Regulation
Lloyds Bank's Bill Cooper on M&A in a challenging market
The government's recent decision to lower the discount rate from 2.5% to -0.75% took the market by surprise and generated many column inches of newsprint in the mainstream press.
MPs investigate whiplash claims
The Justice Committee is launching a short inquiry into whiplash claims and on government plans to raise the small claims limit for personal injury.
PRA to review Solvency II reporting requirements
The Prudential Regulation Authority is to conduct a review of Solvency II reporting requirements, in an attempt to ease insurers' reporting burdens.
Axa's Brendan McCafferty on the consequences of the discount rate
There must be a better time to start your role as the CEO of an insurance company. A few weeks into the job, I arrived at work on a Monday morning knowing a decision had just been made that would simultaneously hike premiums for millions of motorists and…
Blog: Ogden predicted a nasty surprise way back in 1984
The late Sir Michael Ogden might be chuckling somewhere at the recent discount rate events.
ABI's James Dalton on sorting out the discount rate mess
I am living the discount rate at the moment. I have lost count of the number of meetings I have attended, legal opinions I have read and conversations with insurance company CEOs I have had on this complex issue.
Blog: Insurers could regret whiplash reforms
In the end, the whiplash reform moved remarkably quickly. After 12 months of deliberating, we only had six weeks of consultation, followed by seven weeks of considering what to do. The tangible result was the compiling of seven hurriedly drafted clauses…
This week in Post: bags of losses
This week has been a tumultous one for me and the insurance market alike.
UK regulators must actively support market on Brexit: Aubert
The UK's regulators need to actively promote London as a key insurance market, the chairman of the London Market Group has said.
Blog: Demonstrating value for money
I was intrigued to read the introductory comments made in the Financial Conduct Authority publication in late January about the results of its pilot study into general insurance value measures for a subset of general insurance products.
Blog: Vnuk opens fraud front
The Vnuk ruling has raised the prospect of a much wider compulsory insurance regime being introduced in the UK, requiring vehicles such as golf buggies, quad bikes and farm vehicles to be insured, even when used exclusively on private land. The…
Fitch issues gloomy warning for company market in wake of Ogden rate changes
Fitch has issued a gloomy warning for the UK non-life company market this year in the wake of the Ogden rate cut.
Aviva to focus on cost-cutting in wake of restructure
Aviva will look to make cuts in areas of the business that overlap following the recent restructure.
Claims Club blog: Shaping insurance through digital eyes
The first Claims Club 2017 focused very much on the changing face of insurance through the lens of a number of insurtech entrepreneurs.
Uninsured driving - the European way
A recent European ruling that means insured motorists will pay repairs for uninsured drivers has caused outrage in the industry. What is the extent of uninsured driving in Europe, how do national differences compare and which policies work?
Charles Manchester on brokers using unrated insurers
Brokers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, so they don't really come into contact with the Prudential Regulation Authority, which is primarily concerned with the soundness of insurers, ensuring protection for policyholders.
Biba confirms active role in IDD consultation
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association said it will play an active role in the consultation over the UK implementation of the insurance distribution directive.
Legal Update: Robotic surgery - cutting through the insurance implications
With advances in robotics and artificial intelligence taking hold of the medical industry, do the benefits of robot-assisted surgery outweigh the risks - especially for insurers?
Apprenticeships: A radical overhaul
The radical overhaul by the government of the apprenticeship scheme - with the core aim of creating three million new apprentices by 2020 - is set to have a major impact on recruitment and training in the insurance industry, potentially reaching far…
March 2017 Post: Census and CII CEO
My one-year-old just started toddling. She was so proud after pushing her walker to the other side of the room that she applauded herself. As a result, she lost her balance and landed on her bum.
Greening up your investment portfolio
The last decade has finally started to see the talk about the virtues of sustainable energy result in significant action, particularly in the area of electricity, where it has been driven primarily by wind, solar energy and biomass.
Government to 'urgently' consult on discount rate cut after insurer CEO meeting
The government has said that it will “progress urgently” a consultation on the Ogden discount rate and “carefully consider” all the evidence submitted following today’s meeting between insurers and the Treasury.
Industry reacts to discount rate cut
Live reactions from the market to the decision to slash the discount rate (please bear with us as this page can take 30 seconds to load).
ABI hits out at ‘crazy’ discount rate decision, claiming it could affect 36 million motorists
The Association of British Insurers has warned that cutting the discount rate so severely was a “crazy decision” that will affect millions of motorists.