United Kingdom (UK)
Competition watchdog opens inquiry into Bupa’s CS Healthcare takeover
The Competition and Markets Authority has opened an inquiry into Bupa Insurance’s proposed merger with CS Healthcare, a Friendly Society with approximately 18,500 members originally set up in 1929 to provide health insurance cover for members of the UK…
Analysis: Why falling premiums do not mean clear cut savings for motorists
Falling average motor premiums may represent less significant savings for individual consumers than at first glance, experts have cautioned, while a swift return to pre-Covid motor premium levels is "not inevitable."
François-Xavier Boisseau made ERS chair after Amanda Blanc’s Aviva move
Former Ageas UK CEO François-Xavier Boisseau has been appointed as ERS chair following Amanda Blanc’s surprise Aviva CEO appointment.
CII hands in notice for its London office
Exclusive: The Chartered Insurance Institute is mulling an exit from its Lombard Street office.
Interview: Craig Thornton, Lloyds Banking Group and ABI
In June, Craig Thornton, general insurance and protection director at Lloyds Banking Group, was announced as the chair of the Association of British Insurers’ General Insurance Council, replacing Andy Watson as he stood down as CEO of Ageas UK.
My other life: Lee Rogers, scrutineer
When not working as engineer for Scheme Serve, Lee Rogers spends his free time adjudicating the judges at street dance competitions around the world.
Direct Line told to pay former employee £37,000 for unfair dismissal
Direct Line has been ordered to pay £36,998 to a former employee who claimed they were unfairly dismissed, Post has learned.
Sabre chairman Patrick Snowball’s successor named as Andrew Pomfret
Sabre senior independent director Andy Pomfret will take over from the insurer’s chairman Patrick Snowball at the beginning of September.
Blog: The new noise-induced hearing loss?
Nearly two million workers in the UK are at risk of developing hand-arm-vibration syndrome, a debilitating, permanent condition caused by working with hand-held power tools. While it might not attract the same attention as other occupational diseases,…
Briefing: Leadership and lip service - a progress predicament
Insurance companies, like those in other sectors, are waking up to inequalities in society that could measurably affect their own make up. But if they are going to face up to sometimes harsh realities then they need to stop clinging to a PR narrative.
Analysis: Ethnicity pay gap reporting - getting the ball rolling
With growing pressure on the government to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay reporting to measure inequality in the workplace, Post investigates what steps the industry is taking to prepare and what is still to do.
Kennedys launches virtual work experience programme
Kennedys has launched a virtual work experience programme to replace its usual in-person version and still be able to give would-be lawyers a taste of legal life during Covid-19 disruption.
Ardonagh buys £20m GWP Thames Underwriting
Ardonagh has bought managing general agent Thames Underwriting for an undisclosed sum adding £20m in gross written premium to the business.
Blog: Underinsurance - how brokers can avoid it
To get the right answers you have to ask the right questions. This is true in most avenues of life. It is never more true than when setting insurance cover. Without the correct advice, it is difficult to be accurate in the sums insured. Mark Pierce,…
Storms drive claims spike in Scotland, North West England and Wales
Loss adjusters are reporting spike in flood and storm related claims across Scotland, North West England and Wales, as the Met Office extends weather warnings across the UK until the end of Tuesday.
RSA and Enstar insurers in £1.1m Haringey Council child abuse court actions
Enstar-owned Mercantile Indemnity has been ordered to pay out £1.1m after an appeal against a Haringey Council child sexual abuse payout failed. Mercantile appealed a 2019 judgment where RSA was the original insurer after it inherited the claim as part…
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.
Bollington breaks through £200m GWP with Watson Laurie buy
Bollington has bought North West based corporate insurance broker Watson Laurie for an undisclosed sum, Post can reveal.
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.
Spotlight: Open insurance: Restoring confidence and seizing opportunities post Covid-19
The post Covid-19 insurance landscape is rapidly changing and insurers are increasingly aware that they must adjust and rethink in order to satisfy the needs of their customers and remain relevant. As a result, the pandemic may be the catalyst for…
Spotlight: Product development: The need for speed
Lockdown has been a challenge for businesses across the country but the change in working has led to insurers developing in many positive ways that will benefit the customer in the long run
Blog: Environmental enforcement undertakings - what insurers and brokers need to know
Environmental criminal liability in England and Wales has recently undergone a period of significant change. Prosecutions have become fewer in number and fines for prosecutions that do take place have become much larger, according to Aidan Thomson and…
Hiscox and action group arbitration to commence following court agreement
Hiscox has agreed to an expedited arbitration process in its dispute with the Hiscox Action Group, a coalition of policyholders that is contesting the insurer’s rejection of coronavirus-related business interruption claims.