Opinion
Postbox: Backing reforms was not taken lightly
Your leader of last week 'Are some more equal?', coupled with the comments reported from Elite Insurance over the ABI's support for the recommendations of the Jackson Review, highlights the delicate balance a trade body needs to strike between…
View from the top: A very bad year
Despite reinsurers' initial talk that the Australian floods and the New Zealand & Japanese earthquakes were earnings — not balance sheet — events, and there would be no impact on rates, the chatter has changed recently, with some now actively hinting at…
Penny Black's insurance week
Another year, another Biba conference; brokers nurse their hangovers, hacks try to recall the juicy story slurred in their ear at 2am, and insurers vow to return to the exhibition hall next year with a bigger stand than Aviva, nicer cup cakes than Zurich…
Europe: Dutch trading history paves the way for digital revolution
The Netherlands, one of the oldest established commercial and industrial insurance markets, is taking the lead in the digital transformation of the industry.
Post Europe: Insurance accounting rules and the impact on small insurers
The International Accounting Standards Board has finally issued a draft standard for the valuation of insurance liabilities, however, as Martin LePelley explains this may cause more problems than offer solutions.
Penny Black's insurance week
Given his aspirations as a pop impresario, Penny was interested to see former IAG UK boss and Hastings investor Neil Utley enter the annual Rich List chart above the likes of George Michael, Robbie Williams and Phil Collins.
View from the top: positive mental attitude
I believe that commercial organisations of all shapes and sizes can learn a lot from the way athletes continually look to improve their performance in the quest to outperform the competition.
Postbox: time to up the ante in fight against fraud?
Graham Odiam's article on 'first-party fraud' touches on a moral dilemma. Insurers have a desire to retain policyholders by providing a good service — both at policy inception and at claim time — but also need to prevent and detect fraud efficiently.
Post Europe: Legal opportunities in Italy
Italy has a strong history of legal expenses insurance and despite the recession this sector has faired well. Giovanni Nenz explains why the product still has much to offer.
Legal opportunities in Italy
Italy has a strong history of legal expenses insurance and despite the recession this sector has faired well. Giovanni Nenz explains why the product still has much to offer.
Post blog: A smaller catch after the one that got away
With many in the insurance market taking advantage of the double bank holiday whammy you would have thought the past week would have been a good time to bury bad news.
View from the top: kill the costs monster
I'm delighted the government is backing Lord Jackson's suggested overhaul of civil litigation costs — but the champagne remains on ice.
Penny Black's insurance week
It is always nice when a familiar face reappears on the heady insurance circuit, so it was with some pleasure that Penny heard Zurich's former European CEO Annette Court is currently scouring the UK insurance market for her next big move.
Post Europe: View from the Top - Sustainability, environmental insurance and protection
Sustainability is the capacity to endure, meeting today’s needs without compromising the future.
Post Europe: Dealing with credit insurance during the crisis
The financial crisis has lead to some European firms considering credit insurance as a short-term option, but as Marcos Polónia explains it could really be a long-term solution.
View from the Top - Sustainability, environmental insurance and protection
Sustainability is the capacity to endure, meeting today’s needs without compromising the future.
Dealing with credit insurance during the crisis
The financial crisis has lead to some European firms considering credit insurance as a short-term option, but as Marcos Polónia explains it could really be a long-term solution.
Penny Black's insurance week
After devoting 44 years of his life to Allianz and its previous incarnations, it would seem that technical claims manager Roy Hebburn deserves a decent send off, having announced his retirement.
View from the top: invest in the long term
"It's tough out there" is probably the most overused phrase of the last year.
Postbox: Winning the battle for hearts and minds
It was really interesting to read the archived Post article highlighting comment made 50 years ago by Noel Hickey, chairman of the Galway Centre of the Insurance Institute of Ireland, on how the insurance industry was failing to gain consumer and media…
Nordic construction remains resilient
The Nordic area has been resilient throughout the economic downturn and is now showing signs of grow in areas including construction. While projects are usually funded by Nordic capital Asa Berglund and David Braybrook reveal that the region is open to…
View from the Top - More to a market than hard or soft
While news of recent catastrophes makes sombre reading in the mainstream press, over the past few weeks the insurance media has covered the inevitable ‘market turning’ debate.
Technology is not complicated or risky
Following Ian Gosden's comments on the SME insurance market, here at Simply Business we felt compelled to respond to his claims regarding the risks of selling direct to this large group of UK businesses.
Penny Black's insurance week
Watch out Simon Cowell and congratulations to Hastings boss and music mogul in the making Neil Utley, whose new record label has netted singer Charlie Simpson as its first signing.