Articles by Chris Wheal
Travelers shakes up its Lloyd's team
Travelers has announced a series of promotions within its Lloyd’s operation Travelers Syndicate Management.
US reinsurers hit by claims
The Reinsurance Association of America says its group of 19 US property and casualty reinsurers wrote $13.8bn of net premiums during the six months ended June 30, 2011, an increase from the $12.3bn written in the first six months of 2010
Irene to cost insurers as much as $6bn
Catastrophe modelling firm AIR Worldwide estimates that insured losses from Hurricane Irene to onshore properties in the US will be between $3bn and $6bn.
Phoney insurer stopped after Gibraltar regulator warning
The website of the alleged phoney car insurer Unique Car Insurance has been disabled after the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission warned the public the firm was not regulated as claimed.
Grant Ellis joins Prince's Trust Insurance Leadership Group
Broker Network and Countrywide Insurance Marketing chairman Grant Ellis is to join the committee of The Prince’s Trust Insurance Leadership Group.
Phoney insurer stopped after Gibraltar regulator warning
The website of the alleged phoney car insurer Unique Car Insurance has been disabled after the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission warned the public the firm was not regulated as claimed.
Dicken switches Welsh law firms
Cardiff-based law firm New Law has poached Phil Dicken (pictured) and his team of insurance experts from rival firm Hugh James.
Columbus launches German website
Travel insurer Columbus Direct is taking its low cost travel products into the German market with a German website.
Willis targets Polish construction market with broker buy
Willis has bought Polish insurance broker, Brokerskie Centrum Ubezpieczeniowe (AMA) to grow in the Polish employee benefits and construction sectors.
Brunel launches wholesale PI
Professional indemnity insurance broker Brunel Professional Risks has launched a wholesale PI insurance broking service to give brokers to access a wide PI market.
Hurricane Irene expected to reach cat 4
Colorado-based Lloyd’s underwriters ICAT has warned that Hurricane Irene strengthened significantly overnight and is now a category three hurricane.
IAG remains disappointed by UK performance
“Disappointing” was the word repeatedly used by Australian giant IAG about its struggling UK business, dominated by Equity Red Star at Lloyd’s that has been ravaged by bodily injury claims.
Hardy's catastrophe losses still 'uncertain'
Specialist Bermuda-based Lloyd’s insurer Hardy Underwriting has said catastrophe losses added 30 points to its combined ratio and warned revisions of estimates could paint an even worse picture.
Government applauds insurance initiative over charity driver rules
Charities expect to see a rise in volunteer drivers after insurers agreed to clarify their rules and post the data online, in a move welcomed by the government.
US insurers lost $27bn on H1 catastrophes
AM Best estimates US insurers’ pre-tax catastrophe-related losses in the first half of 2011, were $27bn, up $15.1bn, or 127%, from $11.9bn reported during the same period a year ago.
Hurricane Irene gets stronger
Hurricane Irene has intensified to a category 2 hurricane and is expected to continue to strengthen, becoming a major hurricane of category 3 and above, warns Risk Management Solutions.
Motor insurers ease cover rules for volunteers
Motor insurers have given the green light to volunteers who want to use their cars to help out their local communities by promising not to charge extra premiums.
Hurricane Irene heading for the US, Met Office warns
Hurricane Irene, the first of this year’s North Atlantic tropical storm season, is heading for the Bahamas and is expected to move on to the United States in the next few days, the Met Office has warned.
Solicitors face new PI risks in alternative business structure firms
Lawyers who “dabble” with multi-disciplinary practices once restrictions of trading are lifted in October face professional indemnity claims, Brit Insurance has warned.
Insurers paid and collected £10.4bn in tax
Insurers paid £10.4bn to the UK Exchequer last year – more than before the recession - figures from the Association of British Insurers and PWC have revealed.
First Hurricane Irene could hit US
AIR Worldwide has said that Irene became the Atlantic basin's first hurricane of the 2011 season when its winds strengthened to 75mph as it was leaving Puerto Rico's northern coast.
Misleading insurance advertisers will be named and shamed
City law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain has warned that any insurance broker or insurance company that markets its own product can be raked over the coals by the Financial Services Authority for misleading advertising.
Simply Business gives Moneysupermarket SME cover
Commercial insurance broker Simply Business is launching small business insurance on comparison site Moneysupermarket providing the cover under a white label deal embedded in the site.
Prime Professions to work for conveyancers
Professional indemnity insurance broker Prime Professions has been appointed as the new broker for the Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ Master Policy Scheme.