Personal
Ageas responds to retail growth with senior restructure
Ageas UK has announced key appointments to support the growth of its retail operations reporting into retail managing director Andy Watson.
Editor's comment - January 2011
Here we go again. Another year, another set of woes. The economy has only improved slightly, premium rates still show no sign of real hardening and insurers still seem hell bent on self-sacrifice in the name of growth. I feel for you brokers, I really do…
New general insurance technology offering for intermediaries launched
Founding directors, Gregg Taylor and Neil Harkin, have launched What-Insure, a general insurance trading platform for intermediaries.
Reportage - Defining schemes: Spoilt for choice
Coming in such a vast array of shapes and forms, it is difficult to define what schemes actually are. Tony Bloomer argues their ambiguity enables flexibility and innovation and, ultimately, opportunity for the industry.
Your opinions: One in four pay off other driver
Insurance Age welcomes your opinions via email, Linked In, the Broker Forum, Twitter and good old fashioned letters.
Towergate: SME provision deal 'just the beginning'
Towergate Insurance has claimed its deal with Comparethemarket.com to provide insurance to small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers is "just the beginning" of its online SME strategy.
Axa and Zurich reorganise management and operations
Axa and Zurich have revealed the results of internal restructures.
Legal expenses: Referral fee free?
Martin Friel looks to the future and imagines a legal expenses market where referral fees no longer exist. What would this mean for brokers and how would the sector adapt to accommodate this change?
Reportage - Online schemes: Choosing channels
How does e-trading apply to schemes? Edward Murray explores whether the returns are worth the time and money brokers invest in putting schemes online or if they sell better off the back of face-to-face relationships.
News review: December
A brief round-up of December's news.
Agenda: Hopes for the New Year
Ten years have passed since the dawn of the new millennium. The predictions of economic meltdown because of the millennium bug were false but we have seen crises that have had enormous impact on the global economy: 9/11, the crash of the dot-com bubble…
Interview: In perfect focus
With sharp intelligence, good humour and unique perspective, industry consultant Clare Ryder shares her thoughts with Martin Friel about where the market has been and where it needs to go next.
Power hour: Feeling the benefit?
It is hoped that a change in the Government's position regarding benefits may open up opportunities for PMI. This month's discussion covers the expansion of cash plans, the role of trade bodies and the normally taboo subject of claims data sharing. Liz…
Car claim volumes double as snow and ice turn UK roads into ‘fairground dodgems’, says AA
Snow and ice have contributed to a 100 per cent increase in car insurance claims compared to an ordinary Monday in December, AA Insurance has reported.
Survey finds increasing loyalty to aggregator sites
A survey by consultants EMB has found that around a third of people buying car insurance now choose an aggregator site to visit based on one they have used before, up from 26% in February.
Axa unveils senior personal lines team
Axa has revealed the senior management structure for its newly created personal lines operation, which now combines all its intermediated, partnerships and direct businesses, including Swiftcover.
Datamonitor predicts strong growth for personal GI market
Research from independent market analyst, Datamonitor, has suggested 2010 has shown a return to growth for the personal general insurance market and that 2011 will herald the start of a period of continued strong growth.
Broking success – Wilby: To Halifax and beyond
Emmanuel Kenning meets a passionately independent broker twinning strong local service with national niche products to grow the business.
Non-standard risks: When risks don't fit
David Whitaker discusses the trials of obtaining non-standard insurance and explores how brokers can go about placing these risks.
News review: November 2010
IAG UK-owned broker Barnett & Barnett almost doubled its size to £50m gross written premium, with a move for a controlling stake in Bromley-based commercial and personal lines specialist NBJ.
Entire Choicequote workforce in redundancy consultation
The entire staff and management team at Choicequote have entered a redundancy consultation period just two and a half years after the broker was bought by Groupama.
Referral fee income to stay
Legal experts have predicted that referral fees in personal injury cases will continue to exist in some form even if the Government decides to implement an outright ban on their use.
'Ghost brokers' charged with motor insurance fraud
Three individuals - a man and woman from Kent and a man from west London - have been charged with motor insurance fraud, tax fraud and money laundering with offences totalling £500,000.
E-commerce: Insurers urged not to rush into app development
Insurers have been warned against rushing to create iPhone applications (apps) for basic insurance processes as Aviva became the latest insurer to launch an app.