Direct, which has made big inroads into Australia's "complacent" car insurance market since its introduction in 2000, is putting its money where its mouth is - proving to consumers that it is, in fact, one of Australia's best value car insurance providers.

Car insurance holders have the opportunity to win $5000 simply by comparing their current insurance policy or renewal notice with a Budget Direct Online Fast Quote.

The nation-wide competition, generated through the website www.fastquotechallenge.com.au calculates the percentage saved from an entrant's current insurance policy with a Budget Direct policy.

Each week for the next five weeks Budget Direct will give $5000 to the person with the largest savings recorded.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said Australian motorists have been limited until now with their choice of car insurance policies.

"This competition proves that some motorists are paying up to twice as much as they should be for no additional advantages," he said.

"It's been a case of pay up, with not too many alternatives. The Australian car insurance industry has not been subject to real competition and consumers have been the ones to pay the price for that," Mr Weston said.

"With petrol prices higher than ever before, car owners are looking at ways to save money just so they can keep their car on the road. Insurance is one of these."

"I urge any motorist with comprehensive motor vehicle insurance to go online and compare their current annual premium with a fast quote from Budget Direct. I know they will be pleasantly surprised," he said. Budget Direct's parent company, A&G Insurance Services Pty Ltd (IH), is fast becoming a force in the Australian automotive insurance industry, since selling its first policy in September 2000. It is a company that has pioneered innovative, technology-based delivery of competitively priced, specialised policies. IH's stable of brands include Budget Direct, Cashback, Retirease Insurance and 1st for Women.

9 NOVEMBER 2005

LOWER PREMIUMS FOR GOOD DRIVERS WITH BUDGET DIRECT

National car insurance provider Budget Direct has hit a favourable cord with the driving public with its competitively priced policies and exceptional service.

Budget Direct CEO, Michael Weston comments, "our policies are pitched squarely at low risk drivers, with the offer of lower premiums as a reward. Our sophisticated underwriting allows us to pinpoint risk and we tailor our premiums accordingly."

Advanced technology developed by Budget Direct, allows for high level data analysis, resulting in cost savings that are passed on to customers in the form of lower premiums.

Budget Direct's competitive edge is strengthened by a sophisticated voice and image capture and recording system that is entirely paperless. "Customers can be guaranteed a hassle-free service with no paper work to fill in throughout any process. All our services including general enquiries, sales and claims are handled quickly and efficiently over the phone," said Mr Weston.

Budget Direct's parent company A&G Insurance Services Pty Ltd sold its first Australian policy in September 2000 and now sells over 4,000 policies each week.

Budget Direct policies are underwritten by an Australian insurer, Auto & General Insurance Company Limited. The company forms part of an international insurance group with more than 20 years worldwide experience in car insurance. The group administers 3 million customers internationally, with a premium income in excess of A$1 Billion annually.

21 NOVEMBER 2005

MORE THAN 40% OF AUSTRALIAN DRIVERS ARE GUILTY OF SPEEDING BUT DON'T BELIEVE THE POLICE - NATIONAL SURVEY

A national survey has revealed more than 40 percent of drivers have been fined for speeding in the past five years with almost 20 percent more than twice and some more than five times.

However, 70 percent believed that the speed cameras and/or speed guns used by the Police Department did not record accurate results.

National car insurance provider, Budget Direct conducted the online survey over the months of September and October 2005 attracting between 18,000 and 60,000 responses to five separate questions.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said the results showed an alarmingly high number of drivers who had been caught speeding in the last five years. There was also an obvious credibility problem for Police Services with the widespread perception of inaccurate speed camera readings. Such a perception is certain to undermine the effectiveness of the fines.

"These results are alarming - clearly speeding has almost become the norm. This perception that speed cameras and guns are inaccurate could be contributing to this trend. The Police need to change this perception.

"The vast majority of respondents (70 percent) held a very sceptical view of the legitimacy of police tactics in recording speed limits - almost 27 percent of fines being issued while driving down a hill or slope would clearly contribute to such a cynical attitude. It also shows that current campaigns to stop people speeding aren't working as well as they should," he said.

A state-by-state breakdown showed that NSW drivers had actually received the lowest proportion of speeding fines since 2000, while Western Australian drivers received the highest proportion.

Whilst the majority of fined drivers had amended their driving behaviour to some extent after receiving a speeding ticket, only 11 percent stated that they generally drove slower on the road as a result. The survey also revealed that 31 percent of drivers who had received one or more speeding fines said the fine hadn't changed the way they drive at all.

More than 17 percent of respondents were repeat offenders having received two or more speeding fines since 2000 with 3 percent having been fined five or more times.

Over half of all speeding fines (56 percent) were received while driving on an open road or freeway and 5 percent in a School Zone.

4 OCTOBER 2005

BUDGET DIRECT FAST INSURANCE QUOTE CHALLENGE COULD WIN YOU $5,000

Car insurance provider Budget Direct Insurance is putting its money where its mouth is with the Budget Direct Fast Quote Challenge competition.

For the next 10 weeks up until 11 December, Budget Direct will be giving away $5,000 cash every week to the person with the highest percentage saving between their current car insurance premium (or renewal) and a Budget Direct fast quote online.

There is no obligation to buy a Budget Direct insurance policy to enter the competition. Entrants just need to get a Budget Direct online quote, compare it with their current car insurance premium (or renewal offer), and fill in the required details.

Budget Direct CEO, Michael Weston comments, "our policies are pitched squarely at low risk drivers, with the offer of lower premiums as a reward. Our sophisticated underwriting allows us to pinpoint risk and we tailor our premiums accordingly."

Testimonials from customers who have switched to Budget Direct reiterate the common theme that they have substantially reduced their previous car insurance bill.

R. McMahon, a customer from Brisbane says, "I saved about $260 by switching to Budget Direct, and that definitely made a difference to my monthly bills."  While R. McDonald from Sydney states that, "I was very happy to save around $800 on my previous car insurance bill by switching to Budget Direct."

Mr Weston commented that it was important that people be encouraged to shop around for car insurance, as there could be hundreds of dollars of savings to be made. "Many consumers shop around for car insurance quotes around renewal time, but it may be easier than you think to switch policies mid-term and make immediate savings,' said Mr Weston.

"With petrol prices spiralling now is a good opportunity to consider any way of saving on car expenses. You may be pleasantly surprised at how a little research may just ease the burden now and continue to save you money at renewal time each year," Mr Weston said.

Budget Direct forms part of an international insurance group with more than 20 years worldwide experience in car insurance. The group sold its first policy in Australia in September 2000, and now administers 3 million customers internationally, with a premium income in excess of A$1 Billion annually.

31 MAY 2005

UP CLOSE IS TOO PERSONAL: TAILGATING TRIGGERS ROAD RAGE

Drivers who tailgate, watch out. Having a car "sitting on your tail" is the behaviour most likely to enrage your fellow drivers.

In a national survey of road rage triggers by specialist car insurance provider Budget Direct, 51% of people nominated tailgating as the anti-social driving behaviour that most aggravates them. Strangely, motorists who drive too slowly cause only 27% of people to get angry.

More than 50% say they are unfazed by people who chat on mobiles while driving, but get angry when they see drivers littering - even a cigarette butt out the window raises the ire of 46%.

Budget Direct surveyed people who phoned its national call centre on the Sunshine Coast to buy or renew their car insurance. The call centre fields some 27,000 calls each month.

And how do we most often express road rage? It seems the "rude or provocative gesture" suffices as the most common expression of road rage, with only 8% reporting actual physical abuse by other drivers.

Other reported acts of aggression include being purposely nudged into oncoming traffic and having a gas bottle thrown at them. Road rage incidents also involved being cut off and "stalked" by a baseball bat wielding road rager while some victims reported being followed home.

Budget Direct CEO Michael Weston said the figures show that relatively common behaviours can push a driver to boiling point.

"Road rage is probably fuelled by the recent personal experiences of the aggressive driver - perhaps they've had a bad day at work, or are hurrying somewhere, but it is no excuse for behaving badly on the road," Mr Weston said.

He said that 71% of those surveyed did not worry about becoming a road rage victim, even though 55% had experienced some form of driver aggression in the past year.

Budget Direct forms part of a highly competitive national automotive insurance company, Australian Insurance Holdings, which pioneers the delivery of specialised innovative, technology-based products. The parent company to the Australian operations, Budget Insurance group, is a major automotive insurer and intermediary in the UK and South Africa with more than 20 years international experience and administers policies for more than one and a half million people worldwide.