Behind every real business, there's a real person with a real story. We'd like to share our story with you.

We share this story in the service of others.

We believe that investing in the future health and well-being of another is an act of service greater than ourselves — and in many cases, it's what makes us human. Drew Browne Founder Unusual Risks Insured Australia

The drive behind Unusual Risks really began over twenty years ago, in a big city hospital waiting room.

In 1991 I sat in the waiting room of St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney after discovering that I couldn’t work 60 hours a week and keep my health as well. I’d just received the news that I needed to be admitted for urgent surgery the next day, to remove a growth from my throat.

As I sat there, surrounded by a seemingly endless supply of vintage editions of the National Geographic Magazine, and people in varying states of ill health and unhappiness...

...a simple black and white postcard caught my eye with a photo of Mother Teresa, who became known for her work with the extreme poor in the slums of India’s Calcutta. The caption read, ‘You don’t have to be a saint to do something good’

It was a brochure asking for people who’d be prepared to volunteer their time, to serve people living with HIV in palliative care situations at a hospital clinic.

I folded a copy of the postcard into my back pocket to read it another time. Weeks later, after my surgery and a great deal of personal loss, I remembered that simple black and white postcard from the waiting room, and so began my journey of doing something good.

After months of training, I began regular weekly volunteering at a hospital with a newly opened HIV/AIDS ward. A year later, after so many deaths, many lessons and a new-found level of respect for the resilience of people labouring under stigma and suffering terrible discrimination, I was asked to spend some time at a newly-opened Day Centre for positive people in the western suburbs of Sydney.

Our friend Mrs Patricia Kennedy, OAM

It was at this centre that I met and began my friendship with an HIV Disability Advocate, Mrs. Patricia Kennedy, and her wonderful team of volunteers. Patricia was later to be officially recognised and awarded the Australian government's OAM honour in 2003 for her services to people living with disabilities and HIV.

In 2013, she inspired us to create Unusual Risks Insured Australia.

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Listen to a 5 Part Radio Interview Podcast

Hear more about this inspirational community leaders' story.

• The Story of Patricia - How one Australian Scottish-born Grandmother remembers the 1980's and the arrival of HIV & AIDS in Australia.

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The early days of HIV & AIDS In Australia

In the 1990s, the world was just waking up to the reality of HIV & AIDS.

It was the social leprosy of its time.

Because of people’s fear, discrimination, intolerance and unfair judgments, working with affected people meant anonymity and confidentiality were paramount — so no one knew what I did, who I supported and who I was honoured to care for.

Things began to change

Five turbulent years passed. I've watched amazing breakthroughs in medical treatments. People diagnosed with HIV, when treated early, began to live long and fulfilling lives again. The HIV hospice moved a number of times and later found a more permanent location in Sydney's western suburbs.

Since then, ACON has been well established. The broader community understanding has begun to mature slowly as people realise that the most important issue is the person, not the diagnosis.

Be the change you want to see around you

For over 20 years now I have worked in the financial services industry in the specialist area of life insurance and family risk protection. I’ve continued to see some businesses move (at glacial speed) towards greater tolerance and understanding, and then to acceptance and celebration of diversity, inclusion and belonging in our greater community. I have seen many still resistant to the winds of change and compassion.

I'm driven to share my expertise's with our community, not just because I'm part of it, but because the LGBTQIA+ are an underserve community, and I truly believe, secure people live bigger lives.

But there’s still active and passive discrimination in business toward people living with HIV

I've witnessed firsthand the passive discrimination in business towards people who accept and celebrate diversity in others.

• Advertising departments of FM Radio stations who no longer wished to be associated with a brand that celebrates diversity, inclusion and belonging.
• Companies who made decisions based on fear and discrimination over facts and transparency.
• The stigma and fear-based discrimination that so many LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer) people have to deal with daily when discussing their financial position, personal insurance plans and their desire to protect and provide for their own families.
• Deep-seated social conservatism in some Western suburbs multicultural communities translating into recording the highest 'No' vote at 73.9 percent in the 2017 Australian Government's Marriage Equality Survey.

Tomorrow, history will judge us all on our businesses and our demonstrated commitment towards acceptance, respect and inclusion of all people - regardless of who they love.

But today the consumer will judge us on what we did: and rightly so.

We believe #AdviceEquality is truly a human rights issue

• Unusual Risks Insured Australia opened its specialty doors for business 1st December 2013
• In September 2014 we were proud finalists in the Honour Awards and won the Outstanding Financial Product Award for KPI Sydney
• In May 2016 our parent company Sapience Financial Certified as a B Corporation, the international standard for using business as a force for good, and
• In May 2017 we were recognised by the inaugural national Australian Businesses of Tomorrow Awards.
• Today we're doing business with LGBTIQ+ people and our Allies and anyone who believes in a truly Fair Go for all Australians, and a better future for our children.

Human Rights and LGBTQIA+ and D&I cannot be separated

Nobody and no business lives in a vacuum.

• The UN released the 17 UN Global Goals to provide a roadmap for governments and businesses to focus their efforts to make the world a better place by 2030.
• Global Goal #10 Reduce Inequalities, focuses on reducing discrimination and inequality that often leads to financial and social discrimination.
• In the same year, the UN launched the Standards of Conduct for Tackling Discrimination against LGBTI people providing five concrete steps companies can take to align their policies and practices with international standards on the human rights of LGBTI people.

Our doors are open for business and we welcome all like-minded people who need high-quality personal insurance and financial and investment services. We don't discriminate.

Why not make us part of your story today and upgrade to a Specialised Financial Adviser in your corner looking out for your best interests?

 

• pride in advice

We believe in equality for our clients

We believe that equal access to life insurance is a human right.

We believe in the importance of giving people living with HIV or diabetes - or other complex health conditions - a fair go so we built a specialty pre-assessment service for them, their friends and supporters

• We celebrate diversity and believe taking an inclusive approach to life and business is the only way we can truly create belonging and equality.
• We understand different communities have different needs and experiences so we serve the Gay Community, the Bi+ Community, the Trans & Diverse Community and the Straight Community - equally.

We believe people living with HIV should have equal access to all financial services, free of stigma and discrimination

We are working hard to help bridge the gap in service, advice and professional resources, the positive community has suffered.

We feel the pain of our serodiscordant clients when one member is able to protect and provide for their partner with standard life Insurance, whilst the other, up until now, have often felt disempowered by not having equal access to the same resources - that most Australians simply take for granted.

We believe Seroconcordant couples matter equally

We understand that our seroconcordant clients have often felt further marginalised by the prospect of discussing such important health issues with an unknown financial adviser while trying to navigate the complex and confusing life insurance system.

This is further compounded by wondering if the adviser would be able to assist in the event of the need to make an insurance claim - in circumstances perhaps foreign to typical the adviser.

These types of obstacles have meant that many of these important discussions have often been avoided along with establishing a life insurance policy.

We believe people living with Diabetes should have equal access to all financial services

If you're living with diabetes or caring for someone who lives with diabetes, you are not alone. Diabetes is unlike other diseases, like cholesterol and hypertension, where often medication alone can successfully treat it. Diabetes requires a considerable change to daily life.

Learning to control this condition and monitor its fluctuations enables many people diagnosed with diabetes to live long and productive lives.

We believe people living with complex health conditions or working in hard to insure occupations should have equal access to all financial services too

If you're living with a complex health condition, you're probably tired of 'always having to be the educator' and constantly editing your conversations uncertain how others will react to you.  We get that; you are not alone. 

We all have plans, dreams, families and responsibilities

People living with diabetes are at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke due to raised blood glucose levels. If they suffer a sickness or injury, their ability to bounce back to good health can be quickly compromised due to medical complications outside their day-to-day control.

This means their insuring their lives and their ability to 'continue to earn an income', is a strong financial decision that can become part of the lifestyle strategy to manage their condition and its effects on their family and financial stability.

• For the single person diagnosed with diabetes, insuring your income-earning ability is even more critical so you can own the peace of mind that an insurance safety net can bring if, because of an accident, life doesn't happen like it was supposed to.

We believe people with complex health conditions and their families who support them, should be supported equally too

When you have worked in specialist financial advice for 20+ years you get to see a broad diversity of people all managing complex health needs, all united by a common understanding that they all have a lot of life to live whether they're single, partnered or parenting; and that's worth protecting.

“Investing in the future health and wellbeing of another is an act of service greater than ourselves; and in many cases, it requires us to give up something in the short term to sustain the long term.”

We believe that all Australians deserve a fair go

Unusual Risks Insured seeks to ensure positive people and their families and people managing other complex health issues, all have equal access to

• the very best professional insurance advice available - (regardless of where they live),
• an adviser who understands the key challenges they face, (and who don't have to be educated by their client about living with a complex health condition), and
• an adviser who is able to compassionately and skillfully care for them and their families, from an initial application process through to a potential claim event later.

We agree businesses have a responsibility to promote a culture of respect and equality in the communities where they and their business partners operate.

We believe that everyone has the responsibility to plan for their future, to protect and provide for their loved ones and to have the opportunity to feel safe and empowered; so they can live a truly unusual life.

 

Our reach and connections - your advantage

When you've celebrated 20+ years in the Australian Financial Services market, awarded and recognised as a key person of influence to the industry, you get to meet the right people.

We continually look to develop better ways to help our clients, friends and supporters navigate through the complex system that is life insurance.

Whether that's through organising preferential treatment for speedier telephone interviews, expediting claims or simply cutting through red tape by continually advocating for our client's best interests; our experience proves connections matter.

An important issue that the average consumer never gets to know about

 If you like 'detail' this next section is for you; otherwise, feel free to skip this paragraph.

Did you know that financial advisers are only allowed to make recommendations for their clients from an approved list of product suppliers?  The bigger the list the wider the range of available suppliers, the more work is required to keep up with changes (and the more expensive the professional indemnity insurance premiums become for the adviser's business).

That's one of the main reasons why most advisors only work from a restricted products list. Advisers who are employed by a bank or industry super fund are equally restricted to only selling their own brand of products (but we're sure their marketing department would try and disagree).

• The financial advisers behind unusualrisks.com.au have an unrestricted product list so our clients can be confident they have access to every solution on the market without restriction.

Why is this important to understand? You want the best don't you?

You can only get the best possible result with the best possible range of options.  This is the importance of having a financial adviser with access to an open approved product list, and understanding the ramifications of being stuck with an adviser who is restricted to a limited approved product list.

If you'd like to know more about how to benefit from our connections and expertise, we'd love to chat with you.

We access every Life Insurance provider in Australia

We have access to every Life Insurance company in Australia. Why is this important for our clients?

You wouldn't go to a Doctor who never finished medical school, so why would you use a risk adviser who doesn't have access to every life insurance company in Australia?

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You’ve come a long way — don’t risk what you cannot afford to lose

Today's families come in infinite varieties and we celebrate all of them.

Perhaps you're choosing a partner, climbing the career ladder, maybe sending a child off to university, building up a small business, investing in property, growing a business with someone else, living a fabulous and authentic life, giving back to the community, leaving a legacy for people you love — these are only a few of the many dreams we all aspire to.

Whether your dreams are simple or ambitious, we understand that everyone has them

We also understand that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their families face diverse challenges when it comes to protecting and achieving their financial dreams.

If you or your partner have been diagnosed with HIV or diabetes or if like us, you simply believe in supporting your freedom to choose, we'd love to be part of your strategy for protecting what’s important to you.

The company behind the people behind the scenes

We believe that good businesses can help good people achieve good things.

The heart behind unUsual Risks Insured is our parent company, Sapience Financial. Sapience is a boutique full financial services practice who certified as a  B Corporation in 2015 and committed to using purpose-driven business as a force for good.

In 2020 they celebrated 20+ years of helping people through understanding, respect and strategic financial advice Australia-wide.

Our Claims Management Service

We personally manage all of our client's claims.

No client or their family should ever be left alone to navigate the complex world of paperwork and legal minefields, that an insurance claim will bring. Our insurance claims management service, Priority 1 ensures that nothing is left to chance.

"We saw the pain and frustration that people experienced with fragmented and irrelevant advice and how they often felt abandoned to their own devices during a drawn out insurance claims process. They needed an advocate - so we decided to be the change in the community that we wanted to see".Drew Browne, Sapience Financial.

No-Surprises No-BS* Guarantee

What we do is all about You.

We value and protect the trust of our clients so much, that we have a No-Surprises No BS* policy for our product providers.

• We understand the effect of every question you might be asked in a typical insurance application.
• We know when certain information might trigger an additional questionnaire or follow up question.
• We want you to always feel in control of your personal information.
• Our client's privacy, respect and information security is of our utmost importance.
• You choose the level of contact you have with an insurance company.
• Our Concierge Application Service means you can have as much involvement with the insurer as you want, or you can have us take care of everything for you.
• We understand that our clients are usually super busy and people who require a greater level of privacy.
• If additional information is required for an application, you get to choose who contacts you when and how.

If you'd like some additional information about our people, visit our Director's LinkedIn profile here.

*And yes we went there.