The Australian Banking Association (ABA) is the information source for the news media on the Australian banking industry, providing information, analysis and context on industry issues.
The ABA plays an active role in the public dialogue on banking and financial services, providing commentary on broader industry issues and facilitating access to other sources of information.
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E&OERadio InterviewABC Radio National Hour24 March 2026. Topics: Australia-EU free trade deal Fran Kelly (Host): Total two-way trade between Australia and the EU was worth nearly $110 billion in the last financial year, and this Free Trade Agreement is expected to be worth an extra 10 billion in the first year alone. But farmers are… Read more »
E&OE Radio Interview ABC Adelaide 27 January 2026. Topics: Expanding scam prevention rules; Tips to avoid scams Rory McLaren (Host): But now to scammers, it appears that many scammers are moving faster than the laws that are designed to try and stop them. While banks and telecommunication companies face tough new rules, criminals appear to be slipping through the cracks using online marketplaces, messaging services, apps and other platforms that aren’t necessarily regulated as… Read more »
Australia’s banks and finance firms are joining forces with Australia’s leading financial safety by design expert, to prevent financial abuse, with the launch of the Financial Safety Alliance. The Financial Safety Alliance, founded by social enterprise Flequity Ventures, brings together the Australian Banking Association, the Australian Finance Industry Association, the Customer Owned Banking Association and Arca. The Alliance will provide lenders with the… Read more »
The ABA welcomes today’s release of draft industry designations and framework for scams code obligations for banks, telecommunication companies and digital platforms – reinforcing the importance of an ecosystem approach in the fight against scammers. ABA CEO Simon Birmingham said the draft materials were the next piece of the puzzle in ongoing efforts to drive… Read more »
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) and Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia are urging older Australians, their families, friends and carers to have conversations about how to better protect themselves from scams and financial abuse this Elder Abuse Awareness Day. ABA CEO Anna Bligh said older Australians were more likely to be susceptible to financial… Read more »
The ABA welcomes the release of the Flequity 2025 Respect and Protect Index showing the banking industry is leading the way in protecting customers from financial abuse. The report highlights that 29 banks have or are taking action to change policies or product terms and conditions to safeguard customers from financial abuse and make it… Read more »
The Chief Executive of the Australian Banking Association (ABA) and former Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh AC, will retire in mid-2025 once a replacement is appointed. ABA Chair and National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Irvine today announced that Ms Bligh had advised him that she had decided to retire after more than eight years in the… Read more »
The Australian Banking Association acknowledges the release today of the inquiry report into the Financial Services Regulatory Framework in Relation to Financial Abuse. CEO Anna Bligh said the ABA and its member banks acknowledge the important work of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services to further shine a light on financial abuse…. Read more »
Customer safety will be front and centre when banks design their products and services under a new global leading initiative launched today by the Australian Banking Association, in partnership with Westpac. The new Safety by Design toolkit, developed by Westpac and made accessible to the sector, will give banks access to more guidance to ensure… Read more »
One of the most alarming consequences of the recent CrowdStrike technical outage was how quickly scammers moved to take advantage of it. Within 24 hours, the Australian Cyber Security Centre had issued a warning to Australians about the potential risk of scams. Scammers pounced, impersonating CrowdStrike and Microsoft employees to trick people into providing remote access to… Read more »
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) welcomes the Federal Government’s upcoming campaign to further educate the community about elder abuse. ABA CEO Anna Bligh said this was a timely opportunity to further raise awareness and shine the spotlight on financial elder abuse. “Australian banks are deeply conscious of financial elder abuse. They see it playing out every day and have… Read more »
Steve Austin: Do consider this scenario, a relative or a friend caring for an older person decides to dip into that person’s accounts to pay for their own holidays or home renovations. And the banking institution can see the money going out of one account into another account. And they want to flag it with the… Read more »
With it being World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Australian Banking Association (ABA) is reminding older Australians about how they can better protect themselves from scams, fraud and financial abuse.
16 May 2024 Patricia Karvelas Before Tuesday’s federal budget, the big four banks were predicting interest rates to start falling before the end of the year. But in response to what they say is expansionary spending, including tax cuts and billions for renewable energy infrastructure, some economists are changing their tune. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has… Read more »
13 May 2024 Richard Glover Hundreds of people gathered in Forbes yesterday, Mother’s Day to walk in memory of young mother Molly Ticehurst allegedly killed by her former partner who was on bail. As you know at the time of the alleged incident 27 women have died as a result of domestic or family violence… Read more »
This International Women’s Day, the Australian Banking Association has reaffirmed the sector’s unwavering commitment to protecting women’s financial safety and security. In Australia, one in six women will experience financial abuse over the course of their lifetime. The 2024 IWD theme “Count Her In” is an opportunity to talk about the types of financial abuse… Read more »
“Seeing the banks make these changes means I feel a sense of safety, security and support; that I matter and that the horrible experience I’ve been through can somehow be useful to help make changes to prevent the misuse and manipulation of gaps in banking systems and processes.” – Victim-survivor of financial abuse A new… Read more »
The ABA has developed a new Branch Closure Support Protocol to improve transparency, ensure better communication, and provide improved customer support when banks close branches.
With one in six older Australians experiencing some form of abuse, today’s World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is an important reminder to look out for the warning signs.
Australia’s financial counselling services will receive a $7.75 million boost following a cross-industry donation.