News
Insurance image - A much-needed makeover
Insurance is an industry that suffers from a bad public image. Sam Barrett reports on why this is, and what insurers can do to change public opinion
Appointment at Alexander Forbes
Peter Bodnar has joined Alexander Forbes International Risk Services as a claims consultant speciali...
Restoration - Damaged goods
An insurer has two choices when it comes to household claims: restore or replace. Marcus Alcock reports on the latest lines of thinking in the debate
Appointment at Lloyd's
Ewen Gilmour, chief executive of Chaucer Syndicates, has been appointed as deputy chairman of Lloyd'...
Appointment at Clyde and Company
Clyde and Company has relocated partner Brian Nash to the firm's Dubai office. He spent more than 20...
What the papers said this week
Financial Times Lloyd's of London is coming under pressure from a group of individual inves...
Mobile Doctors granted appeal date
Medico legal agency Mobile Doctors has been granted an appeal date against a recent judgement, which...
OAMPS UK swoops for broker
Broker OAMPS UK has acquired Jacey Insurance Brokers of New Malden, Surrey with effect from 1 March 2006. Jacey Insurance will be relocated to the offices of OAMPS General Broking operation, based in Reigate Surrey.
US insurance giant buys stake in Lloyd's agency
HCC Insurance Holdings had reached an agreement with an investment company to acquire their 23.6% shareholding in Heritage Underwriting Agency. The transaction is expected to close shortly pending regulatory and Lloyd’s approval.
FSA backed for taking hard line on fraudulent broker
The Association of British Insurers has issued a formal response to the collapse of travel insurance broker Xsavi, which had its permission to trade removed by the Financial Services Authority, pointing out that none of its members were involved.
Fire service is ill equipped to fight commercial blazes
Britain's fire service is not able to cope with the huge industrial fires that break out in ever larger commercial buildings, Britain's top companies were warned today.
Aon confirms London office move
Aon UK and Canary Wharf Group today announced that they have jointly entered into exclusive negotiations regarding a potential new London office for Aon. It continues the broker's efforts to rationalise costs.
Benfield brings in electronic placing with eReinsure
Benfield has announced the launch of eCatFac, an electronic placing platform which facilitates the placing of facultative reinsurance for cedants with large catastrophe exposures.
Former HBOS GI CEO joins QBE
QBE European Operations today unveiled Howard Posner as a non-executive director of QBE Insurance (Europe), its UK regulated insurance company, and Limit Underwriting Limited, QBE's managing agency at Lloyd’s.
S&P clarifies Swiss Re rating position
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has issued a comment on its CreditWatch placement of Swiss Re and its core operating companies.
TRH battered but not broken by 2005 hurricane bill
Transatlantic Holdings (TRH), the parent company of Transatlantic Re, has reported that its net income for the year ended December 31, 2005 amounted to $37.9m, compared to $254.6m, in 2004. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2005 amounted to $13.5m,…
Lloyd's underwriters highlight need to avoid "boom and bust" cycles
Lloyd’s underwriters see managing the insurance cycle as the most important challenge facing the global industry for the second year running, according to new research published today.
Montpelier Re hit by 2005 losses
Montpelier Re Holdings has confirmed that it had a very bad year in 2005, after it reported a net loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2005 of $61m, compared with net income of $102.4m, for the same quarter in 2004.
Broker goes for curling Olympic Gold
Ian MacDonald Insurance Brokers of Inverness is celebrating as one of its employees Ewan MacDonald and Team GB battle for a medal in the curling event at the 2006 winter Olympics. Team GB are considered as one of the gold medal favourites as they won 6…
FSA announces first enforced cancellation since GI day
The Financial Services Authority has cancelled Xsavi Limited's permission for failing to conduct its business in compliance with proper standards and for having inadequate financial resources. The regulator said this is the first enforcement cancellation…
Reinsurance run-off ruling hits Cigna
Cigna Corporation has reported that it has received an adverse ruling from a London arbitration panel concerning a dispute over a retrocessional reinsurance arrangement related to a portion of its runoff workers' compensation reinsurance business written…
Jelf enters top 10 independent broker league with major acquisition
Jelf Group has acquired fellow broking group Goss Group for an initial consideration of £6.254m. It also plans to raise £7.3m from investors.
NU doubles team size to meet demand
Increasing demand for fleet risk management services has prompted Norwich Union to double the size of its adviser team – making it the UK’s largest, the insurer claimed.
Start up Lancashire warns over property and marine pricing after January renewals
Insurance start up Lancashire this morning reported better than expected trading in the January renewals. However, while Lancashire noted this was the case for retrocession and energy classes, it added marine excess of loss and the property catastrophe…