Articles by Emma Ann Hughes
Cost of insuring ground floor flats surges by 42%
The cost of insuring ground floor flats increased most significantly of any property type between April and June this year with premiums climbing by 42% from £178 to £252, according to Compare the Market.
Property insurance payouts hit record quarterly high
Insurers paid £1.4bn in claims for property damage during the second quarter of the year, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Defaqto reveals top car, home, travel and pet insurers
AA, Post Office Money, Virgin Money and Animal Friends have been named by Defaqto as the top providers for 2024–25 across the four major personal lines of insurance.
Insurers expect to pay out about £20m for riot damage
Insurers are likely to have to pay out at least £20m for the damage caused by the far-right anarchy across the UK, prompted by the attack on a dance class in Southport.
Hiscox outlines growth plan for rest of 2024
Marine, energy and retail markets were identified as having great potential to further bolster Hiscox’s profits in the latter half of this year.
How to create an inclusive insurance company
How to make sure the insurance industry attracts and retains a wider pool of talent is the topic of the latest Insurance Post Top Tips video, featuring Caroline Taylor, chief operating officer of Acies MGU.
Big Interview: Charles Offord, Co-op Insurance
Since the turn of the century, Co-op Insurance has weathered more “near-death” experiences than any other financial services company in the UK.
Co-op Insurance’s Offord addresses Labour’s mutuals aim
Charles Offord, managing director of Co-operative Insurance, said Labour’s aim to grow the number of mutuals operating in the UK is achievable.
How to support vulnerable customers
Phil Michell, director in the customer experience consulting division at Davies, explains how to identify and assist vulnerable customers in the latest Insurance Post Top Tips video.
Co-op Insurance shares lessons learnt from Amazon encounter
Charles Offord, managing director of Co-operative Insurance, has expressed his disappointment over Amazon’s decision to pull the plug on its Insurance Store but noted it could make a comeback.
60 Seconds With... Clear Group’s Bethany Croucher
Bethany Croucher, claims handler at the Clear Group, reveals she did her dissertation on Princess Diana and her ability to ski.
Why insurers must become enablers of energy transition
Insurers have a critical opportunity to shift from being viewed as capacity providers to becoming proactive partners and enablers of the energy transition, according to Vince Tizzio, president and CEO of Axis.
What is truly behind the uptick in travel insurance complaints?
Editor’s View: Emma Ann Hughes argues travel insurers who try to claim 99.993% of holidaymakers are happy with their products and services should reconsider the way they look at customer complaints.
Claims ‘hell’ with Policy Expert causes mother to set up group
A mother-of-two, who has been through a 17-month battle with Policy Expert following a fire at her home, has set up an action group to help “other families going through hell with claims.”
How to underwrite for the long haul
In the latest Insurance Post Top Tips video, Ian Lloyd, CEO of iprism, shares how thinking ahead is essential if you want to make sure the underwriting decisions you make today don’t come back to haunt you.
Crunch time for insurers’ Consumer Duty reports
One year on from the introduction of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty requirements for open products, Emma Ann Hughes investigates whether insurers will get a pat on the back or a clip round the ear from the regulator when they hand in…
Consumer Duty fails to improve insurance customer’s experiences
Most general insurance customers have seen zero improvement in service from general insurance providers since the implementation of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty a year ago, with some even saying things have gotten worse, research has…
Which? demands FCA action over ‘widespread’ claims-handling failures
Consumer champion Which? has launched a new campaign to end “the insurance rip-off” and has called on the Financial Conduct Authority to take tough action against claims handlers who fall short of the regulator’s required standards.
Big Brother is watching 45% of insurance employees
Almost half (45%) of insurance employees have their working time strictly monitored with 41% admitting leaders are always watching whether they’re on task during work hours.
Court victory forces credit hire firms to pay insurers’ legal costs
Credit hire businesses are now “on the hook” for defendant insurers’ legal costs after Keoghs and three motor insurers secured a significant judgment relating to non-party costs orders.
Big Interview: Andy Bord, Flood Re
On his last day as Flood Re CEO, Andy Bord catches up with Emma Ann Hughes on how the scheme will end in 2039, his pride around Build Back Better, plus why Labour’s promise to build more homes must be accompanied by a robust planning framework.
Q&A: Ann Waite, Association of Average Adjusters
Ann Waite, honorary chair of the Association of Average Adjusters, reflects on why marine insurance continues to be dominated by men and why it is good to talk.
How to win and keep D&O clients
Given the current economic climate, Jimmy Heaton, head of D&O at Rokstone, says directors and officers need cover in his Insurance Post Top Tips video.
Travel insurance complaints hit highest levels since pandemic
The number of travel insurance complaints brought to the Financial Ombudsman Service has increased by 19% in the last year.