Opinion
Your Say: Some welcome clarity
In response to the recent series exploring the role of outsourcing in the insurance industry, I wished to congratulate Sam Barrett for providing an excellent insight into what can be a very complicated and at times, perplexing subject.
Penny Black's insurance week
Being the sociable type, Penny loves London – the nightlife, the landmarks, the Queen and so on.
Ask the expert: Recruitment direct
We’ve been recruiting directly for some time and I have seen a number of candidates at first interview that looked great on paper but lacked the ‘true fit’ to warrant progression to the next stage. Where are all the good applicants?
Your say: Argent remains unchanged
I would like to clarify a reference towards the bottom of your story, under the sub-heading of ‘Argent set for rebrand’. You suggest that the Argent Liability Adjusters and Argent Property Adjusters brands are to be grouped under a new Parabis Claims…
Your say: When going out works best
Post’s feature on outsourcing raised some interesting points about how brands measure their outsourcing providers against performance standards and service-level agreements.
North of the Border: SLC proposals look to strike balance
The Scottish government has given a manifesto commitment to reform the law of damages.
Europe View From the Top: Risk engineering when growing abroad
Higher costs of living, lower real wages and reduced access to credit has had a direct impact on the profitability of UK companies. This combined with the Eurozone crisis has taken its toll on UK export growth and investment.
Asia View from the Top: Vietnam in race for quality
Demographic changes, increased education and legal compulsion are factors combining to help support the expansion of insurance and financial services in Vietnam.
Your say: Don’t tar all with the same brush
While Post’s story on the ruling in Webster Dixon v Equity Syndicate Management and Motor Plus on non-panel law firm rates charged for before-the-event legal expenses work highlights the importance of the decision for before-the-event insurers (‘Judge…
Editor's comment: The no competition commission
You learn something new every day, or so the saying goes. Well I certainly learnt something new this week, along with several PRs — judging from the responses I got.
View from the Top: Sending a message
Tougher sentencing in insurance fraud cases can act as a deterrent to potential fraudsters, says Ron Smith-Wright.
Your say: The place to be
Since the age of five when my father first took me onto the floor of Lloyd's I have wished to work in the London insurance market.
Editor's comment: Bowing out from Brussels
Complaining about the influence of the European Union on British affairs is almost as much a talking point as the weather in the UK, but insurers have fair grounds. Since Solvency II was first proposed, many in the UK insurance industry believe the…
Opinion: Dispatches: our side of the story
Direct Line Group responds to Channel 4’s recent allegations of customer detriment.
Your say: Don’t tar all with the same brush
While Post’s story on the ruling in Webster Dixon v Equity Syndicate Management and Motor Plus on non-panel law firm rates charged for before-the-event legal expenses work highlights the importance of the decision for before-the-event insurers, it is…
View from the Top: Steer clear of the C-word
Client retention can be improved by avoiding complacency and treating renewals like new business.
Challenges and opportunities abound in 2013
Against the backdrop of a challenging economic climate and continued uncertainty over both the timescales for implementation of European regulation and varied national approaches to the adoption of it, European insurers face a number of critical…
Like the drugs trade, Cybercrime is not just a US issue
Last year, according to the Norton Cybercrime Report, global cybercrime cost an estimated $388bn. That's $100bn more than the cost of the global black market for marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined. And just like the world's drugs trade, cybercrime is…
Opinion: The difficulties of cross-border insurance
Suresh Krishnan, general counsel of Ace Group's multinational client group, asks why more risks can't be insured from abroad and discusses some of the complexities involved in cross-border insurance.
View from the top: Pool solution a proven concept
For those of us living or working in the UK, one regular weather event is inevitable: lots of rain. So, most readers won’t take much convincing of the fact that, in 2012, Britain suffered its second-wettest year since records began in 1910.
View from the top: This eternal quest is fruitless
Commoditisation has become something of a holy grail in the insurance market over the past decade. The shift from competition based on product and service feature differentiation, as well as perceived value, to one of undifferentiated price comparison…
Editor's comment: Unfinished business
Echoing the Monday tweet of Bollington's Paul Moors, it was a shame to witness the UK's insurer and broker trade bodies engaging in public dispute this week over research on restricted or rejected claims payments.
Asia View from the Top: What if Lehman Brothers had been Lehman Sisters?
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a Harvard Business School professor, asked this question hypothetically in October 2010.
European View from the Top: Meeting the challenge
Independent brokers need to address many challenges in a global environment, says Jose Manuel Dias da Fonseca.