Opinion
Penny Black’s insurance week
Penny was fortunate to be sunning herself in southern Spain earlier this week. With only a mild case of sunburn to attend to, she was shocked to hear one of her insurer pals had experienced a rather more unfortunate injury on his holiday.
View from the top: an updating challenge
Well, spring has sprung and yet, with the exception of the personal lines motor market, there is still no sign of any rate-hardening green shoots.
Editor’s comment: two new faces to watch
With Google this week snapping up beat that Quote for a little under £40m, and web design firm Vast Visibility simultaneously buying two specialist bike and van price comparison sites, aggregators are very much the insurance ‘buy du jour’.
Postbox: staying ahead of the game
The recent article ‘Brokers unprepared for household fraud’ concerning a Legal & General report raised some interesting issues for the broking community.
Penny Black’s insurance week
The only thing Penny loves as much as the insurance industry is the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, so she was particularly pleased when the world of underwriting collided with the Oscars last week.
View from the top: an updating challenge
Much has changed during my time in the broker market, but the one thing that hasn’t is that insurers still need to get their car insurance rates to the broker software houses some six weeks in advance. It will then be a whole month before we can change…
Insurance Insight: View from the Top
Many firms believe that expanding their geographic footprint will not only increase their roster of clients, but also make them less dependent on one region or sector. But with wider reach comes added risk and firms looking to diversify should guard…
An aggregator explosion in France?
It’s an exciting time for the price comparison market in France.
Post Europe: view from the top
Many firms believe that expanding their geographic footprint will not only increase their roster of clients, but also make them less dependent on one region or sector. But with wider reach comes added risk and firms looking to diversify should guard…
Post Europe: an aggregator explosion in France?
It’s an exciting time for the price comparison market in France.
View from the top: Time to be more vocal
Simon Cowell would have us believe that Britain's Got Talent. However, studies suggests it's not flocking to the insurance industry. A year ago, the Chartered Insurance Institute published the results of a survey that indicated that 83% of students…
Cullum backing bodes well for industry
I was personally delighted to see the news that Towergate Partnership has completed its refinancing and secured the investment from Advent International.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was uncertain as to how her colleagues would fare when they turned their hands to cocktail-making at an Ace Europe masterclass in the City.
View from the top: An endangered species?
CBS Moneywatch recently put underwriters on their list of 'endangered species', alongside travel agents, newspaper reporters and fashion designers (apparently we have too many of them). All were named among the 10 careers with 'no future.'
Penny Black's insurance week
It seems that the cost of civil litigation is not the only matter Lord Justice Jackson has had on his mind for the past year.
View from the top: Brokers should dig deeper to protect insurers
Risk is a constant tenet of financial services organisations across the industry - appetite for risk, however, can be more fluid. Traditionally, banks favoured low-risk lending models, which provided correspondingly low but relatively sustainable returns…
Guernsey’s independence
Guernsey recently made it quite clear it would not be seeking equivalence under Solvency II. Dominic Wheatley examines why the authorities there felt the need to make this declaration and what it means for insurers and captives there.
Post Europe: Guernsey’s independence
Guernsey recently made it quite clear it would not be seeking equivalence under Solvency II. Dominic Wheatley examines why the authorities there felt the need to make this declaration and what it means for insurers and captives there.
View from the Top: The challenge of D&O
Twenty-five years ago it was argued that “it is easier to hang onto a sow with a soapy tail than to hold a director liable”, but today the reverse is true.
Post Europe: View from the Top: The challenge of D&O
Twenty-five years ago it was argued that “it is easier to hang onto a sow with a soapy tail than to hold a director liable”, but today the reverse is true.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was delighted to be entertained by the lovely ladies at Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance, when she was whisked off to the O2 to see R&B megastar Usher perform a selection of his greatest hits.
Postbox: Policy cancellation not fair on drivers
Mike Eve makes some interesting points regarding uninsured driving and, unfortunately, he is correct that fines for uninsured driving, and most other offences for that matter, are governed by the financial status of the offender.
Postbox: Fines are just one tool for CIE
I note with interest Mike Eve's letter in Post referring to the level of penalty under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement process being "far too low"
Post Europe: View from the Top - Opening up all channels
New controls on distance selling are being considered by the Turkish regulator. This specific regulation will improve consumer access to cover and enable insurers take full advantage of the significant opportunities this growing market has to offer.