Articles by Emma Ann Hughes
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.
Cyborg CROs with place at top table are needed
Data analysis: Insurers where chief risk officers, supported by artificial intelligence, have a seat at the top table are most likely to succeed over the next decade, according to a report by consultancy LCP.
Amazon’s insurance exit has a Sting in the tail
Editor’s View: Emma Ann Hughes argues that if Amazon had been allowed to watch every move consumers make, then the retail giant’s Insurance Store would have obliterated insurers in the same way it emptied the high street.
More changes at the top of the CII
Hot on the heels of Chartered Insurance Institute CEO Alan Vallance’s exit at the end of last year, the organisation’s executive director of membership and engagement is leaving.
Man sentenced over 45 bogus claims for broken TVs
Cross-industry checks have led to a man who took out 87 home insurance policies and made 45 bogus claims for broken televisions getting a suspended sentence.
Q&A: Alina Jipa, RSA
RSA’s chief of staff, Alina Jipa, shares ways to tackle insurance’s boring image and improve the sector’s career path.
Extent of insurer’s digital FOMO revealed
Data analysis: Insurers think ‘everybody is doing better than us’ when it comes to digital transformation, a survey by Davies and Clearwater Analytics has shown.
A big Hill to climb: what the CII’s new CEO must do
Editor’s View: As soon as Legal Services Board CEO Matthew Hill, pictured, was named the Chartered Insurance Institute’s third CEO in as many three years, insurers contacted Emma Ann Hughes to share what they think should be at the top of his in-tray.
Ghost broker sentenced after targeting Sudanese motorists
A ghost broker who targeted Sudanese nationals living in the UK has been sentenced after LV’s fraud team spotted six motor insurance policies that he took out using false information.
CII replaces Vallance with Legal Services Board CEO
The Chartered Insurance Institute has hired Matthew Hill, currently CEO of the Legal Services Board, as the group’s third CEO in as many years.