Post - 2011-06-16
Articles in this issue
Lamp lines up ABS targets as Thai operation opens
Gibraltar-based legal expenses and private medical insurer Lamp is targeting $500m (£305m) premium in the first two years of its new Thailand operation.
Motor Focus - Premium Challenges: Mauled by the media
After being pounded by the press for putting premiums up, Leigh Jackson looks at the future of motor insurance and asks whether policyholders could do more to help themselves.
First 70 brokers join Zurich Elite 100 club
Zurich has established a club for its top 70 regional commercial brokers.
MA Assist seals Plus One repair contract
Insurance repair specialist MA Assist has signed an exclusive deal to provide building repair and validation services for Plus One Services.
Burned so Bright: Independent Insurance — a journalist's perspective
Ten years on from its demise, former Post editor David Worsfold remembers Independent's launch at an airfield and other personal recollections of dealing with the insurer during its heyday.
Independent Insurance - 10 years on: Burned so Bright
17 June marks the tenth anniversary of the demise of Independent Insurance, the underwriter that was once the envy of rivals, but which ultimately proved the maxim ‘too good to be true’. Jonathan Swift remembers the finals days of the firm with former…
Ten years on, liquidator admits there was an Indy rescue plan
The joint provisional liquidator of Independent Insurance Dan Schwarzmann has said Pricewaterhouse Coopers is hopeful that a scheme of arrangement can be agreed by the end of the year, a decade after he was first appointed to the beleaguered insurance…
Spotlight on Reputation: Putting the wheels in motion
While the Retail Distribution Review does not cover general insurance brokers, Jane Bernstein discovers that this sector is already putting in place efforts to raise professional standards.
Leader: Imitating excellence
'If it looks too good to be true, it probably is' — arguably the most commonly quoted old adage ascribed to Independent Insurance since its collapse in June 2001 and subsequent imprisonment of three senior directors. But, when those once closest to the…
Bloodstock - Market Update: Dark horse
With race lovers flocking to Royal Ascot this week, Jane Bernstein reports on a bloodstock insurance market still hampered by soft rates and self-insurance.
FCIM appoints Auto Windscreens as sole supplier
Online motor intermediary First Central Insurance Management has appointed Auto Windscreens as its sole supplier, three months after the glazing repair firm was bought out of administration.
Spotlight on Reputation: Making progress over trust
In 2009, the Chartered Insurance Institute published its Future of Trust in Financial Services research, which revealed some key concerns for the insurance industry. Two years on, CII faculty members reflect on the progress made.
Towergate staff join Gallagher
Gallagher International is set to beef up its underwriting operation after attracting a team from Towergate.
Brokers warned networks no panacea
Moves by brokers to mitigate the effect of economic uncertainty by joining networks is likely to increase over the next few years.
Motor Focus - Fraud Unit: Opening Pandora's box
On the face of it, the suggestion of a police force funded by the industry to help fight fraud seems reasonable. However, Robin Reames examines if going down this path is really the right way forward.
Rehabilitation: Fast-track frustrations
The potential increase in the fast-track claims limit presents both opportunities and challenges for the personal injury industry. Andrew Pemberton examines potential unwanted developments and implications for claimants, insurers and claimant solicitors.
BLM converts to LDP model as Kinley made equity partner
Berrymans Lace Mawer's head of policy development, Alistair Kinley, has become the first non-lawyer to join the firm's equity partnership as it converts to a legal disciplinary practice. The LDP is the first new type of practice permitted by the Legal…
XL opens second regional office in middle market push
XL Insurance has heralded a renewed push into the UK middle market with the opening of a new office in Birmingham.
View from the Top: Clarity and consistency
Since its publication in March, the Mactavish report has attracted significant interest and was a frequent topic of conversation at last week's Association of Insurance & Risk Managers' conference. It produced some dramatic headlines with the contention…
Aviva heads back into telematics for fleet customers
Aviva is targeting 20% of its haulage and goods-carrying motor account as it re-enters the telematics market, seven years after its first attempt to launch the technology in the personal lines arena.
Legal Update - Potholes: A hole in the argument
With Lambeth Council's redefinition of potholes, classifying them as shallower in nature, Hazel James warns of consequences that could occur following judgment in Wilkinson v City of York Council.
Time to strap on the footie boots again
Sign up now for the 2011 Prince's Trust Insurance Cup.
Call for tougher regulation accepted by aggregators
The British Insurance Brokers' Association has called for rules governing electronic trading to be updated to keep pace with technological developments in the aggregator space.
Penny black's insurance week
One could be forgiven for losing track of what's going on behind the revolving door at Aviva Towers of late, where the UK insurance giant has been hit by a spate of senior management changes.
Loss adjuster launch by ex-SLS managers
Two former managers at Crawford & Company's specialist liability arm SLS are set to launch their own loss adjusting and claims handling service.
Motor Focus - Educating Policyholders: Education, education, education
Young motorists are unaware of how their driving behaviour affects the cost of cover. Nigel Bartram looks at what can be done to counter this.
FSA refuses to back down over FSCS review timing
The Financial Services Authority has refused to commit to an April 2012 deadline for a review of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, as it would be "counterproductive" to consult when changes to European insurance legislation are ongoing.
Spotlight on Reputation: Stop whispering,startshouting
Insurance brokers were shocked by research that showed a large proportion of people did not trust them. Rachel Gordon looks at the reaction, their relationships with clients and why brokers should start being more vocal about their value.
Oamps acquisition heralds push into specialist schemes
Oamps has kick-started its plan to expand in the UK insurance market through the acquisition of new teams, after taking over Giles Insurance Brokers' life science business.
Spotlight on Reputation: Battered but not broken
The insurance industry's reputation has taken a bit of a battering, as the whole of the financial services sector has endured customer scorn. David Haigh looks at what can be done to turn public perception around.