Articles by Emma Ann Hughes
IPT haul helps Hunt fund 2p National Insurance cut
In today’s Budget documents, the Office for Budget Responsibility increased its estimated tax haul from insurance premium tax by more than £370m between 2023-24 and 2028-29.
Equine insurance under starter’s orders
Post Podcast: Ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, equine insurers explore how the sector helped horse owners when racing returned after the Covid-19 lockdown caused meetings to be cancelled.
How women are smashing insurance’s glass ceilings
Ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), Insurance Post Editor Emma Ann Hughes examines how glass ceilings in insurance are being smashed and whether presenteeism rearing its ugly head could stunt further female progress in the industry.
FCA pauses all Gap insurance sales
The Financial Conduct Authority has ordered all providers of guaranteed asset protection insurance to pause selling the product by the end of this month.
Four ways to boost motor insurer’s profits
Insurance Post gathered a group of personal lines experts to discuss what it will take to make motor insurance more profitable for providers and appreciated by policyholders.
iCan launches mentoring platform
iCan has launched a mentoring platform designed to meet the development needs of Generation Z workers entering the insurance industry “that are not being adequately met by the current system”.
RSA to be ‘number one’ in commercial lines by end of 2025
RSA will be the best commercial lines and specialty insurance company by the end of 2025, according to Ken Norgrove, the provider’s CEO.
Winds of change in renewable energy insurance
Post Podcast: How insurers are supporting the switch from fossil fuels, providing cover for older windfarms and helping develop greener forms of energy is the subject of the latest podcast.
Labour promises to rip up red tape for insurers
Tulip Siddiq, shadow economic secretary to HM Treasury, has promised if the Labour party gets into power she will make sure regulation encourages growth and competitiveness in the insurance industry.
Treasury tells insurers to take advantage of Brexit bonfire
Insurers must make the most of the Conservative government ripping up the Solvency II rules and replacing it with Solvency UK requirements, according to Bim Afolami, economic secretary to HM Treasury.
ABI outlines plan to tackle motor insurance premiums
The Association of British Insurers has unveiled steps the industry will take to bring down motor insurance premiums after the cost of cover soared by 25% in 2023.
Big Interview: Rachel Lam, ombudsman director, FOS
Rachel Lam, ombudsman director for insurance at the Financial Ombudsman Service, speaks exclusively to Insurance Post’s Editor Emma Ann Hughes about her work with providers and the Financial Conduct Authority to address the sector’s shortcomings.
What M&A activity in 2023 indicates for deals in 2024
Data analysis: The number of UK insurance merger and acquisition deals rose from 98 in 2022 to 112 in 2023, but total deal value fell significantly from £5.1bn to £3.3bn year-on-year.
Lloyd’s CEO addresses rumours he is big game hunting
John Neal, CEO of Lloyd’s of London, has responded to claims he is chasing more multi-national insurers to join Aviva and enter the marketplace.
How outreach, mentoring and apprenticeships are changing insurance
Post Podcast: Insurance is now having to compete with a whole new breed of companies, including Deliveroo, for fresh talent, according to Grant Clemence, chair of the QBE Foundation.
Big Interview: Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters’ John Bissell
John Bissell, executive director of Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, reveals plans to update the sector’s qualifications and ensure his members shape insurer’s practices, products and government policy.
Pace of motor insurance inflation starts to slow
Data analysis: While comprehensive car insurance premiums increased sharply by 58% (£366) during 2023, Emma Ann Hughes examines how the latest data suggests drivers will not face as big a bumph in the cost of cover this year.
FCA commission crackdown goes beyond flats
Editor’s View: The Financial Conduct Authority’s policy statement on multi-occupancy buildings insurance in September plus the decision to push the pause button on guaranteed asset protection insurance sales last week was “a shot across the bow” on…
Valentine’s Day and high-net-worth insurance
Post Podcast: As luxury goods prices are up 32% since 2019, the greatest Valentine’s gift brokers could give high-net-worth clients this year is to review their insurance needs.
Admiral partners with Google Cloud for new products
Admiral has struck a deal with Google Cloud, which will see the technology giant host the provider’s policy management and billing platforms plus use generative artificial intelligence to produce new products and services.
Google searches show landlord concerns about cover
Data analysis: In the last year, research by Confused.com’s home insurance experts revealed more than 8,000 people in the UK Googled “What does landlord insurance cover?”
Q&A: Colin Fitzgerald, Grid
As Colin Fitzgerald, distribution director of group protection at Legal & General, replaces Howden’s senior risk consultant Paul White as the new chair of Grid, he shares his plans to encourage insurance brokers to see how group protection helps manage…
What to expect from the regulator in 2024
Post Podcast: Insurers should brace themselves for the Financial Conduct Authority kicking the tires of how well providers and brokers are adhering to Consumer Duty requirements in 2024.
Insurers warned Consumer Duty checks cannot paper over cracks
Insurance chiefs and boards must produce an annual assessment of compliance with the Consumer Duty that highlights flaws rather than papers over cracks, a former Financial Conduct Authority leader has warned.