Reportage: Personal targets

Personal lines brokers are seeing massive changes in the motor, household and travel sectors. With no 
let-up in sight, where do the opportunities lie in the months and years ahead? Edward Murray reports

The motor market has barely been out of the headlines in recent years for reasons ranging from diabolical combined operating ratios to the gender ruling on underwriting.

For customers, the most unpalatable news has been around rates and in the 12 months to March 2011 premiums were up by 40%, according to the AA’s British Insurance Premium Index. Since then, a little of the heat has come out of rate rises and in the 12 months to September 2011 premiums were up by 16%. The general consensus is of