Personal
Briefing: Fine tuning the risk in Ardonagh’s deal for Bennetts
Ardonagh’s decision to roar ahead with the takeover of motorcycle specialist Bennetts less than a fortnight ago raised a few eyebrows, but really it should not have done.
Analysis: A tale of two mutuals
Eleven days apart in June, two of the UK’s mutual insurers – Police Mutual and LV – made announcements regarding their futures. Their decisions herald challenging times for the mutual model.
Zurich UK reports £140m of Covid-19 claims as it posts H1 loss
Zurich’s UK general insurance business faced £140m in Covid-19 related claims across travel, event cancellation and business interruption lines in the first half of 2020.
Analysis: The serious injury claims cycle under Covid-19
While the serious injury claims cycle faced delays during the start of the pandemic, time pressures are now “easing” as care providers find ways to adapt.
Admiral facing 'difficult call' on claims frequency and inflation
Admiral has said it faces a “difficult call” with regard to whether or not claims frequency will return to pre-pandemic levels this year, reporting that it saw a 3-4% increase in road accidents last week alone.
FCA extends payment deferral guidance timeframe
The Financial Conduct Authority has kept the temporary measures to help insurance customers hit by the Covid-19 crisis in place until the end of October.
Claims Apprentice 2020: Episode five - Cyber challenge
With the country in Covid-19 lockdown the five remaining apprentices are given their latest task through the means of video conferencing.
BGL targets million policy mark for renewed Lloyds motor insurance deal
Compare the Market owner BGL Group is aiming to grow its partnership with Lloyds Banking Group to one million policies as the pair signed a five year extension on their exclusive motor and commercial vehicle insurance deal, Post can reveal.
Abbey and Autoline merger to create £119m GWP acquisitive firm
The merger of Northern Ireland brokers Abbey Insurance and Autoline Insurance as Abbey Autoline on 1 September will create a £119m gross written premium growth focused firm that has an eye for striking takeover deals, managing director of the newly…
Analysis: Returning the dead to rest – a pandemic repatriation problem
With air traffic grounded and sweeping restrictions halting travel during the Covid-19 pandemic, insurers have faced up to the sometimes impossible task of returning policyholders' remains to their home countries and families.
Flood Re's Andy Bord on how climate change will affect flood risk
After the floods last November, I visited Doncaster to see how the town was coping with the aftermath of the floods. While I was impressed by the swift recovery efforts of insurers, the local council and government agencies, I was also struck by just how…
CII teams up with UEA to promote insurance careers
The Chartered Insurance Institute has joined forces with the University of East Anglia to help students develop a career in insurance through a programme that includes substantial savings on CII qualifications.
Ardonagh completes Bennetts buy as CMA orders no integration
The Competition and Markets Authority has ordered Ardonagh not to integrate with Bennetts, transfer control or stop competing with it as the consolidator completed the deal to buy the motorcycle specialist.
Second quarter performance pushes Ageas UK COR below 100%
Ageas UK has reported a post-tax profit of £22.8m for the first half of 2020 reversing a loss of £2.7m in the first quarter.
I-Wonder stakes claim for industry first with Sorn site
I-Wonder has partnered with Go Compare for the launch of a Sorn insurance comparison service.
Claims Apprentice 2020: Episode four – Insurtech challenge
With Team KDA emerging as the winners of the podcast challenge, the apprentices now move onto their next task.
Aviva planning aggregator motor roll out after Confused pilot
Aviva is targeting this autumn for the next stage of its move onto aggregators after a trial with Confused, Colm Holmes, Aviva CEO of general insurance, told Post.
Editor's comment: End of the road or new opportunity for insurtechs?
The rumours and water cooler conversations began in July 2019 as soon as it was confirmed market stalwart Amanda Blanc had left Zurich after only nine months.
Amanda Blanc promises to shake up Aviva
It is abundantly clear that “meaningful change” is needed to unlock Aviva’s potential, according to CEO Amanda Blanc.
Penny Black's Social World: August 2020
Claims & Fraud Awards, charity challenges and sustainability week
RSA cutting 300 roles
RSA has announced a voluntary redundancy programme as part of a process designed to reduce its headcount by the equivalent of 300 full time roles.
Business enquiries down 14% on last year at Allianz
While market conditions are slowly recovering in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, the volume of new enquiries for commercial policies remain substantially lower than were last year, according to Allianz Insurance.
Hastings agrees £1.66bn takeover
Finnish insurer Sampo and South African financial services firm Rand Merchant Investment Holdings have agreed a £1.66bn takeover with the directors of Hastings.
Analysis: Legal expenses insurers: Rising to the challenge
Legal expenses insurers saw at least double-digit increases in call volumes as the government moved to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus by locking down the UK. Providers rose to the challenge and believe they are well placed to meet any further…