Opinion
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.
Your say: A step in the right direction
I was interested to read Tony Emms' contribution to the debate on the increase in the small claims limit for whiplash claims, says Tom Jones.
Civil reform impact: Funding impact on settlement dynamics
Civil litigation will see a series of fundamental reforms in three months’ time under Lord Justice Jackson's recommendations and government regulation, and damages-based agreements are set to make their mark on funding arrangements, says Tim Wallis.
View from the Top: London looking for leadership
Independent brokers in the capital must adapt to survive the US-led private equity feeding frenzy, says Toby Esser.
View from the Top: Seize the moment
New year, new impetus for motor insurers to be ambitious and press for further change, says Andrew Torrance.
Editor's comment: Prioritising prevention
There are occasions when expert commentators would prefer their long-term predictions to never come true.
Claimant view: An unjust blow to worker protection
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill appears to be ‘not about’ a lot of things, says Tom Jones.
View from the top: Brave new pain-free world?
A balance must be struck to protect genuine whiplash claims while reducing frequency and cost, says Tony Emms.
In Series: Outsourcing - Growing pains
Insurers should embrace outsourcing to grow their business in areas they might not be confident tackling in-house.
Editor's comment: The damage of Dispatches
Insurers have again proved an easy target, this time for investigative reporters out to prove that companies seek only to cash in on their customers' collisions at the expense of policyholder cost in the form of inflated premiums and their safety.
North of the Border: Career path uncertain in cancer case
In Helen McGlone v Greater Glasgow Health Board (2012) the pursuer alleged that the defenders misinterpreted two cervical smear tests in 2006 when she was aged 26.
Website review: NFU Mutual
Poor performance on 4 December affects insurer's average scores.
Claimant view: David v Goliath
Genuine claimants are made to suffer by the government's 'draconian measures' in support of insurers, says Tom Jones.
View from the Top: Premature death notice for networks
Contrary to popular belief, broker networks are thriving domestically and internationally, says Brendan McManus.
Editor's comment: Paying the price for profitability
As 2012 draws to an end, UK insurance industry debate centres on the one topic most likely to dominate headlines come the new year: profitability pressures in the motor insurance market.
Asia View from the Top: Speciality lines drive growth
The economy remains strong across much of Asia, and the World Bank predicts growth of 7.6% in the region in 2013.