Motor
Arista records growth in H1 2010
Commercial lines MGA Arista Insurance has recorded a 21% increase in income in the first half compared with the same period in 2009.
JLT adds to London Market Risks team
Jardine Lloyd Thompson has appointed Alastair Templeton to its commercial motor fleet account.
Motor giant VW unveils plan for regulated direct insurer
Volkswagen Financial Services AG has confirmed plans to operate its guarantee insurance business in future through its subsidiary Volkswagen Reinsurance AG as a direct (primary) insurer.
Allianz appoints claims handling centre manager
Allianz has appointment Mark Carlyon-Smith as manager for the company’s Woking claims handling centre.
Weather events cause Ecclesiastical loss
Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has attributed its pre-tax loss of £9.9m for first half of 2010 to a string of exceptional weather events.
Lloyd's insurer Chaucer H1 2010 result bolstered by £5.3m reserve releases
Chaucer has reported a profit before tax of £7m (30 June 2009: £17m) for the first six months of 2010 on gross written premiums of £493m (30 June 2009: £491m).
Snowball heralds recovery as Suncorp profits increase A$432m in 2010
Australian financial services group Suncorp has recorded a net profit after tax of A$780m for the full year to 30 June 2010, (2009: A$348m).
ABI issues consumer insurance guide
The Association of British Insurers has published a guide of its top tips and myths to help consumers make the right choices when buying cover.
Fortis Insurance UK back in the black after strong Q2
Fortis Insurance UK this morning reported that a profit before tax of £8.4m in the first half of 2010, reflecting improved performance in the second quarter (Q1 2010: £3.2 m loss; HY 2009: £26.0m profit).
Admiral reports record H1 profit as it avoids rival's claim pain
Admiral has bucked the trend of motor insurance groups by reporting that it has seen no "unusual trends in bodily injury or damage claims" as it unveiled a record half year profit.
Law report: Judge overruled for neglecting to accept scientific evidence
This law report has been contributed by national law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer.
Legal update - motor claims: Expert handling
Contesting motor claims that seem grossly and deliberately exaggerated can be a tricky business. Roger Mackle examines two cases where fraud was alleged that had very different end results.
North-west remains hotbed of UK 'cash for crash' fraud
The North-west is still the 'cash for crash' centre of the UK, despite Birmingham retaining its place at the top Insurance Fraud Bureau's regional hotspot league table.
Neil Utley confirmed among Provident runners and riders
A source close to a consortium of insurance investors — including outgoing IAG UK chief executive Neil Utley — has confirmed it is among the frontrunners to buy motor insurer Provident.
Three new entries in IFB ‘cash for crash’ tables
Sheffield, Leicester and Warrington have been named as new entries in the Insurance Fraud Bureau’s top 20 regional hotspots for 'cash for crash' activites.
Groupama unveils senior claims team
Groupama Insurances has confirmed the line up for its new claims management team, reporting to claims director Phil Bird.
Post Europe Q&A – ALC Health
In the latest of our regular focus on European insurance companies and brokers, Post Europe talks to Sue Wilson, director for the European office of ALC Health.
Motor insurers urged to come clean on debit fees
Motor insurance providers have been urged to clarify the direct debit fees they charge customer by Defaqto.
QBE Europe H1 profits increase to $222m
QBE Europe reported a pre-tax insurance profit of $222m (H1 2009: $213M). Its gross written premium for the first half of 2010 was up 8% to US$2.412bn (2009 US$2.228bn).
Postbox: Discovering the intentions of customers
As the Actuarial Party's recent report states, claims management companies are driving some people to claim.
RSA spotlight - Bob Mendelsohn: Whatever happened to Bob?
Having promised RSA that he would make it his mission to track down its former CEO Bob Mendelsohn to mark the firm's 300th anniversary, Jonathan Swift's job was made somewhat easier than anticipated when he resurfaced at US insurer Navigators last week…
Allianz boss backs rate increases to fuel return to profit
Allianz Insurance chief executive Andrew Torrance has revealed it could implement rate increases of up to 25% in its broker motor book during 2010.
FSA crackdown: whistleblower helps ban unauthorised broker
A whistleblower has helped ban an unauthorised insurance broker from performing any regulated role in financial services, after he was caught using client money to fund a new broking business.
Allianz UK COR remains steady at 95.3% as profits drop for H1 2010
Allianz has recorded a reduced profit before tax of £78.4m (H1 2009: £88.3m) for H1 2010, as the insurer’s combined operating ratio deteriorated slightly to 95.3% (H1 2009: 94.9%).