Opinion
Power Hour: Driving forward
This month's roundtable grapples with the factors holding the motor market back and asks what measures need to be taken for it to return to profitability.Liz McMahon reports.
Editor's comment: The motor market is shot
A senior industry figure told me this month that it is the "worst time" in the history of the motor market for insurers. A pile of news has confirmed this, including RBS's loss of over £200m in its first-half results, Equity's reserving issues and NIG…
Editor's comment - September 2010
So the private motor sector has finally been revealed as the insanely priced kamikaze market that many in the industry always thought it was.
Management Clinic - Management style: Under the cosh
My new departmental manager is generating the desired results but his style is autocratic, which I believe will affect employee morale in the long term. Should I let him know about my concerns?
Management Clinic - Closing down: Heading for the door
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme fees hike was the last straw: I'm selling my book of business. Please tell me that it is straightforward to get away from the clutches of the Financial Services Authority.
Editor's comment: Change regardless of blame
The floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia might or might not be caused by manmade global warming but they are the kind of incidents that the bulk of the scientific community are predicting more of if we continue to spew carbon dioxide into the…
Editor's comment - August 2010
If one good thing has come out of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) levy debacle, it is that brokers have shown there is only so much they can take.
Management clinic - sabbaticals: Big break
An employee wants to take three months off work to travel but there are no provisions with regard to extended breaks in their employment contract. While the employee has one month of holiday entitlement to use, the other two months won't be covered. What…
Management clinic- anti-bribery: Don’t slip up
The FSA has published an anti-bribery and corruption in commercial insurance report. It seems to relate to overseas markets, so does it apply to my firm?
Editor's comment: Regulator change risks instability
The announcement that the Financial Services Authority is to be disbanded and replaced with a combination of regulation from the Bank of England including a new Consumer Protection and Markets Authority brings opportunities and dangers.
Opinion: Editor's comment - July 2010
Have you received your letter, the one that informs you that your Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) bill has gone up a bit? "A bit?" I hear you cry. And cry you might for brokers are reporting increases of up to 800%.
Your letters: Misfuelling misinformation
I have to take issue with Peter Powell, managing director of Complectus on the subject of misfuelling.
Your letters: Think ahead
Without doubt, these are hard times for insurance brokers and this makes us all look for new business and revenue streams. However, what it should not lead to is the use of 'quick fix' and other such schemes that undermine the claims process and the…
Your letters: Professionalism aplenty
I was surprised and a little dismayed with your comments about this year's British Insurance Brokers' Association (Biba) conference at Excel in the June issue of Insurance Age.
Agenda: Pricing strategies
The UK commercial insurance market is worth about £15bn and there has been little change in its overall size since 2002. In 2001-2002, the market increased by 75% reversing years of losses into a platform for a long period of profitability. In the…
Viewpoint: Grasp the nettle
There are sound business reason why clients should be seeking risk management advice - so brokers should overcome their concerns and provide it for them, says Andy Hawkes.
Opinion: Editor's comment
This years' British Insurance Brokers' Conference (Biba) was all about professionalism but I have to report that there wasn't much on show as far as I could see.
Your letters: Will some people go to any lengths to win business?
From theBroker Forum, May http://forum.broking.co.uk
Your letters: A missed opportunity
Who or what is Biba? Thousands of visitors to Excel last week are none the wiser - I don't mean delegates to the Biba conference, but the huge audience of potential insurance customers who also happened to be in the vicinity. To the average passer by,…
Agenda: Travelling on a dodgy passport
The Quinn saga came as no surprise to most of us in the industry. The position at the time of writing is that the UK business of Quinn is in run-off and the Irish parent company is in administration.
Opinion: Editor's comment
It's all about surprises this month. There I was trapped in France mulling over how on earth a little Icelandic volcano could cause so much disruption for so many people for so long. How I was going to get back to work and how much would it cost were at…
Editor's Comment: Quinn raises responsibility issue
The Editor's comment by Andrew Tjaardstra
Viewpoint: The IT challenge of Solvency II
Viewpoint from Steve Knight, general manager at Mi