Reportage - insurer service: Less is more

Insurers have shunned small partnerships in favour of big business, but this may have been an error of judgement. Jonathan Davey uncovers why smaller brokers may have more to offer.

In a recent interview, the Dragon's Den entrepreneur James Caan was asked whether he banked online. "Why," he asked, "should I do that?" Instead, he deals with a private bank that gives him excellent service. He meets regularly with his bank manager, who knows the names of his wife and children, and he is able to negotiate the terms of his account on a personal and flexible basis.

It is strange, and even sad, that this level of service has disappeared from the banking world for everyday