Insurer
Brightside targets £17m technology acquisitions
Brightside is clearing the way for a £17m deal to acquire E-Systems and e-development, according at the group.
Taiwan's insurers urged to stop lending securities for shorts
Taiwan’s regulators have urged insurers to stop lending securities to short sellers seeking to bolster equities after the Taiex Index slumped.
Groupama aims to improve solvency ratio with asset sale
Speculation is mounting that regulatory pressure in France has led Groupama to attempt to raise close to €1bn through the sale of its GAN Assurances unit.
Young Marmalade opposes ABI on age
Young driver insurer Young Marmalade has rejected the Association of British Insurers' call for a minimum training period of one year before a provisional driver can take a driving test. It said this “would be too much of a ‘one size fits all’ solution”.
UNIQA Austria expects full year losses of €300m
UNIQA Group Austria has revealed losses of €181m for the first nine months of 2011 due to significant significant one-off effects of write-downs of Greek government bonds and investments in the restructuring of the group.
Hiscox has 'A' issuer credit rating affirmed
Hiscox has had its ‘A’ (excellent) issuer credit rating and ‘A’ (excellent) financial strength rating affirmed, along with its core subsidiaries.
Thai flood supply chain losses could reach $20bn
The majority of insurance losses from the Thai floods will come from manufacturing and supply chains and could reach $20bn according to AM best.
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance assigned 'A-' ratings
Bahrain Kuwait Insurance Company has had a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “A-” assigned by AM Best.
Spanish and French SMEs rank lowest in their understanding of insurance
Spanish and French SME’s rank the lowest when it comes understanding their insurance options, according to a recent study by Hiscox.
IBRC to fight Quinn in Northern Ireland
Ireland’s Anglo Irish Bank asset recovery vehicle, the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, is to fight Seán Quinn’s bankruptcy in the Northern Ireland High Court in Belfast today.
Premiership footballer wins spot rates case against Allianz
Allianz has lost its credit hire appeal case against Aston Villa footballer Darren Bent.
ABI guide tackles “overzealous” H&S rules
The Association of British Insurers has published a new guide to tackle the “overzealous” interpretations of health and safety rules for the voluntary sector and small businesses.
Chubb offers PI for professional service providers
Chubb has launched a professional indemnity product for professional service providers ranging from management consultants and HR experts to payroll processors and polygraph operators.
Seán Quinn ordered to repay €417m
Ireland’s commercial court has ordered Seán Quinn to repay about €417m to the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, The Irish Times reports.
Your say: ABI gauntlet thrown down...
An article published in the 3 November edition of Post started a bit of a debate between Auto Law legal director Lucy Bonham Carter and assistant director, head of motor and liability at the Association of British Insurers, James Dalton.
Penny Black’s insurance week
Penny was delighted to be among the industry grandees for the prestigious 60th birthday bash of high net worth insurer Sterling last week, taking in the atmosphere at London’s fancy Café de Paris.
Editor's comment: Knowledge swap shop
The first of many: that appears to be the over-riding theme of this week’s insurance market developments. First we had the groundbreaking strategic partnership struck between Catlin and China Re, in a move both parties expect will prove extremely…
Igo4 and Markerstudy to deliver direct brands
Igo4 has secured a partnership deal with Markerstudy to deliver direct brands Zenith Insurance and Zenith Insurance Plus, set to go live today (24 November).
ABI defends proposal to ban young motorists from driving at night
The Association of British Insurers has been forced to defend its proposals, which included a ban on night driving for young drivers, after they were dismissed as unenforceable by the government and safety campaigners.
Accident Exchange heads to Court of Appeal
Accident Exchange is to take its two-year legal battle with Autofocus over alleged fraudulent credit hire spot rates to the Court of Appeal next Thursday.
Catlin and China Re deal predicted to be catalyst for Lloyd’s investment
The “landmark” strategic partnership between Catlin and China Re is expected to be a catalyst for a boom in Lloyd’s investment from insurers in emerging economies.
UK General ready for Acturis-backed commercial push
UK General will set out to win back substantial broker business following the launch of the firm’s commercial offering, supported by Acturis and a new e-trader platform.
Insurers warned over consequences of hiring unregulated investigators
A senior private investigator has warned that insurers face ruined reputations when hiring unregulated private investigators in the wake of the News of the World phone hacking scandal.
News analysis - Smartphone apps: has the prime time arrived to invest in mobile?
The long-held hunch by savvy industry operators that the rapid emergence of smartphone technology presents a potentially lucrative revenue stream was this week underlined by Money Supermarket’s claim to have launched the UK’s first front-end motor…