News
House rebuilding costs level out
The UK's index of house rebuilding costs produced by the Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has started to level out.
Aviva and L&G extend Barclays ties
Aviva has extended its product range offered through Barclays to include personal accident cover. Legal & General will provide critical illness insurance.
Italian insurers liable for losses if sovereign defaults
Italian insurers’ may be prevented from passing losses incurred in a sovereign default onto policyholders, if the return on customer portfolios is below the minimum guaranteed, according to Fitch.
Vienna Insurance appoints new head of investor relations
Vienna Insurance Group has appointed Nina Higatzberger as head of investor relations.
More Than insureds track claims online
More Than has launched an eClaims service that enables motor insurance customers to track their claim from registration to completion online.
GAB Robins raids Buckley Scott
Loss adjuster GAB Robins has expanded its construction and engineering claims by appointing Simon Donnelley from Buckley Scott.
Homeserve expands mis-selling review
Homeserve is to revise its direct marketing materials as part of its mis-selling review. The materials are due to be sent out in the New Year.
Novae reiterates 60% loss ratio target
Novae has reported its gross written premium for the first nine months of 2011 was up 9% to £516.4m, up 9% (2010: £473.3m).
Zurich reports 'worst year since Katrina'
Zurich branded 2011 ‘the worst year since Hurricane Katrina’ as it reported a 12% slump in general insurance operating profit for the nine months so far, which was down to $1.73bn from $1.97bn last year.
Law report: Costs ruling brings necessary clarity
This law report has been contributed by national law firm Berryman’s Lace Mawer
Gallagher Heath plays down redundancy fears
Industry rumours of widescale redundancies at Gallagher Heath have been played down by the firm, amid suggestions group CEO David Ross has also “cancelled Christmas”.
Customers revolt over hefty fines as eCar takes zero tolerance approach
Brightside has rebutted policyholder complaints about the practices of its online broker eCar. It follows claims by customers that they have reported the broker to the Financial Services Authority and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Rugby club insurer RSA working on M5 crash
Bosses at RSA — the insurer responsible for covering Taunton Rugby Club — have said it is too early to comment on a police investigation into claims that smoke from a club firework display may have caused the M5 crash.
Crash-for-cash in commercial motor a 'massive blind spot' for industry
The Insurance Fraud Bureau needs to take the issue of crash-for-cash involving commercial vehicles off the “back burner”, commercial motor insurers have warned.
Oxygen to sell off remaining assets
Market commentators believe large employee expenses and lack of profits are behind the demise of seven-year old Oxygen Holdings.
Groupama to expand share of non-standard motor
Groupama is expanding its book of business in non-standard personal lines motor after admitting competition in the “Mondeo man” market was stiff.
Structure is behind perception that Allianz UK is underweight, says Booth
The director responsible for all of Allianz’s insurance operations in the UK has insisted it is not underweight, and that it often gets overlooked in top five lists because of its structure.
Zurich targets top spot for high net worth
Zurich has unveiled its ambition to become the number one player in the high net worth market in the next three years and hopes broker support will mean it can take on Hiscox and Chubb.
Meehan poised to sign Towergate as Bluefin backs cyber crime product
Former Axa director Paul Meehan has secured the backing of broker group Bluefin to push his just-launched Cyber Protect products and expects to sign up Towergate within the next few weeks to gain access to a total of 3500 brokers.
Market moves: All change at Mondial and Marsh
This week insurers were, once again, the main recruiters with the majority of high profile appointments.
Law report: Solicitor wins back outstanding fees despite counterclaims of professional negligence
This law report has been contributed by national law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer.
Law report: Environcom appeal rejected over disclosure dispute
This law report has been contributed by national law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer.
News analysis: An Olympian effort to prevent an impact on the business
If the trains and tubes are overcrowded and the roads gridlocked, will London’s brokers and insurers cope during the Olympics?
Direct Line launches telematics pilot
Direct Line has teamed up with sister telematics firm Tracker to pilot the use of telematics within retail motor insurance.