Insurer
Post – 27 August 2015
While there is no Post print issue this week, it doesn’t mean we’ve been taking things easy here at Post Towers – the continuing RSA/Zurich takeover and Towergate and Arthur J Gallagher legal wrangle has seen to that.
RSA in the news
RSA has been busy of late. Keep up to date with what has happened and is happening with our blog.
AM Best warns of limited investment options for insurers
European insurers are well positioned to withstand the current stock market volatility, having made significant changes to their investment portfolios in recent years, according to AM Best.
Europe: The impossible comparison of UK regulatory costs with the rest of the EU
Confirmation this June that the Financial Conduct Authority will be increasing fees for insurers and brokers by 8.5% for 2015/2016 has inevitably raised many eyebrows. A particular bugbear is that UK regulatory costs are perceived to be much steeper than…
Blog: Stevens v Equity...what now?
Six months on from the landmark decision of the Court of Appeal in Stevens v Equity, the ramifications continue to be felt across the industry. The judgment appeared to be the game changer that the insurance industry had been hoping for following the…
Quiz of the week - 27 July 2015
Test your knowledge of the week's insurance news with our quiz.
Two men jailed for 'cynical' scam to defraud Axa of £15k
A pair of opportunistic fraudsters who teamed up to con Axa out of £15,000 have been jailed for a total of 30 months at Teesside Crown Court.
CII provides flexible working guidelines
The Chartered Insurance Institute has launched a guide for companies looking to introduce flexible working arrangements.
Hastings sees GWP jump 24% in H1
Hastings Insurance Group saw gross written premium increase by 24% to £282.7m in the first six months of 2015 (H1 2014: £227.2m) aided by continued growth in customer numbers.
Churchill calls for action as almost 28,000 uninsured cars seized this year
At least 27,688 uninsured cars were seized by UK police forces in the first half of 2015, with 9935 coming from the London area.
RMS to develop typhoon model for Taiwan with help of local insurer
Risk management firm RMS is teaming up with MSIG Mingtai Insurance to help develop the RMS Taiwan typhoon model.
ICA claims scrapping state insurance taxes will create A$36bn of extra protection
Research commissioned by the Insurance Council of Australia claims homes and household assets will be protected by a further A$36bn (£16bn) if state stamp duty and taxes on insurance are scrapped.
Go Compare blocks 'thousands' of fraud attempts with point-of-quote detection tool
Go Compare has rolled out a point-of-quote fraud detection and prevention service in collaboration with fraud solutions company Iovation, which it says is the first such tool developed by an aggregator.
Allianz Commercial joins Powerplace SME panel
Allianz Commercial has joined Powerplace's SME panel making its suite of SME products available on Powerplace SME from the fourth quarter of this year.
L&G to create up to 400 jobs in Cardiff, claims report
Legal & General is expected to create up to 400 jobs at its Cardiff operation over the next two years.
Blog: Vnuk, an involuntary risk transfer
The odd tabloid article has told Mr Smith that, because of the European Union, he'll soon need to insure his ride-on lawnmower under a motor policy. However ludicrous that may sound, the reality is that could be true. While newspapers have chosen…
How insurers can get ready for the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive
The Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive applies to a range of businesses, including insurers. After its formal adoption in June, European Union member states now have two years to implement the new rules into national law.
Ecclesiastical records 92% rise in H1 pre-tax profit
Ethical insurer Ecclesiastical has delivered a 92% increase in pre-tax profit up to £35.3m in the first half of 2015 (H1 2014: £18.4m).
IT boss who hacked 900 Aviva phones jailed for 18 months
A computer firm boss who hacked 900 mobile phones belonging to Aviva staff has been jailed for 18 months.
Zurich deal represents 'excellent value' for RSA shareholders
Zurich’s proposed offer for RSA represents “excellent value” for RSA shareholders, according to analysts at Berenberg investment bank, but the case for Zurich shareholders is less compelling, they suggest.
Stepping up data sharing against fraudulent travel claims
As travel insurance fraud is becoming more frequent, the industry needs to step up monitoring and information-sharing, just like it has been doing to tackle motor and household fraudulent claims, says Mathew Crawford-Thomas.
PPI accounts for 55% of all FOS complaints in first six months
Claims managers have been blamed for fuelling payment protection insurance complaints as the latest figures from the Financial Ombudsman Service show PPI accounted for more than half of all grievances in the first six months of 2015.
Zurich proposes 550p a share cash offer for RSA
Swiss giant Zurich made a proposal this morning (25 August) to purchase RSA's entire share capital in cash for 550p a share, which RSA's board said it could recommend subject to further negotiations.
Ace promotes Ghaffar to Asia-Pacific distribution role
Ace has promoted Amir Ghaffar to vice president and head of corporate distribution, accident and health, Asia-Pacific.