Articles by Francesca Nyman
Shopping around pays as average home policy continues to fall
Policyholders who switch home insurance providers stand to gain "significant savings" as home premiums continue to fall, according to market research firm Consumer Intelligence.
Carney to unveil new rules for insurance managers this week
Bank of England governor Mark Carney will this week unveil new measures to make insurance managers individually accountable for the failure of their firms, after consulting on proposals earlier this year.
'Cracks appearing' in DLG reserving policy, Macquarie analysts claim
Direct Line Group posted a £100m rise in operating profit in the first six months of 2015 but analysts at investment bank Macquarie have suggested that “cracks are appearing” in the insurer's reserving policy.
Zurich UK GI boss Sharma notes 'benefits' of RSA tie-up
Zurich’s UK general insurance boss Vibhu Sharma believes "synergies" could be achieved from a takeover of RSA but said the insurer would focus on making improvements in its own business if a deal could not be reached.
Quindell shares plummet to 79p in first day of trading since June
Quindell’s share price fell by a third to 79p this morning as the beleaguered outsourcing provider resumed trading on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM index.
Zurich UK GI faces ‘a struggle ahead’ as H1 profit falls by 50%
Business operating profit for Zurich’s UK general insurance business halved to £50m in the first six months of 2015 (H1 2014: £100m) as the insurer suffered a higher than average number of large losses, only partially offset by benign weather.
Lockton and Vocare launch 'out-of-hours' PI offering
Broker Lockton has teamed up with NHS outsouring provider Vocare in a bid to level the playing field for GPs wanting to take up out-of-hours work.
Quindell may pursue ex-boss Terry over accounting anomalies
Quindell may pursue Rob Terry to try and claw back some of the money paid to the former CEO and chairman following the discovery that the 2013 figures were subject to serious accounting errors.
Hiscox completes purchase of classic car specialist
Hiscox has completed its acquisition of specialist UK classic car business, RH Specialist Insurance.
UK brokers must innovate to achieve growth in stagnant market, says Finaccord
The UK general insurance broking sector will struggle to achieve organic growth over the next two years, amid strong competition from alternative sales channels, according to Finaccord.
Pen PI team gets 'A' rated capacity boost from Qatar Insurance Group
Pen Underwriting, the Arthur J Gallagher-owned managing general agent collective, has signed a long-term capacity deal for its solicitors' professional indemnity division with Qatar Insurance Company Europe.
Axa boss Evans hails motor rate strengthening but urges 'drastic action' on CMCs
Axa UK and Ireland CEO Paul Evans has hailed the insurer’s performance in the first half, saying the growth achieved in tough market conditions is likely to outstrip many of the firm’s competitors.
Young driver IPT exemption unlikely despite positive government talks
Hopes of securing an exemption from the insurance premium tax hike for young drivers are dwindling, despite “constructive” talks between industry figures and the Department for Transport last week.
LMA publishes bluffers guide to claims
The Lloyd’s Market Association has released a bluffer’s guide to claims to help Lloyd’s practitioners understand how ongoing strategic projects, current claims processes and future initiatives fit together.
Buying RSA 'not the best option' for Zurich shareholders say analysts
The rationale for Zurich’s takeover of RSA has been questioned by analysts who suggest the insurer would be better served by returning excess capital to shareholders.
DLG's Maddock claims insurers have 'an obligation' to set up ABSs to ensure access to justice
Direct Line Group claims director Steve Maddock has hit back at suggestions alternative business structures fuel claims farming saying they are actually an effective tool in stopping spurious claims progressing.
Davies appointed as preferred loss adjuster by Anglian Water and United Utilities
Davies Group has been selected by Anglian Water Group and United Utilities as their preferred loss adjusting partner, following the completion of competitive tender processes.
Generali reports record net profit despite mixed P&C performance
Italy’s Generali Group saw net profit grow 21.6% to €1.3bn (£0.91bn) in the first half of 2015, aided by strong growth in its life insurance business.
ABI urges government to tackle CMCs amid rising motor prices
The average price paid by motorists for an annual comprehensive motor insurance policy rose by 2.1% in Q2 compared to the first quarter of 2015.
Asta MGA enters solicitors' PI market with capacity from Great Lakes
Asta Capital has launched a new platform, called Asta Underwriting Management, to support the managing general agent market.
Gallagher's broking unit posts 16% increase in pre-tax profits for first half
Arthur J Gallagher’s brokerage unit posted pre-tax profits of $217.6m (£139.2m) in the first six months of 2015, up 16% on the $186.5m posted in the same period in 2014.
IPT increase to be passed on to policyholders warns ABI's Shepherd
The Association of British Insurers has warned price hikes as a result of the increase in insurance premium tax are inevitable as its quarterly average household premium tracker showed a further fall in the cost of home insurance.
JLT opens door to staff displaced by Willis-Towers Watson merger
JLT hopes to capitalise on the fallout from the Willis-Towers Watson merger by attracting staff displaced by the deal, according to deputy CEO Mark Drummond Brady.
Potential Zurich takeover of RSA 'good for the industry' and for both firms
A swoop by Zurich for RSA would be “good for the industry” and would suit both businesses, according to market commentators, despite the likely loss of the RSA brand and subsequent job cuts.