Dual pricing
Vulnerable customer numbers double as insurer conduct comes under the spotlight
The number of adults identifying as vulnerable in the home and motor insurance markets has doubled in the last year and insurers have been urged to ensure they are being inclusive as the regulator reviews their actions.
Saga leans on insurance arm as coronavirus halts travel operations
Saga’s in-house underwriter saw profits slide in 2019/20 as its travel operations face continued coronavirus disruption.
FCA delays dual pricing report till June
The Financial Conduct Authority has postponed its final general insurance pricing practices market study report from this quarter to June 2020.
Hastings looks to suppliers and fraud detection to staunch claims inflation
Hastings is hoping that investment in its anti-fraud capabilities and supplier partnerships secured in the tail-end of last year will mitigate the impact of claims inflation on its bottom line.
UKGI CEOs want to fix the loyalty penalty: Penny James
General insurance CEOs want to tackle dual pricing and support further regulatory intervention, a conference heard.
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.
Go Compare urges 28 day cooling off period for auto-renewals
Go Compare has called for a doubling of the cooling off period for auto-renewals from 14 to 28 days during which time insurers should take “all reasonable steps” to make customers aware their insurance has been auto-renewed.
This week in Post: Back to business
With the holiday break over, this week has seen people across the UK – some somewhat sluggishly – get back to business.
Insurers need to address ‘significant risks of harm’, says FCA
Several “significant” key risks of harm have been highlighted by the Financial Conduct Authority in an update to insurer boards.
FCA calls for feedback on open finance
The Financial Conduct Authority has published a call for input on proposals for open finance, which it claims could be a long-term solution to dual pricing.
Loyalty a top priority among consumers when choosing an insurer
The biggest opportunity for insurers to improve their performance is in relation to customer loyalty, which ranked above price as a decision driver when it comes to picking a provider, according to research by the Chartered Insurance Institute.
The NED Blog: Regulation and the regulators
The regulatory agenda is always something of a concern to the independent non-executive director in the insurance market and keeping a close eye on the 2019 and 2020 plans from both the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulatory Authority is…
This month in Post: Thomas Cook-up
In a week that was dominated by personal injury fracas, the revelation that Thomas Cook self-insured against all but the “very largest” PI claims may well take the cake for biggest botch up.
Blog: What does Admiral’s move to consolidate its aggregator businesses as Penguin Portals say about the state of price comparison in 2019?
A week after Go Compare's parent re-financed, Admiral has consolidated its global aggregation businesses as Penguin Portals 'to realise its global growth ambition'. Post content director Jonathan Swift ponders if this signals a first step toward…
This week in Post: Ardonagh in the clear
A long-awaited judgment in the legal wrangle between Ardonagh and Gallagher came today, clearing Ardonagh of wrongdoing.
Analyst names insurers likely to face most disruption from pricing practices review
Disruption caused by any regulatory interventions on insurers’ pricing practices is more likely to affect insurers such as Direct Line Group, RSA and Saga than price comparison site-based underwriters such as Admiral and Hastings, Peel Hunt has predicted.
LV and Zurich discussed improving customer loyalty during Post webinar
Personal lines customers are a promiscuous bunch, known for changing insurers for a few pounds.
Analysis: How a dual pricing ban could be catastrophic for the industry
An outright ban on dual pricing could be “catastrophic” for the industry, analysts warned, pushing smaller players out of the market, limiting competition and raising premiums across the board.
Blog: Breaking the dual pricing habit
Studies are now estimating it takes a smoker on average 30 attempts to quit smoking.
FCA mulls ban as six million customers hit with loyalty penalty
The Financial Conduct Authority has outlined a raft of potential interventions as it revealed six million policyholders are hit with a loyalty penalty.
Arch-backed MGA Archipelago aims to address PL underinsurance with data driven fair pricing
Arch Insurance-backed managing general agent start-up Archipelago Risk Insurance has announced that after a six month “pilot” it is ready to open the doors in a “controlled way”.
This week: A diamond in the grind
In just over a fortnight I will be leaving the world of insurance, after 42 months in the job and almost twelve hundred bylines under my belt. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Saga reports surge in fixed priced policies as insurance margins shrink
Saga has warned of lower margins in insurance even as it saw a surge in its fixed price policy product, which was launched in the wake of backlash against industry dual pricing practices.
FCA delays publication of dual pricing market study report until October
The publication of the hotly-anticipated interim report on the Financial Conduct Authority’s market study of general insurance pricing practices that was expected this summer has been delayed until October.