Direct Line Group
Direct Line aims to cut costs by £100m following £189m loss
Direct Line CEO Adam Winslow has revealed plans to slash operating costs by £100m by the end of 2025 after the business made a £189.5m loss in 2023.
Tech transformations wont work ‘if the tail is wagging the dog’
Two years on from being brought in to oversee Direct Line’s online transformation, the insurer’s chief information officer Ash Jokhoo has outlined how work to develop an end-to-end digital claims process is going.
RSA ‘not finished’ building commercial book
Briefing: Sources have told Insurance Post that RSA is ‘not finished’ with its commercial build, with one claiming the insurer is looking at the potential purchase of Covéa’s commercial lines business.
Direct Line rejects second bid from Ageas
Direct Line has rejected a second takeover approach from Belgium’s Ageas, with a spokesperson for the provider known it's red telephone on wheels mascot claiming it's rival continues to “significantly undervalue” the business.
Could premium finance face Gap-like FCA action?
After the Financial Conduct Authority’s Matt Brewis labelled premium finance a “poor product”, Scott McGee examines if the industry has done enough to defend this method of paying for insurance or whether the regulator will soon feel forced to clamp down…
Aviva cites ‘favourable’ PL rating as UK&I GI profits surge
Aviva has reported its UK and Ireland general insurance business grew gross written premiums by 16% while the provider’s operating profit surged 63% in 2023, and GI CEO Jason Storah said he is “confident” the business “will build on success” in 2024.
Why Ageas buying Direct Line makes sense now
Having been talked about as a takeover target itself in recent years, content director Jonathan Swift observes Ageas’ move for Direct Line marks a change in fortunes for the Belgian insurance group and makes perfect sense in terms of fit and timing.
Direct Line confirms it rejected ‘opportunistic’ Ageas bid
Direct Line has said it received an approach to buy the group from Ageas on 19 January, which it felt “significantly undervalued” the group and its prospects.
Ageas mulls £3.1bn bid for Direct Line
Ageas has confirmed that it is in the “preliminary stages” of considering a £3.1bn bid for Direct Line.
RSA to be ‘number one’ in commercial lines by end of 2025
RSA will be the best commercial lines and specialty insurance company by the end of 2025, according to Ken Norgrove, the provider’s CEO.
Big Interview: Rachel Lam, ombudsman director, FOS
Rachel Lam, ombudsman director for insurance at the Financial Ombudsman Service, speaks exclusively to Insurance Post’s Editor Emma Ann Hughes about her work with providers and the Financial Conduct Authority to address the sector’s shortcomings.
RSA acquisition of NIG to close at start of May
RSA’s acquisition of Direct Line Group’s brokered commercial lines business is set to be completed on 1 May.
EV motorists being charged twice for same cover
Some electric vehicle motorists are being charged twice for the same charging point cover under their home and car insurance policies, Defaqto has warned.
Q&A: Alina Jipa, RSA
RSA’s chief of staff, Alina Jipa, shares ways to tackle insurance’s boring image and improve the sector’s career path.
Bloomberg warns Admiral and DLG could suffer from FCA premium finance action
Admiral and Direct Line’s profits could be threatened if the Financial Conduct Authority clamps down on companies charging customers for paying motor insurance premiums monthly, Bloomberg Intelligence has warned.
Big Interview: Matt Brewis, FCA
Matt Brewis, the Financial Conduct Authority’s head of insurance, explains to Scott McGee why premium finance is a “poor product,” denies the watchdog is Miss Trunchbull-like, plus shares the regulator's plans for 2024.
Most-read insurance stories in 2023 revealed
Like Cher, Insurance Post is turning back time to remember the industry Consumer Duty’s efforts, business interruption cases continuing to rumble on, developments at Direct Line, RSA’s personal lines exit, plus the other major insurance events of the…
Time to tackle abuse of insurance staff
Jo Causon, CEO of the Institute of Customer Service, reveals a third of those on the frontline of the insurance industry have been shouted and sworn at in the last six months.
Insurers’ Review of the Year 2023
While 2023 will be remembered as a difficult year for insurers due to consolidation, capacity restrictions plus new regulatory rules, providers still have high hopes for 2024.
Headlines that shook insurance in 2023
The news and views that shaped insurance in 2023, plus what can you expect from Insurance Post in 2024, are all revealed in our final video podcast of the year.
Aviva’s Blanc and Axa’s Foley join ABI board
Aviva’s group CEO Amanda Blanc and Axa UK&I’s CEO Tara Foley have been appointed to the board of the Association of British Insurers.
Admiral tipped as preferred bidder for RSA home and pet books
Admiral is the preferred bidder for the RSA household and pet insurance books, Insurance Post can reveal.
Axa and Synectics partner; Tesco to offer non-standard home; Markerstudy's three NEDs
Friday Round-Up: Insurance Post wraps up the major insurance deals, launches, investments and strategic moves of the week.
Q&A: Maddy Howlett, By Miles
After being named as James Blackham's successor, By Miles’ new CEO Maddy Howlett catches up with Scott McGee to talk through life as part of Direct Line Group, and how to stand out in a world where customers are choosing to shop around more.