Motor
Review of the year - General insurance: Regulatory dramas
2011, a year dominated by regulatory and legislative change, could yet prove to be a landmark 12 months for the insurance industry.
Interview - Edward Fitzmaurice: Broking promises
With Hastings Direct on the cusp of becoming a top five broker and securing its one millionth customer, 2012 could be a landmark year for chief executive Edward Fitzmaurice
Credit hirers worry OFT review is unfair
The Credit Hire Organisation said it feared the OFT’s review of credit hire costs might not reach a full and fair set of valid conclusions.
Ajag wanted OFT to go further
Compensation claimants’ body the Access to Justice Action Group has said the OFT review into the cost of car insurance does not go far enough.
LMA welcomes OFT claims cost review
The London Market Association has welcomed the Office of Fair Trading’s decision to examine personal motor claims costs.
ABI says OFT could cut claims costs
The Association of British Insurers claims the Office of Fair Trading investigation into motor claims is an opportunity to improve the personal injury compensation system.
OFT to review car repairs and credit hire
The Office of Fair Trading has launched an investigation into the provision of third party vehicle repairs and credit hire replacement vehicles to private motor insurance claimants.
Underwriting deficit from compulsory motor constrains Malaysian GI market
The rating outlook for Malaysia's insurance market is stable, supported by sound operating profitability, steady market growth and manageable exposure to investment risks.
RSA quits unprofitable biker markets
Insurer RSA has been forced to quit the motorcycle market after a decade that saw it hit by higher than average third-party bodily injury claims from pillion passengers.
Outlook negative for Rossiya Insurance Company
OJSC Rossiya Insurance Company has had its 'B-' insurer financial strength rating and its 'BB-' National IFS rating affirmed by Fitch.
BAIS names three for expansion
Motor insurance claims handler Broker Assistance Insurance Services has appointed a new broker relationship team as part of its expansion plans.
10 December: Ram raid
The peace and tranquillity enjoyed by Mr Policyholder on his Scottish holiday was brought to an abrupt end by an anti-social sheep.
Carole Nash welcomes new head of compliance and risk
Motorbike insurance broker Carole Nash has hired Lisa Canning as the head of compliance and risks.
Cattolica profits down €20m
Cattolica Società di Assicurazione reported net profit of €41m for the first three quarters of 2011, down €20m compared with the same period in 2010.
Test Achats prompts gender consultation
The government has issued a consultation document on how insurers can use gender as a risk factor in the light of the European Court of Justice Test Achats ruling in March.
Young women could see 11% rise in car premiums due to gender ruling
A study quantifying the economic impact on European consumers of the EU's gender ruling will hit young women hardest, with an 11% rise in car insurance premiums.
Optimas sells Premium Choice
Mark Woods and Richard Dornan, pictured, co-founders of Birmingham niche broker Premium Choice, have bought back the company they sold four years ago to venture capitalist Optimas.
Car thieves target defrosting vehicles, ABI warns
Motorists leaving their cars to defrost and warm up this winter risk being left out in the cold as thieves target vehicles left unattended, the Association of British Insurers has warned.
Calls for stricter ID checks to clamp down on plant theft
The Metropolitan Police has issued a plea to the insurance industry to introduce harsher ID checks before issuing policy cover in a bid to prevent finance and hire vehicle fraud.
Broker claims unearned work transfer payments are endemic in commercial
Brokers are continuing to take secret payments from insurers and not declaring them to clients, according to a specialist commercial intermediary.
Editor's comment: Impacting the market
Market-turning they may not be but market-impacting they evidently are. Revised loss estimates for the 1500 industrial units hit by the Thai floods have reached $20bn.
Motor insurers set to share application data in suspected frauds
Motor insurers want to share data from suspected application fraud, as criminals try multiple submissions to get cars on the Motor Insurance Database as cheaply as possible.
Review of the year - Lloyd's & London Market: The costliest year ever?
The first half of 2011 saw an unprecedented number of catastrophic events, so how has Lloyd’s and the London market coped?
Willis Re report shows rise in motor premuims and fall in claims
UK motor insurance premiums have continued to rise in 2011, with some drivers facing price increases of up to 50 percent, according to an annual review conducted by Willis Re.