Opinion
Postbox: the easy touch environment
We now have another report that tells us what is wrong with our industry. Embargoed until 11 March, the Transport Select Committee's report made the headlines with breakfast television blaming referral fees for the rises in premiums; later, radio put the…
Postbox: rate access is a reality
I was interested to read Phil Bunker's View from the Top in which he, quite rightly, challenged broker software houses to work more like the direct market and aggregators and enable insurer rate changes to be effected in a more frequent and efficient…
View From The Top: Delivering SME excellence
In the short time since I became SME director at RSA, small to medium-sized businesses have seen some dramatic changes.
Penny Black's Insurance Week - 31 March 2010
You can say what you like about them, mused Penny, but insurance people know a good corporate jolly when they see one.
Editor's Comment: Fairy godmothers and streets paved with gold?
Unfamiliar with the taste of success when it comes to lobbying for reform in the personal injury arena, insurers across the UK may still be waiting for the ‘Bobby Ewing in the shower’ moment.
Postbox: preaching to the converted
I read with interest Phil Bunker's View from the Top regarding the challenge of updating rates in the broker market, as this is a view we have held for some time and have already responded to.
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…