Opinion
QBE’s Harris: Burnham’s prevention vision mirrors insurance
New prime minister Andy Burnham’s call for a more preventative UK highlights one of the biggest challenges facing governments and businesses alike: making good decisions about risks that haven’t happened yet, observes Jason Harris, CEO of QBE…
Why competing on price is a dead end for insurers
In a market where price wins attention but experience earns loyalty, Colin Reid, client director at Getronics, says insurers are discovering that customer trust depends on the technology, data and service behind every interaction.
Telematics should be judged on more than pricing alone
Telematics should not merely be dismissed as a pricing tool by insurers but used better as if it can help even one driver avoid being killed or seriously injured, it is worth taking seriously, claimed Paul Stacy, group CEO at IMS.
Three Lions on a shirt and insurance kept Jules Rimet gleaming
Editor’s View: England may have fallen short of the World Cup final, but Emma Ann Hughes observes the tournament has once again demonstrated the vital role insurance plays in protecting football’s biggest spectacle.
Insurance’s AI blind spot is becoming a governance risk
Pressure to innovate is pushing insurers to deploy autonomous artificial intelligence systems without fully developed controls or auditability, warns Bharat Mistry, field chief technology officer at TrendAI.
Protecting heritage in a warming world
Jo Whyman, director of risk management at Ecclesiastical, explains how climate change is creating a new challenge for the owners, trustees and charities who steward our historic buildings.
E-Bikes, e-scooters and the cost of regulatory gaps
Without coordinated reform, Faye Fishlock, partner at law firm DAC Beachcroft, warns the social and financial burden of micromobility incidents will continue to fall on victims, insurers and motorists.
Insurance’s AI buffet is over so now comes portion control
Editor’s View: As insurer’s chief technology officers start to see their artificial intelligence bills skyrocket due to growing usage of the technology by staff, Emma Ann Hughes asks is rationing nigh?
What the Glasgow blaze reveals about connected urban risk
Richard Toomey, director of market planning at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, explores how the recent Glasgow fire should act as a reminder of the danger presented by interconnected buildings, infrastructure and human activity.
Campaigner calls for action to tackle the poverty premium
From postcode pricing to premium finance, Rebecca Deegan, director of Fair By Design, insists the insurance market must take further action to improve affordability and access for financially vulnerable consumers.
Why agency, not just innovation, will define insurance leaders
Legacy systems and slow development cycles are limiting insurers’ ability to act, which Jonathan Rusby, director of property and casualty for EMEA at Instanda, says makes operational agility and technology-enabled agency critical to staying competitive.
Uninsured driving creates a vicious cycle for insurers
From compensation payments to lengthy legal disputes, the Forum of Insurance Lawyers' Emma Fuller and Sarah Cartlidge unpick how uninsured motorists are creating costs that ripple across the market.
AI could kill the insurance renewal habit
Editor’s View: With more than 70% of consumers expecting artificial intelligence to influence their insurance purchases within the next year, Emma Ann Hughes predicts renewals face their biggest disruption right now since the demise of the Yellow Pages.
AI ends human-scale cybersecurity as threat windows collapse
Artificial intelligence-driven vulnerability discovery must force insurers and organisations to prioritise resilience over prevention in an environment where breaches are inevitable, according to Judson Dressler, head of the risk operations centre at…
Curious case of Aon’s co-CEOs as Page and Kielty exit
Content Director’s View: The appointment of co-CEOs at Aon following Jane Kielty and Julie Page stepping down reignited a familiar debate – is joint leadership ever a good idea? Jonathan Swift examines whether the sceptical reaction was justified.
How vet reforms will redraw pet insurance competition
Greater transparency in veterinary pricing could transform how pet insurers price risk, design products and compete for increasingly informed customers, according to Scott Williams, head of pet at Hood Group.
Fair value rules still fail brokers and consumers alike
Four-and-a-half years after the Financial Conduct Authority’s fair value rules arrived, Branko Bjelobaba, principal of compliance consultancy Branko Ltd, argues inconsistent data and vague metrics still make it difficult for brokers and consumers to…
Pride exposes prejudice LGBTQ+ individuals face in insurance
Editor’s View: LGBTQ+ network Link’s latest survey shows many insurance professionals still feel pressure to hide parts of themselves at work, which Emma Ann Hughes argues highlights the need for insurers to move beyond Pride branding and ‘pinkwashing’…
Climate change puts brokers centre stage
With floods, heatwaves and subsidence rewriting the rules of risk, Caroline Elliott-Grey, senior product manager for UK and Ireland at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, argues brokers who harness property-level insights can build trust, protect clients and…
Could the Gallagher and PIB deal be back on?
Deputy Editor’s View: Whispers at the British Insurance Brokers' Association conference earlier this month suggest Gallagher could be willing to buy PIB again, less than a year after plug was pulled on a deal and the latter refinanced.
Why property insurance should lead the charge on sustainability
Conall Bolton, senior product consultant at technology and data analytics company Cotality, explains how incorporating carbon impact into claims can turn moments of loss into long-term impact.
Pet insurance risks a Consumer Duty reckoning
As pandemic-era pets age and claims costs increase, James Daley, founder and managing director of Fairer Finance, warns many owners are set to discover their policies offer far less protection than they expected.
Why insurers need to talk about garden design
Editor’s View: Following a visit to Chelsea Flower Show to admire Flood Re’s Contain the Rain garden, Emma Ann Hughes reflects on why insurers need to talk more about gardens, drainage and flood resilience.
Are first edition children’s books an insurance risk?
Emma Myrie, lead underwriter at specialist home insurer Homeprotect, warns that valuable children’s book collections are an often-overlooked contents risk that could leave policyholders underinsured.