Personal
Admiral staff to get bumper bonus as predicted profit soars
Admiral is expecting to see profit before tax of £510m to £540m for 2019, with its staff to each receive a £500 bonus.
PE driving market consolidation but private ownership still dominates
Exclusive: Private equity houses and PE backed firms were behind more than 50% of UK insurance distribution mergers and acquisitions activity last year in the £5m plus category, Imas Corporate Finance has calculated.
Andy Fairchild to lead Applied in UK
Former Broker Network CEO Andy Fairchild has been appointed to the newly created role of CEO of Applied Systems Europe.
Penny Black's Social World: February 2020
Creative & Innovation Awards, managing flood risk and recognising carers
Analysis: Reinsurance hikes add to motor pricing pressure
The UK motor market had the unwanted title of the biggest riser in the annual global reinsurance renewal season this January, adding another reason for intense scrutiny on insurance pricing in the loss-making sector
Staveley Head enters administration after insurer contract 'prematurely terminated'
Managing general agent Staveley Head, known to have used Gefion and Qudos capacity, has entered administration.
Former Skyscanner chief Rice-Jones to chair Admiral’s aggregator network
Admiral-owned Penguin Portals Limited has picked up ex-Skyscanner chair Margaret Rice-Jones as board leader of the aggregator network.
Ex UK General boss Karen Beales made MD at Financial & Legal
Former UK General CEO Karen Beales has been appointed managing director of Financial & Legal Insurance, replacing Mike Timmons who has stepped down.
M&A volume grows in 2019 but mid-sized targets scarce
Exclusive: The number of UK insurance distribution mergers and acquisitions rose from 82 in 2018 to 93 last year, driven by a surge in deals valued under £5m, industry specialists Imas Corporate Finance has revealed.
Blog: Insuring the essential - why assistive technologies should be the next focus for insurers
There are 14 million disabled people living in the UK and, for many, assistive technologies – devices and software that support their day-to-day activity – are a real lifeline writes Johnny Timpson, protection specialist at Scottish Widows.
Interview: Scott Walchek, Trov
One of the original insurtech poster children, Trov recently pulled its personal lines offering in the UK and quickly followed this up by partnering with Lloyds and Halifax on renters’ insurance. Trov CEO and co-founder Scott Walchek sat down with Jen…
Ageas' Ant Middle on why good brokers are like chameleons
Tough trading environments are not unusual but the challenges they present have led me to reflect on what differentiates successful businesses from those that flounder. And a lot can be learned from insurance brokers, writes Ant Middle chief customer…
Aviva's Colm Holmes warns distracted driving is causing claims inflation
Aviva general insurance CEO Colm Holmes has said that claims inflation is far exceeding expectations, pinning the blame on poor driving.
'Massive opportunity' for more acquisitions, says incoming GRP CEO Bruce
Global Risk Partners will continue with its focus on regional broker acquisitions, buying niche managing general agents and developing its wholesale business, incoming group CEO Mike Bruce told Post as New York-headquartered PE firm Searchlight Capital…
Analysis: Rise of the clones
Insurance clone warnings doubled last year, as fraudsters got creative in their attempts to scam the public. Post investigates the rise of the clones and asks why it is so tough to police these fraudulent firms
‘Business as usual’ for sector during Brexit implementation period
The Financial Conduct Authority confirmed that during the Brexit implementation period European Union law will continue to apply and firms will continue to benefit from passporting between the UK and European Economic Area.
Gallagher posts 5.6% group broking and risk management organic growth in 2019
Gallagher delivered revenue and margin growth across all four UK trading units of retail broking, specialty broking, Pen Underwriting and Capsicum Re last year, Simon Matson has stated.
This week: The wait is over
The wait began in 2017, and many of us felt that the agonising limbo might never end. But after two and a half years, the wait is finally over. That’s right: Kesha’s new album is out today.
Insurtech funding hits record $6.35bn in 2019
Research by Willis Towers Watson has revealed that $1.99bn (£1.52bn) of global investment into insurtechs in the final quarter of 2019 propelled the yearly total to a record $6.35bn, a leap of 52% on the previous year.
Six insurtech start-ups to watch in 2020
It is now five years since I did my first ever 'Insurtechs to Watch Blog', when in 2016 I included Brolly, Digital Risks, Trov and Wrisk.
Blog: Insurance fraud trends to look out for in 2020
Protecting customers online is becoming increasingly difficult. Brooke Snelling, senior manager at Iovation, a Trans Union company, highlights areas where insurers should be using tools to prevent fraud.
Decisions on ADR and children still to be made by MOJ before whiplash portal's April launch
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau is waiting on a number of government decisions in order to meet the slated 6 April launch date for its whiplash portal.
A matter of when, not if, for personal lines parametric insurance: Scor's Jonathan Clark
Parametric insurance is unlikely to replace conventional indemnity products, but there is a strong likelihood that it will become more widely used, even in personal lines, in the future, a conference heard.
ABI tracker shows increase in motor premiums as calls for IPT cut amplify
The average cost of motor insurance rose to its highest level in the final quarter of 2019, according to research by the Association of British Insurers.