Aggregators
Profit growth not BGL's main aim in 2013 as CEO eyes five-year plan
BGL chief executive Matthew Donaldson has defended his firm’s static profit growth in 2013 by claiming that the launch of a five year growth initiative had meant that building on last year’s profit margin was never expected.
BGL profits remain flat despite attracting two million more customers
The BGL Group has recorded pre-tax profits of £88m for the second consecutive year, despite increasing customer numbers by two million to 6.6 million during the same period.
Expertise in Action: Broker: Standing out
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, brokers can gain an edge by specialising in niche areas and strengthening their regional focus
Money Supermarket chief welcomes FCA review
A regulatory review into price comparison sites has been welcomed by Money Supermarket chief executive Peter Plumb.
FCA plots price comparison review
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched a thematic review of price comparison sites, raising fears that consumers may not be securing adequate coverage.
C-Suite: The market needs MFN clauses
Anyone following the debate around ‘most favoured nation’ clauses could certainly be forgiven for getting lost in the hype and conjecture. But one undeniable result of all the scrutiny is that the issue has truly divided the insurance industry.
Money Supermarket sees insurance revenues inch upwards
Price comparison site Money Supermarket has seen insurance revenues climb 2% for Q3 2013.
IFR promised in ‘weeks not months’ but delay continues to frustrate
Davies cites importance of a foolproof platform as reason for IFR not being ready.
High Street Brokers: Word on the street
While many had expected the increase in alternative methods of buying insurance to signal the demise of high-street brokers, they are still going strong. What are they doing right?
Autonet expands its offering on Quotezone
Autonet Insurance has launched its Carxtra brand on aggregator site Quotezone.
RSA performs offshoring U-turn as customers demand UK call centres
Closure of insurer’s customer-centric Indian call centres to create 350 UK jobs.
Expert Analysis: Autumn watch
IGO4’s aggregator analysis reveals that while demand for motor quotes remains high, home insurance has stalled at a disappointing level.
Roundtable: Fraud: Digital the time to react is now
Insurers are slowly starting to embrace a digital future. Now it’s time to grasp the nettle if the industry isn’t to be left behind.
Aggregator ads banned for being misleading and sparking fear
A private health insurance comparison website has been banned from using a web-based advert by the Advertising Standards Agency after the site was found to be misrepresenting a report into hospital mortality rates and appealing to fear to sell policies.
Direct Line and Churchill: A reflection on a decade old merger
This month marks the tenth anniversary of the takeover of Churchill by Direct Line, then owned by Royal Bank of Scotland.
Interview: Jon Dye - The Dye is cast
Jon Dye’s appointment as Allianz UK CEO did not come as a surprise to many, including himself. And while he is not daunted by his new role, he is certainly not complacent about the task ahead.
Money Supermarket slams rivals’ use of wide ‘most favoured nation’ clauses
Comparison site tells Competition Commission wide MFNs are ‘anti-competitive’.
Editor's comment: Falling out of favour
Insurers received a surprise this week when some of the market’s aggregators agreed with them over an issue that has been gnawing away at them for some time, most favoured nation clauses.
SME: On board the enterprise
The SME space is a key battleground for the future of the industry. But if SMEs can do business direct online, where does that leave brokers? By Mark Sands
Europe: Aggregation domination
Research suggests that the use of aggregators in Europe is growing but can the continent replicate the price comparison success seen in the UK? Mark Sands investigates.
Money Supermarket's insurance traffic hit by changes in Google rankings
Money Supermarket said yesterday it had suffered a fall in motor and home insurance visitors in the second quarter after changes by search engine Google.
Money Supermarket revenues grow by 10% in H1
Money Supermarket’s group revenue increased by 10% to £112.3m in the first half of 2013 up from £102.2m in the first half of 2012.
Website review: Confused: Is it time for an MOT for Confused.com?
Compuware evaluated the web performance of Confused’s car insurance website between 17 May and 19 June using Gomez’s performance benchmark.
Household: On shaky ground
With cracks beginning to show in the profitability of the household insurance market, is the sector set to crumble or are its foundations solid enough to see it through?