Analysis
A sustainable future?
Solar powered cities and hydrogen run transport systems might be close to reality than people realise. Christian Müller explains why insurers have an integral role to play in this world and must be at the forefront of embracing innovation.
Broking - Mergers & acquisitions: Do not disturb
2011 was a relatively sleepy year for merger & acquisition activity in the broker sector. Could 2012 be a wake-up call or will the market stay snoozing?
Arab Spring: Life during wartime
Continuing civil unrest in the Middle East and North Africa presents a challenge to the property insurance market — especially concerning the limits placed by the war risks exclusion.
Capital adequacy: Alternative finance
With Solvency II just 12 months away, and 2011 an unprecedented catastrophe year, how difficult will it be for insurers to attract equity or secure alternative funding?
Employment: Hiring and firing
There are two sides to the recruitment story in the insurance industry — while some are reducing their headcount, others are looking to bring in fresh faces.
Roundtable - Analytics: the true value of quality data
As investment in analytics increases, Post gathered a group of experts to debate the rise in the use of data in all areas of the insurance industry.
Claims v underwriting: Bridging the divide
While sharing the same goals, claims and underwriting are often disparate divisions. What can be done to help unify these two departments?
Pleural plaques: The definition of harm
It is now possible to seek compensation for pleural plaques in both Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not in England and Wales. How will this impact the insurance industry?
Expert analysis: Relatively calm
Although competition remains fierce in the aggregator arena, the rush for volume has slowed as the motor market moves closer to break-even point, says Tom Cooper, Igo4.
A windstorm for the insurance market
As the market gradually starts to digest the recent European renewals, Francesca Nyman considers the increasing challenge that European windstorms pose and whether insurers are adequately protected against this risk.
Bancassurance: a bright future?
With all the turmoil across the Eurozone and with regulatory upheaval ahead, it seems it could be an interesting time for the bancassurance market, as Jakki May reports.
Post Intelligence Benchmarking - Commercial insurers: Winners and losers
The annual Insurance 360 Business Insurers Insight Report service rankings show some steady, some on ladders - and some on snakes.
Claims - Big freeze: Winter of discontent
The big freeze of late 2010 led to widespread criticism of adjusters and insurers — but have lessons been learnt for the future?
Broker networks: New kid on the block
As Brokerdrive arrives on the scene, the debate over the merits of the traditional network model is revisited.
Determining liability for cyberbullying
The rise of the internet has opened the door to a new form of bullying and US insurers have become wary of the threat this poses to insurance. Lauren Jankowski explains that European insurers would do well to be wary of this threat as across the pond…
View from the top: Market volatility and risk – ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’
As 2011 draws to a turbulent end, minds are now focusing on how best to tackle the continued economic volatility that 2012 is sure to bring for risk managers across the world. Never has the old adage ‘Keep Calm and Carry on’ been more appropriate.
Review of the year - Broking: Regulation and fees frustration
For many 2011 may be defined as the year that Kate Middleton and Prince William married. But for brokers, perhaps a far more important, but somewhat less romantic union, was that of the merger of trade bodies the British Insurance Brokers Association and…
Loss adjusting - Desktopping claims: Alternative methods
Loss adjusters have been criticised for desktopping claims and contributing to the deskilling of the industry but can this practice be made to work?
Fleet risk management: Risk on the roads
With government statistics showing a 7% annual increase in road accident fatalities during Spring 2011, should brokers be working harder on fleet risk management?
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.
Technology - Natural language processing: Getting to know you
The data gained from knowing your customers can be invaluable, improving sales, services and customer retention. But how can unstructured data be analysed?
Overseas focus - China: a market of opportunity?
With an enormous population and low insurance penetration, China should be a market ripe for entering. Jakki May finds out it isn't as simple as it sounds but reveals an appetite for change and growth.
Durban 2011: More than a once-a-year event
All eyes are focused on Durban for the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference. But according to many this is much more than a once a year event, reports Andreas Spiegel.
Health & safety: A matter of interpretation
Health and safety reform is high on the government’s agenda, but is the problem with application rather than legislation?