Broker
Polly C - the hottest insurance gossip
Hearing the term restrictive covenant in the bars and restaurants surrounding Leadenhall Street will always make a broker sit up and listen and Polly is no different.
Your opinions: Public perception
On Twitter this month, BrokingLiz's followers were asked to define how the public saw brokers. Here are some of the best replies:
Threat of enforced commission disclosure fades as European bodies follow UK lead
An agreement between European broker and risk management associations is the clearest sign yet that the revised Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD) will opt for commission disclosure on request rather than making it compulsory, according to regulatory…
Product update: Sunworld travel disruption
A new product designed to protect travellers against the insolvency of travel agents and tour operators and the disruption caused by increasingly severe weather events, has been launched.
Power hour: Calling in the experts?
This month's debate, with live interaction from Twitter, ascertains what value MGAs bring to brokers' businesses and the wider market. Are they simply another mouth to feed or the specialists that insurers and brokers need to service a diverse client…
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.
E-commerce: Besso launches online underwriting facility via MGA
Specialist Lloyd's broker Besso Group has launched what it describes as a unique online commercial underwriting facility via managing general agent (MGA) Gladstone Underwriting.
Product update: Product for boat enthusiasts
Boat and marine insurance provider Towergate Mardon has launched a new travel policy for boat and dinghy enthusiasts.
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.
Product undate: Jelf and IMechE join forces
Jelf has entered into an affinity partnership with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
FSCS review put on back burner
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has put plans to overhaul the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) on hold in the wake of this year's sharp levy hike.
Product news: Wind farm contract won
Heath Lambert has won the contract to supply all risk services to Scottish wind farm developer Carbon Free.
Product update: Metals and machinery cover
Aviva has launched two bespoke policies for those working specifically in metals or machinery and equipment.
Expo workshop highlights need for Risk Transfer consistency
Brokers must put pressure on the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and individual insurers to adopt a consistent approach to Risk Transfer wordings within their Terms of Business Agreements (TOBA), according to compliance expert Branko Bjelobaba.
Reportage - training delivery: Digital vs. face to face
Traditionally, training has been about face-to-face contact but there has recently been an increase in online offerings, which claim to provide the same quality of tuition with less cost and increased convenience. Edward Murray looks at the pros and cons…
Allianz responds to calls for South-west presence
Allianz has responded to regional broker demand by launching a mobile underwriting team in the South West.
The interview: Spreading the word
Although officially retired from the industry, Reg Brown remains full of ambition. Liz McMahon talks to the former president of the CII about his community work, formation of the MGAA and, of course, the London Phoenix Orchestra.
Insurers create London teams to develop broker relationships
Broker focused insurers Groupama Insurances and Ecclesiastical have set up new divisions in London in an effort to win new business.
Agenda: Insurance and the state
The insurance industry and the state are inextricably entwined with a large number of common interests but competing in a number of areas in looking after the wellbeing of citizens and businesses. On a macro basis, the need for insurance in a communist…
'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: Brokers criticised for not carrying out adequate sanction checks
Brokers are grossly underestimating the implications of government guidelines for client screening, according to Open GI.
E-commerce: Failing to enforce 'leaver' processes risks giving access to competitors
Brokers could be leaving their client database wide open to attack from competitors by not implementing effective staff exit strategies, according to industry experts.
2010 review: A year of living cautiously
The economy grew, rival political parties unexpectedly started working together and personal lines rates even hardened, although plenty of surprises and setbacks meant that 2010 was far from plain sailing, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
2010 round-up - Professionalism: The year of the professional
This year saw the launch of PB's and Post's Investing in the Profession campaign to promote a new era of professionalism, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.