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This week: All change... please!
The more things change, the more they stay the same. So runs a French expression that feels apt in a week that saw Brexit delayed, leaving us all wondering whether we will be able to talk about anything else ever again.
NFU Mutual reports financial loss of £290m
NFU Mutual has reported a financial loss of £290m in 2018, compared to a profit of £540m the year before.
Brexit could fuel motor price uptick after year of falling premiums
Despite motor insurance premiums falling 6.7% in the past year, data analytics company, Consumer Intelligence, has warned that concerns over Brexit could be causing premiums to creep upwards.
Former Ageas CEO steps down from board of Neos
Former Ageas UK CEO Barry Smith and Ingenie founder Richard King have stepped down from the board of home insurtech Neos.
Blog: How ready is the motor insurance supply chain for the electric future?
Electric vehicle sales might be on the rise, but questions remain about how ready the insurance sector is for what has been described as “biggest technology advancement since the invention of the combustion engine”. Europcar Mobility Group UK’s James…
Blog: Consumers no longer 'feel epic' about price comparison
Technology continues to disrupt insurance but William Corke, founder and strategy director at Corke Wallis, argues this is the perfect time for insurers to wrestle control back from the price comparison websites.
Driverless experts split over ‘manual’ driver premiums
A move towards autonomous vehicles could lower premiums for drivers of non-autonomous cars, but insurers remain split over the issue.
Claims Apprentice 2019: Episode 2 - The Debate
Now that the six contestants have been split into teams and decided on their names, it is time for the apprentices to tackle their first challenge.
LV in U-turn over home business
LV plans to build on the home book it picked up from Allianz business transfer, despite losses in the segment last year.
Liberty redomiciles its European insurance company to Luxembourg
Liberty Mutual Europe has completed its re-domicile from the UK to Luxembourg.
LV sees GI profit slip on back of claims inflation
LV has seen general insurance operating profit fall 10% in 2018 due to an "adverse claims experience".
Insurance fraud rises 27% finds Cifas
The number of fraudulent insurance claims have soared by 27%, fuelled by rises in household and motor fraud.
So-sure plots home insurance launch early next year
Exclusive: Mobile phone insurance insurtech So-sure will look to branch out into home insurance early next year and is mulling international expansion.
Industry welcomes launch of discount rate review: updated
The government has launched a widely-anticipated review into the Ogden discount rate.
Ageas office closures result in 430 redundancies
Ageas UK will close its Stoke-on-Trent and Portsmouth offices resulting in around 430 redundancies, following a 45-day consultation.
Insurtech Kinsu hits pause over lack of funds
Exclusive: Millennial gadget and bike insurance provider Kinsu is no longer accepting new customers, which its CEO has said is due to a lack of investment.
Aviva wins landmark appeal in fundamental dishonesty case
Aviva has won a landmark appeal case that could see fundamentally dishonest claimants denied all damages, not just those relating to personal injury.
Analysis: The changing nature of festival risk
Festivals are growing in size, number and scope. They are rapidly becoming a more immersive experience, rather than solely about music. With these changes come wide-ranging additional requirements for cover and a need for the insurance sector to innovate
This week: The end of the hard sell
When the regulator fined Carphone Warehouse £29m this week, the real target was the use of high pressure sales techniques in insurance.
Claims Apprentice 2019: Episode 1 - Meet the teams
After 30 interviews involving rising insurance stars from up and down the country, the field has been whittled down to six candidates, all competing for the prize of becoming the 2019 Claims Apprentice.
Government promises review into 'fairness' of IPT
The government will launch an operational review into Insurance Premium Tax in the coming months.
Analysis: How might a no-deal Brexit affect claims inflation?
With the outcome of Brexit still unclear and a possible European Union exit on 29 March looming, some insurer bosses have cautioned that we could see rising claims inflation this year.
John Lewis pulls travel insurance as Ageas contract ends
John Lewis has ceased to offer travel insurance after its contract with Ageas was not renewed, which the insurer has claimed is part of a drive towards profitability.
Blog: Getting Insurtech over the wall and up the hill
Agile is poorly understood by the UK insurance industry - and implemented even worse. That is the view of Oxbow Partners' Chris Sandiland, who offers his own take on how incumbents can best take advantage of an insurtech and innovation strategy