Post - 2010-10-14
Articles in this issue
ABI and Apil lead calls to reject asbestos ruling
Personal injury lawyers are urging all insurers to continue paying claims for mesothelioma on a traditional basis until the issue over policy triggers is ultimately resolved — which could take another year.
Sludge firm has Allianz cover
Allianz has confirmed it is the lead insurer in the Hungarian toxic sludge disaster in which eight people have so far died and 150 have been injured.
RFIB targets £80m turnover
RFIB Group has unveiled a strategy to double its current £40m turnover and triple profits by 2015.
H&S report due tomorrow
Lord Young of Graffham's delayed report into compensation and health & safety legislation is now expected to be finally released tomorrow.
Hastings eyes PL top 5 as GWP exceeds £250m
HASTINGS Direct has upgraded its plan for business growth ahead of a proposed flotation in 2012.
Regulation - health & safety: Safe from harm
The coalition government has pledged to end the culture of health and safety 'tick-box' regulation for UK businesses. Phil Wright assesses the impact on the engineering inspection sector and the role the insurance industry has to play in helping…
QBE and Mitsui join Met plant theft fight
Insurers QBE, Northern Marine Underwriters and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance have become the latest insurance partners of the Metropolitan Police Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit.
Autofocus decision imminent
Credit hire reporting firm Autofocus is likely to face liquidation following a meeting between creditors and company administrator Harrisons last week.
Heath Lambert tops £1m
Heath Lambert has revealed its newly created London commercial team has topped £1m in gross written premium.
Leader: Axa: shaken not stirred
The news of Axa Insurance chief executive Philippe Maso's departure was one of the least unexpected events of recent times.
Meehan mulls his options as Axa starts life without Maso
Axa's UK general insurance business has been split up in a move that represents the start of a new phase of profitable growth, according to Steve Hardy, its newly appointed personal lines chief executive.
In Series - Professionalism & CPD: Driving forward
In the midst of a financial crisis, Alan Woof commends the insurance industry's enhanced investment in professional development of underwriters but calls for co-ordinated efforts to push further.
Pirate attacks hard to cost
The true cost of Somali pirate attacks on international shipping in the Gulf of Aden is still unclear, research by The Actuarial Profession has revealed.
Interview - Terry Renouf: Opportunity knocks
BLM national senior partner Terry Renouf is halfway through his second term in the role. He talks to Jonathan Swift about leaving his mark on the law firm.
Postbox: 'Heroic' efforts not reflected
I am disappointed to see our position in the 'Insurance 360 Loss Adjusters' survey (www.postonline.co.uk/1740882 ).
RSA in Homeserve deal
RSA has signed a five-year deal with emergency repair firm Homeserve to become the sole provider for its buildings & contents insurance policies.
Castle Cover boss: I will only sell for 'Swiftcover-style' offer
The founder of Primary-backed over-50s broker Castle Cover has admitted it would be hard to resist a Swiftcover-style "tomorrow's price today" offer, but that its focus for now is on remaining independent.
BGL: no plans to float as pre-tax profits increase
BGL Group chief executive Peter Winslow has stressed the intermediary still has no plans to seek private equity backing or float, despite noises from rivals including Hastings Direct.
News analysis - EL Trigger Litigation: An unfortunate conclusion
After nearly of year of deliberation, the Court of Appeal has delivered its verdict in the EL trigger litigation. Brian Goodwin dissects a complex ruling that seems to deliver only uncertainty for all parties.
Access makes acquisition
Charity and church specialist broker Access Insurance has made the first acquisition in its 10-year history, West Wickham-based AT Bell Insurance Brokers.
News analysis - Aggregators: A shift in strategy
Despite the rise in private car insurance rates throughout 2010, Tom Cooper reveals some brands are slipping back to a volume-based approach.
Penny black's insurance week
If any of Penny's loyal readers were wondering what happened to former Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance boss Trevor Brittain then ponder no more.
In Series - Professionalism & CPD: Welcome news
In the past, cutbacks and technology take-up have threatened to render underwriters the forgotten child of the insurance industry. Rachel Gordon reports on a welcome shift in attitude and determination to raise the profile of these specialist…
View From The Top: Tackling under-insurance
We all realise that under-insurance of commercial property and related business interruption cover is a serious, long-running issue in our industry.
News analysis: The end of the Maso era
Following the departure of Axa Insurance CEO Philippe Maso, Post speaks to the broking market about his time in charge and his legacy.
Biba concern over EC tax proposal
The British Insurance Brokers' Association has raised concern over European Commission plans for a new continent-wide tax regime aimed at stabilising the financial services sector.
LV's Lawrence promoted to PL director
LV Broker has promoted personal lines sales director Michael Lawrence to the newly created role of personal lines director.
Merlin reshuffle following Bond departure
Merlin has reshuffled its loss adjusting arm following the departure of former head of property Mike Bond to VRS Vericlaim.
Website Review: Aviva
In the latest of the new series for Post, web performance monitoring specialist Gomez turns its focus on Aviva's website, to assess how the insurer performs in a number of key areas and how it compares to some of its rivals.
Travel insurers go it alone on fraud database
Mondial Assistance has called for a travel insurers' database, after revealing it has entered a data sharing agreement with four other insurance firms.
MGAA letter outlines aims
The Managing General Agents' Association hopes to sign up more than three quarters of the market, ahead of its official launch in January 2011.
Crawford's day of service
More than 1200 staff at Crawford & Company have dedicated their free time to helping others in their communities as part of the loss adjuster's second annual global day of service.
Senior staff face the chop as Zurich finishes GI review
A number of middle and high-ranking employees are among those to be impacted by a shake-up of Zurich's international general insurance operations, Post has learnt.
Thefts see Canopius review KGM's motorhome business
Canopius has confirmed it is undertaking a review of KGM's involvement in the motorhome market.
Professionalism indemnity - Estate agents & surveyors: Free agents
Estate agents seem to be enjoying a stable professional indemnity environment, despite the housing market crisis. Jane Bernstein explains why.
Aviva hands HR reins to outsourcer Hyphen
Aviva is outsourcing part of its HR function in a move that will hand responsibility for the management of recruitment administration activities to specialist process outsourcer Hyphen.
FSA defends PPI rules
The Financial Services Authority has vowed to fight the British Bankers' Association's judicial review of new payment protection insurance complaints handling measures.