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Evidence · Home and contents insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 372 home and contents insurance questions and the 1,476 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
372
answers saved, of 1488 planned
1476
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 372 questions

Show all 372

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    372rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    1,476rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    9,014rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    97rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    659rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; twelve home and twelve contents selection questions, with missing captures preserved

    94rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    75rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    71rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    1,017rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; four home and three contents platform answers per region

    112rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    3,828rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    13,048rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

  • Matched consumer platform membership

    platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, consumer and platform; 22 identical questions per platform

    88rows

    Download matched consumer platform membership (CSV)

  • Matched regional platform membership

    regional-platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question regional platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, region and platform; 31 identical questions per platform

    124rows

    Download matched regional platform membership (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

If I buy house insurance through my bank, who actually insures my house?

In New Zealand, if you buy house insurance through your bank, the bank usually is not the insurer. The bank is typically a distributor or partner; a separate insurance company actually underwrites the policy, collects the risk, and pays valid claims. Commerce Commission

For example:

  • BNZ home insurance is underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited, not BNZ itself. BNZ
  • ASB Bank home insurance is arranged by ASB but underwritten and administered by IAG. ASB Bank
  • Kiwibank house insurance is underwritten by Tower Limited for its current house insurance product. Kiwibank
  • ANZ Bank New Zealand home insurance is offered with Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited as the insurer for those policies. ANZ Bank

The easiest way to find out who actually insures your house is to check:

  1. Your policy schedule or certificate of insurance.
  2. The policy wording (look for “insurer”, “underwritten by”, or “contract of insurance is between…”).
  3. Your bank’s insurance page or app details.

The key distinction:

  • Bank: may sell it, take payments, and provide the app/portal.
  • Insurer: is the company legally responsible for the insurance contract and claims.

If you tell me which New Zealand bank you bought it through, I can help identify the likely insurer.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

If I buy house insurance through my bank, who actually insures my house?

When you buy house insurance through a bank in New Zealand, the bank is usually acting as a distributor or broker, rather than the actual insurer.

While the policy will feature the bank's branding, the risk is typically underwritten by a licensed third-party insurance company. The specific arrangement depends on which bank you use:

  • ASB, BNZ, and The Co-operative Bank: Their general insurance policies (including house, contents, and car insurance) are underwritten and backed by IAG New Zealand Limited (one of the country's largest general insurers, which also operates brands like State and AMI).
  • ANZ: Its general insurance policies are underwritten and issued by Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited (a subsidiary of Suncorp).
  • Kiwibank: Rather than underwriting policies themselves or using a single exclusive partner, Kiwibank acts as a distributor partnering with established providers like Tower to offer house insurance options.

What this means for you:

  • The Underwriter Pays Claims: If you need to make a claim, the financial backing and final payout come from the underlying insurance company (e.g., IAG or Vero), even though you might manage your policy or talk to your bank about it.
  • Policy Wording: Always check the fine print or certificate of insurance. It will explicitly state which company holds the license and underwrites the policy under the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010.
  • Financial Strength Rating: Because the actual risk sits with the underwriter, you should check their financial strength rating (e.g., most major insurers in NZ maintain an 'AA' rating for very strong claims-paying ability).

Are you looking at policy options for a specific bank, or trying to compare bank-offered insurance with standalone providers?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

If I buy house insurance through my bank, who actually insures my house?

AI Overview

When you buy house insurance through a bank in New Zealand, your house is actually insured by a major, specialized insurance company (the underwriter), not the bank itself.

Banks act as distributors or agents. They brand and sell the policies, but a separate insurance company holds the financial risk, manages the policy details, and processes any claims you make. Furthermore, your bank does not guarantee the financial obligations of the insurer.

Underwriters for the "Big Four" Banks

A breakdown of which company underwrites home insurance for New Zealand's major banks:

Bank Who Actually Insures You? (The Underwriter)
ASB IAG New Zealand Limited (which also operates brands like AMI, State, and NZI).
ANZ Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited.
BNZ IAG New Zealand Limited.
Westpac Tower Limited for new policies (effective 1 July 2026). Note: Existing older policies are transitioning from IAG at their next renewal.

What about natural disasters?

In New Zealand, your residential house insurance policy also includes a compulsory component for natural disasters. If your home is damaged by an earthquake, landslide, volcanic activity, tsunami, or hydrothermal activity, the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC—formerly EQC) provides the initial land and structural cover up to statutory limits, while your bank's underwriter covers any remaining amount up to your specified Sum Insured.

If you are currently deciding on cover, let me know:

  • Which bank or insurer you are currently looking at?

  • If you need help understanding Sum Insured or choosing a policy tier?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

If I buy house insurance through my bank, who actually insures my house?

When you buy house insurance through a bank in New Zealand , the bank is not the actual insurer.

Instead, the bank acts as a referrer or distributor. The insurance policy is actually underwritten and issued by a dedicated licenced general insurance company. The legal contract of insurance is between you and that insurance provider, not the bank. If you need to make a claim, the underwriter (or their dedicated claims team) handles, assesses, and pays out the claim.

The partnerships between major New Zealand banks and their underlying insurance providers include:

  • ANZ: Underwritten by Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited.

  • ASB: Underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited.

  • BNZ: Provided and underwritten by IAG New Zealand Limited.

  • Kiwibank: Underwritten by Tower Limited.

  • TSB: Underwritten by Tower Limited.

  • Westpac: Underwritten by Tower Limited.

While your bank may brand the product with its own name, handle the monthly direct debits, or provide a quote through its digital banking app, they generally do not guarantee the financial obligations or liabilities of the insurer.

If you'd like, let me know which bank you are looking at, and I can share more details on their underwriter's financial strength rating or specific policy features.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026