Commercial
Keelan Westall boosts underwriting agency
Keelan Westall has appointed Simona Wilson to its in-house underwriting agency as team leader and promoted Caroline Dixon to underwriting manager as it looks to strengthen the division.
Axa Commercial Lines wins Bruntwood contract
Axa Commercial Lines has been appointed as property owners’ insurer for Bruntwood, the Manchester-based commercial property owner.
Travelers unveils plastics insurance product
Travelers has announced the launch of a new insurance product for the plastics industry.
Editor’s letter - October 2011
“The government, always keen to jump on a bandwagon, has taken up public concerns over soaring premiums”
Brokers still pessimistic over commercial market
London Market KPMG survey predicts consolidation and rate hardening
Smaller brokers may get locked out of SME sector by aggregators
SME aggregator market dominated by two large players may mean brokers get left behind
Market moves: Making moves in the Midlands
The Midlands was the place to be this month with numerous appointments and promotions at all levels, with Commercial Express in particular the source of a few moves. Lorica and Oxford Insurance Brokers also added several employees to their teams.
Right move, wrong time?
Axa’s ambition to grow in the current soft market is high risk but there may be some sound strategic reasons why it is trying, explains Tony Cornell
Bollington expands risk management services
Bollington, the niche and affinity commercial broker, has appointed Andy Barnes as head of risk management.
Willis Argentina names new CEO
Willis has appointed Seth Peller CEO of Willis Argentina with immediate effect.
Towergate and Confused.com in SME tie-up
Towergate Insurance has announced that it is to become the sole provider of business insurance for price comparison site Confused.com.
Products: Cover from when the hammer falls
The high net worth antique and auction market has seen a recent focus on product development for both a broker and an insurer.
Motor drives combined operating ratios down but it’s not all one way traffic
Rate rises in motor boost half year results but commercial market hardening remains elusive
How to… plan for broker PI cover
▶ Prior to regulation by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) when professional indemnity (PI) cover became compulsory for general insurance brokers, very few firms purchased the cover. It could be argued that this is because at that time the industry,…
Review: The wheels on the minibus…
QBE Minibus Plus. This product has been reviewed by brokers and rated from one to five stars, based on the policy’s key benefits. * = Poor ** = Average *** = Good **** = Very good ***** = Excellent
Products: Axa to simplify product lines
As part of Axa Commercial chief executive Amanda Blanc’s new strategy, she has unveiled plans to launch a double pronged attack with a portfolio of simple and complex products.
The 10 most stupid insurance decisions
What are the 10 biggest bloopers committed by the industry? Tony Cornell gives us his top 10 insurance calamities
Insurance Age blog: Some economics of commercial market hardening
Now, as you may have guessed from my previous ramblings I’m no economist. And even I realise that reading too much into two sets of data this month could be dangerous but they really have got me thinking about the old chestnut that is commercial market…
Significant scale change pleases Ageas chief
Barry Smith, chief executive of Ageas UK, has claimed the insurer is on track to break the 100% combined operating ratio (COR) barrier but warned again that he saw no real signs of commercial market hardening.
SRA to crackdown on ARP
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has claimed it is taking strong enforcement measures against firms in the Assigned Risks Pool (ARP) insurance scheme that are failing to pay their premiums.
Simply Business partners with Moneysupermarket
Simply Business has announced it is providing a small business insurance service on Moneysupermarket.com.
Profits down in QBE’s European operations
QBE has revealed a significant drop in European insurance profits to £123m for the first half of 2011 compared to £146m for the same period of 2010.
SRA issues ABS guidance ahead of 2012 licences
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has published a guide to help prospective owners of alternative business structures (ABS) understand what steps they will need to take to earn an operating licence.
Marsh's new PI offering targets cover issues for small law firms
As another challenging renewal season for solicitors’ professional indemnity (PI) approaches, Marsh has launched a service designed to cater for smaller practices.