Opinion
Postbox: competency is crucial
I read the recent article "A focus on training" regarding professionalism in the claims sector with interest and wanted to take the opportunity to comment as it strikes me that a parity of focus doesn't exist between expertise in the property and motor…
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny jetted off to Dublin last weekend with the aim of celebrating a glorious triumph of England's rugby boys over the Irish.
Post history - five years ago: NIG senior management is finalised
Looking through Post's back catalogue paints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from five years ago reveals.
Postbox: Time to revisit underwriting essentials
I have worked in underwriting for more than 20 years and, while technology has massively increased the array of tools we have available to underwrite risk, it's frightening to realise how few improvements have been made to the professionalism of our…
Penny Black's insurance week
Allianz almost shot itself in the foot last week when it encouraged management trainee Stephanie Ogden to take part in a TV debate in which she passionately defended the university degree system.
View from the top: embrace update challenge
Sometimes, if you want to look forward, it helps to have a look back first. This seems particularly true for the upcoming Continuous Insurance Enforcement legislation.
Post Europe: View from the top - A shared responsibility for honest consumers
Ludicrous, stupid, unfair, illogical… these are just some of the comments I have heard from peers in the industry regarding the ruling by the European Court of Justice to annul the ‘insurance exemption’ from the gender directive as of December 2012.
View from the top - A shared responsibility for honest consumers
Ludicrous, stupid, unfair, illogical… these are just some of the comments I have heard from peers in the industry regarding the ruling by the European Court of Justice to annul the ‘insurance exemption’ from the gender directive as of December 2012.
Postbox: Are the dog days over?
Forty to 50 years ago, the London insurance market claimed it would offer cover for any legitimate risk and, as a young broker, I never imagined I would one day be frustrated by the failure to quote for a simple risk.
Postbox: Outflanking the gender ruling
If I am correct, the main reason for the better performance of women drivers is lower mileage. I think it is the case that on a 'loss-per-mile-driven' basis, they may be indistinguishable.
Post history - 30 years ago: Law Society examines insurance
Looking through Post's back catalogue paints a unique picture of more than 150 years of insurance news, as this highlight from 30 years ago reveals.
Penny Black’s insurance week
Penny was fortunate to be sunning herself in southern Spain earlier this week. With only a mild case of sunburn to attend to, she was shocked to hear one of her insurer pals had experienced a rather more unfortunate injury on his holiday.
View from the top: an updating challenge
Well, spring has sprung and yet, with the exception of the personal lines motor market, there is still no sign of any rate-hardening green shoots.
Editor’s comment: two new faces to watch
With Google this week snapping up beat that Quote for a little under £40m, and web design firm Vast Visibility simultaneously buying two specialist bike and van price comparison sites, aggregators are very much the insurance ‘buy du jour’.
Postbox: staying ahead of the game
The recent article ‘Brokers unprepared for household fraud’ concerning a Legal & General report raised some interesting issues for the broking community.
Penny Black’s insurance week
The only thing Penny loves as much as the insurance industry is the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, so she was particularly pleased when the world of underwriting collided with the Oscars last week.
View from the top: an updating challenge
Much has changed during my time in the broker market, but the one thing that hasn’t is that insurers still need to get their car insurance rates to the broker software houses some six weeks in advance. It will then be a whole month before we can change…
Insurance Insight: View from the Top
Many firms believe that expanding their geographic footprint will not only increase their roster of clients, but also make them less dependent on one region or sector. But with wider reach comes added risk and firms looking to diversify should guard…
An aggregator explosion in France?
It’s an exciting time for the price comparison market in France.
Post Europe: view from the top
Many firms believe that expanding their geographic footprint will not only increase their roster of clients, but also make them less dependent on one region or sector. But with wider reach comes added risk and firms looking to diversify should guard…
Post Europe: an aggregator explosion in France?
It’s an exciting time for the price comparison market in France.
View from the top: Time to be more vocal
Simon Cowell would have us believe that Britain's Got Talent. However, studies suggests it's not flocking to the insurance industry. A year ago, the Chartered Insurance Institute published the results of a survey that indicated that 83% of students…
Cullum backing bodes well for industry
I was personally delighted to see the news that Towergate Partnership has completed its refinancing and secured the investment from Advent International.
Penny Black's insurance week
Penny was uncertain as to how her colleagues would fare when they turned their hands to cocktail-making at an Ace Europe masterclass in the City.