News
Claims firm secures VC funding
Drive Assist today announced a financial restructuring and substantial investment by Charterhouse, the private equity investment groups.
Belfast broker doubles book with acquisition
Belfast-based Higgins Insurance & Investments has acquired Laing Markey Lyness Ltd to become one of the province’s largest independent insurance brokers/independent financial advisors.
QBE buys Mexican insurer in Latin America push
QBE has announced the acquisition of Mexican insurer, Seguros Cumbre, subject to regulatory approvals.
L&E appoints underwriters for title insurance push
London & European, has added in-house underwriting expertise to its online legal indemnities business, titlesolv.com.
Arista opens Southampton office
The commercial lines underwriting organisation Arista has launched its office in Southampton with the appointment of a team working under the direction of regional manager Julian Holloway. The office will lead business opportunities in the south of…
Markel launches social welfare product
Markel UK, the retail division of Markel International, has launched a comprehensive social welfare insurance product.
Dual revenues top €100m
Dual International has announced record results for the financial year to September 2006 and has cited success in attracting first-time buyers as a major factor in its remarkable growth.
Former Lord Mayor of London joins Marsh UK
Marsh UK has announced that Sir David Brewer, until recently Lord Mayor of London, is to fill the newly created role of non-executive vice chairman.
New report concludes four in five claimants satisfied
The latest results of an industry-wide survey highlight that while customers expect and demand better service from their insurance provider, more than 80% of claimants are satisfied with the recent claims service that they received from their insurer and…
SME underwriting agency outlines 2007 capacity
SME insurance underwriting agency Anglo Pacific Consultants has secured £20m in underwriting capacity for its 2007 book of business.
Swiss Re sells gherkin
Swiss Re has agreed to sell its London office building, 30 St Mary Axe [known also as the Gherkin] to an affiliate of the real-estate corporation IVG Immobilien AG for 600 million pounds. The transaction is expected to close in February 2007.
BIBA and K Drewe Insurance Brokers Launch BIBA’s First Caravan Insurance Scheme
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), in partnership with K Drewe Insurance Brokers, has introduced a new BIBA Caravan scheme.
AXIS Capital annouces Kyrill losses
The winter storm Kyrill is believed to have cost Bermuda-based reinsurance company AXIS Capital $40-$55m, it announced today.
S&P downgrades Florida Cat Fund debt
Rating agency Standard & Poor's has lowered its ratings on Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund's (FHCF) debt in the wake of the state’s new hurricane reform bill signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist on January 25th.
Indecision over IT legacy costing insurers millions says report
New research by the Economist Intelligence Unit suggests that the insurance industry could miss out on achieving huge growth potential due to indecision on how to deal with the cost and complexity of existing IT and legacy systems.
RSA signs affinity deal with Derbyshire Building Society
Royal and Sun Alliance has announced that it has been appointed by Derbyshire Building Society as the sole provider of its buildings, contents and creditor insurance policies.
FSCS quadruples levy on general insurance intermediaries
Insurance intermediaries will be required to stump up £2m for the prospective levy from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in 2007/8, four times as much as the previous year. However, general insurers will have nothing to pay for the second year…
Drivers should face seat belt penalty says survey
Drivers should be given penalty points if they are caught not wearing a seat belt or fail to ensure their passengers are belted-up, according to a survey by Allianz Cornhill.
Transatlantic buoyant after fourth quarter results
Transatlantic Holdings Inc has announced that its combined ratio for 2006 has tumbled below 100 after pulling in record profits.
XL surprises with magnitude of Kyrill loss
Bermudian (re)insurer XL has surprised analysts by unveiling loss estimates from windstorm Kyrill of $60m to $75m.
SBJ acquires Northern firm to improve UK footprint
Broker SBJ Group has acquired the entire issued share capital of S G Ingram for an undisclosed consideration.
Firstassist appoints Healthcare MD
FirstAssist Services, the health & wellbeing business, has appointed Ian Sparks as its managing director. At the same time other appointments to the FirstAssist Services board have also been confirmed. Sir Tim Chessells has become chairman and Tim Ablett…
London market hails electronic success
Upgrades to the recently-launched electronic processing system at Lloyd's could mark the final nail in coffin for paper dockets.
Miller swoops for JLT and Fleming execs
London-based (re)insurance broker Miller has announced that Patrick Cooper and Simon Barnes have joined the firm.