Regulation
Intelligence: All on board – firms must tackle representation
The Financial Conduct Authority requires listed firms to report on, and disclose, targets on how well represented women and ethnic minorities are on boards and executive management teams. Martin Friel investigates if the regulator has been too light…
FCA fines JLT £7.8m; Acrisure acquires Russell Scanlan; Clear Group buys Pro Aktive; Howden Group creates start-up hub and Instanda raises $45m
For the record: Post wraps up the major insurance deals, launches, investments and strategic moves of the week.
Vote now for the winner of the Industry Impact Award at the British Insurance Awards 2022
Voting is now open for you to decide who should win the Industry Impact Award at the 2022 British Insurance Awards.
FCA move to ban ‘phoenixing’ a step in the right direction but more could be done to stop dishonest CMCs
Financial Conduct Authority plans to impose significant changes on claims management companies that would prevent ‘phoenixing’ are a step in the right direction but the industry has called for more action to stop dishonest CMCs.
Blog: Brand legacy vs digital innovation within the insurance industry
As customers now expect their insurance provider to have strong digital capabilities, companies can no longer rely on brand loyalty alone to appeal to their audiences. Kelly Ward, chief sales and distribution officer at Axa Partners UK, considers how…
E-scooters come with significant risks and require regulation: Axa’s Distefano
Axa’s managing director for home and motor Marco Distefano has urged regulators and insurers to get to grips with the risks presented by e-scooters, though they remain illegal on UK roads.
Experts urge major threshold changes to improve UK listed companies’ competitiveness in international auctions
Legal experts have urged the Financial Conduct Authority to take major steps to increase the threshold for requiring shareholder approval of significant transactions to stop UK listed insurers being at a disadvantage in competitive mergers and…
FCA staff walk out in a second wave of strike action, as Unite warns of ‘deep crisis’ at the regulator
Staff at the Financial Conduct Authority have gone on strike in a second of three planned two-day walkouts as trade union Unite believes the regulator is in “deep crisis”.
Blog: The government must work with our industry to tackle climate change
Hannah Gurga, director general at the Association of British Insurers, explains why the government and insurance sector need to work together to help the industry maximise its contribution towards tackling climate change before it is too late, and why…
Broker contributions to FSCS slashed as forecast levies are revised down
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has issued final levies for 2022/23 of £5.3m for brokers and £211.7m for insurers, down significantly on initial estimates.
Analysis: One year on, is the whiplash portal working or heading for a crash?
With the Official Injury Claim portal celebrating its first birthday on 31 May, Post investigates how it has fared over the past 12 months.
Briefing: Can’t we all sit down over a nice cup of tea on multi-occupancy insurance?
I once had a dispute with my neighbour over some work we had had done on our boundary line.
OIC portal figures don't show true picture of reforms as driver behaviour has changed with Covid
As driver behaviour changed following the Covid pandemic, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions on the impact the whiplash reforms have had on the number of claims coming through the new system, a conference has heard.
MoJ defends the low proportion of unrepresented claimants using OIC portal
Speaking at the Association of British Insurers’ whiplash event, David Parkin, deputy director for civil justice and law policy at the Ministry of Justice, addressed the criticism that Official Injury Claims portal is not meeting its objectives as less…
Howden's Peter Blanc on how to manage the consumer duty challenge
With the Financial Conduct Authority's Consumer Duty just around the corner, Peter Blanc, executive chairman of Howden UK & Ireland, believes professional advice will be the only way that customers can ensure they will know what they are buying.
Insurance Post TV: Price walking special – what impact has the FCA ban had on the personal lines market?
Insurance Post reveals the latest episode of its ‘magazine-style’ television show.
Brokers warned that a commission ban for multi-occupancy buildings could be the 'thin edge of a large wedge'
Compliance experts have warned brokers that the Financial Conduct Authority's decision to look at commission payments for multi-occupancy building could set a precedent for the future and be seen as an 'easy win' by government.
Aviva and WWF outline 'whole economy approach' to Net Zero transition
Aviva and the Worldwide Fund for Nature have published a joint paper, setting out the steps they say the UK government must take to help businesses and the public sector tackle the climate and nature crises.
Briefing: Time for zero tolerance on sexism
“In all honesty, after 30+ years in Financial Services I am pretty used to sexist and derogatory comments like those in the AGM yesterday.”
FCA does not aim to be a price regulator, says Sheldon Mills
In his keynote speech yesterday at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s conference in Manchester Mills Sheldon Mills, executive director for consumers and competition at the Financial Conduct Authority, told the audience: “The new consumer duty…
Interview: James Blackham, By Miles
James Blackham, CEO of By Miles, talks to Jen Frost about why the regulator had to step in over dual pricing and why usage-based insurance is the future
White takes aim at broker FSCS contributions in Biba opening address
British Insurance Brokers’ Association CEO Steve White has said that brokers “must not be left to pay over the odds for the failures of others” through their contributions to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Blog: Supporting brokers in navigating the challenges of PI market
The professional indemnity classes continue to test the resolve of underwriters. Nic Brown, divisional director of broker at Markel UK, says insurers have to continue to support brokers and clients despite the challenges the risks present in the current…
Intelligence: Is the government doing enough to drive out distraction on the roads?
The government recently closed a loophole in the legislation on driving with mobile phones. Sam Barrett finds that while the changes are welcome, there are concerns that the law does not go far enough, and legislation needs to be tougher still