United Kingdom (UK)
Bolt-on deal sealed by Bspoke, with more to come, says Smyth
Bspoke has completed a bolt-on deal and has a “fair bit” of ongoing activity, group CEO Tim Smyth told Insurance Age.
McCarron Coates appoints first AR
Leeds-based McCarron Coates has added its first appointed representative with start-up broker Kentaro but flagged it has no plans to build an AR network.
Home insurance premiums fall for third consecutive month
Home insurance premiums fell by 1.3% in February 2025, a third consecutive monthly drop, according to Pearson Ham’s general insurance price index.
The last question – is the end of UK M&A consolidation nigh?
With brokers of scale being acquired faster than new start-ups are appearing, Lee Anderson, group deputy CEO, Specialist Risk Group, asks if it is inevitable that UK M&A will grind to a halt?
Hazelton Mountford targets hitting £20m GWP milestone in two years
Established in 2008, Hazelton Mountford is aiming to hit £20m gross written premium in the next two years through organic growth, Gordon Hazelton, group managing director, told Insurance Age.
Car and motorcycle insurance complaints to FOS drift up
The Financial Ombudsman Service received 3660 complaints about car and motorcycle insurance between October and December last year, up slightly from 3386 in the previous quarter.
SRG starts 2025 buys with schemes broker
Specialist Risk Group has bought schemes specialist Brentacre Insurance in its first UK broker deal of the year.
Beazley posts record profit as premium tops $6bn
Beazley has reported insurance written premiums jumped 10% to $6.16bn (£4.84bn) for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Aviva-bound DLG swings back to operating profit but customer count falls
Direct Line Group has reported an operating profit of £205m for 2024, more than reversing a £189.9m loss the year before.
Aviva gives e-trade brokers commission flex up to 35%
Aviva has written to brokers that use its own e-trading platform Fast Trade – as well as Acturis E-Trade – telling them they can set their own commission rates within set parameters, Insurance Age has learned.
FCA bans broker whose fraud caused client to fail and go into liquidation
The Financial Conduct Authority has banned David Robert Cooke, previously a director at Professional Construction Risks Limited, from working in all regulated activity after he received a police conditional caution for an insurance fraud that led to the…
Markel appoints Nicola Cunliffe to drive broker trading
Markel has named Nicola Cunliffe as head of trading in the UK, with responsibility for brokers’ experience when dealing with the insurer.
Open GI grows sales to over £60m as investment in digital also rises
Open GI increased revenue by 5.1% to £61.7m in the year to 31 May 2024, as it invested a total of £9.1m in developing its digital offerings.
Flood Re names Perry Thomas as CEO
Flood Re has appointed Perry Thomas as CEO succeeding Stuart Logue, who has been leading the organisation on an interim basis since last August.
Meet the MGA: Carrow Insurance
Looking to mend the disconnect between MGAs and carriers to get back to the ‘win-win situation’ where consistency and partnerships are a focus, Carrow Insurance will only write in product areas it has deep-seated expertise, CEO Ronan Conboy tells…
Allianz planning new regional broker office in 2025, says Holmes
Allianz has plans for a new branch in 2025, UK CEO Colm Holmes told Insurance Age, as he highlighted the provider’s commitment to regional underwriting.
Insurers and brokers must develop services to help customers understand risks – Neil Galjaard
A panel at the Association of British Insurers annual conference explained SMEs and mid-corporate businesses need education on risk management, with insurers and brokers playing a key role.
Eaton Gate first MGA live on imarket
Managing general agent Eaton Gate has joined imarket and will be deploying its first product, tradespeople, through imarket to the Bravo Digital Trader platform in March.
FCA and PRA committed to driving competition and innovation
The Financial Conduct Authority is looking at what rules can be stripped out following Consumer Duty and if fair value assessments need to be every year.
Allianz UK boosts GWP in 2024 as operating profit up 52%
Allianz UK has reported a 5.5% rise in total business volume last year to £4.66bn with profit surging ahead.
People Moves: 24 – 28 February 2025
Stay in the loop with the latest personnel moves in insurance.
Aviva “ruthlessly focused” on being consistent for brokers, says CEO Storah
Aviva grew UK SME business by 12% in 2024 with a more or less 50/50 split between rate and policy count growth, its UK and Ireland general insurance CEO has told Insurance Age.
Robic succeeds Furby as EMEA president at Chubb
Ana Robic has been appointed regional president for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Chubb, succeeding David Furby, who has been named executive chairman of EMEA.
Insurance industry needs to improve communication on motor premium costs – Colm Holmes
At the Association of British Insurers Annual Conference today, Allianz UK CEO Colm Holmes claimed the insurance industry is doing a “poor job” of explaining the reasons for costs of premiums.