Commercial
Avantia rebrands non-standard home product
Online non-standard home insurance provider Avantia has revamped its Home Protect product in a bid to effectively communicate the benefits of immediate online cover to people, no matter their circumstances.
New Swiss Re office targets large corporates in the Benelux region
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions has bolstered its presence in the Benelux countries with the opening of an office in Amstelveen in the Netherlands.
Aviva action group calls for directors to resign
A group of Aviva policyholder activists and shareholders have called for four more directors to step down from the board just months after Andrew Moss, pictured, was forced to resign as chief executive.
America and Asia battle series of earthquakes
Several earthquakes hit California, the Florida Keys, Japan and China over the Bank Holiday weekend.
DLG revamps claims management system
Direct Line Group has taken another step towards revamping its claims business by launching the next phase in its end-to-end claims management system.
IAG maintains silence on UK business sale
Insurance Australia Group has stressed that writing off its remaining goodwill and intangible assets in the UK business is not necessarily a sign that it will sell that division.
Aviva: New jobs at risk "in line" with chairman's strategy
Aviva has claimed the 800 at-risk jobs among “middle management and below” are in line with its chairman’s plan to simplify the business.
Lorega chairman Harvey sails off into the sunset after 25 years
The chairman and director of the Lorega, Malcolm Harvey, pictured, has retired.
IT experts target six MGAs with new ‘shrink wrapped’ underwriting service
Insurance IT specialist Salmon has launched a new end-to-end underwriting service for managing general agent start-ups in a bid to make writing risk less “labour intensive”.
MMA poaches motor specialist from QBE
MMA Insurance has appointed Gary Clayton as senior motor trade underwriter with a remit for the South of the UK.
Autonet invests in leadership programme
Autonet Insurance is launching a leadership training programme within its managerial ranks aimed at improving their ability to motivate and inspire their teams.
Allianz retail boss jumps ship to join First Central as marketing director
First Central bosses have signalled their intention to strengthen the firm’s online offering following the appointment of former Allianz Retail head of direct business Andy James as group marketing director.
Laptops and televisions top the bill for most fraudulently claimed items
Bogus claims for lost, stolen or damaged iPhones have risen by 100 fold over the past two years, according to VFM Services.
American expansion gathers momentum at BMS following key hire
BMS has moved to further bolster its US reinsurance operation following the appointment of Chuck Hewitt to the joint role of senior producer, executive vice president and member of it stateside leadership team.
Ecclesiastical introduces rate rises after £14m underwriting loss
Church insurer Ecclesiastical plans to put up motor and household rates by up to 15% after posting a half year underwriting loss of £14.4m, which was more than double the £6m it was last year.
European View From The Top: Growth opportunities
Among all the doom and gloom you might think the chances of growth in the near term are slight, if not negligible.
Fraudster busted after downloading image to exaggerate paper-cut
A would-be fraudster who suffered a paper-cut while at the gym has been cautioned by the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department after downloading an online image of a wound to support a £500 claim.
Reinsurers more risk-focused after Asian catastrophes
The spate of Asia-Pacific catastrophes in the past two years have prompted reinsurers to take stock of their existing portfolio and re-evaluate their underwriting approach and risk appetite according to Fitch Ratings.
Howden moves to second stage of energy development with double capture
Howden has outlined the next phase of its energy division development following the appointment of Greg Stenzhorn and Richard Bateman, who join the firm from Aon Benfield and Price Forbes respectively.
IAG sheds $300m assets ahead of potential UK business sale
Insurance Australia Group has written off AUD$297m (£196.6m) remaining goodwill and intangible assets associated with the UK business just months before it decides whether to sell its loss-making divisions.
Ecclesiastical CEO upbeat despite significant H1 underwriting losses
Ecclesiastical chief executive Michael Tripp has blamed “turbulent times” after his group chalked up a first half underwriting loss of £14.4m (H1 2011 £6m).
Claims management companies come in for regulatory consultation
Verbal contract agreements between claims management companies and consumers could become a thing of the past, following the launch of a consultation process by the Claims Management Regulator.
Brokers told to up game in face of HNW competition
Intermediaries operating in the high net worth arena have been warned they must concentrate on improving their bespoke offering to clients if they are to win out over growing competition in the high-end home insurance market.
Suncorp GI profit up 26% despite cat loss
Suncorp has reported a significant year-on-year growth in net profit after tax of $724m (£478.7m)for the year to 30 June 2012 compared to $453m in 2011.