Insurer
Axa withdraws personal lines business from Westinsure
Axa has confirmed that its personal lines intermediary business has exited the Westinsure broker network and that all preferential commission rates for that book have ceased.
Social media users could face rise in home premiums
Aggregators are divided over whether social networkers could see their home insurance premiums rise.
Agenda: Do big insurance mergers work?
RSA's unwelcome bid for Aviva raises many issues but the main one is whether mergers between large insurance companies work in the long term.
Broker claims debate: Giving credit where it's due
Credit-hire organisations step in to provide replacement vehicles to not at fault drivers when insurers fail to serve their needs. Unsurprisingly, the relationship between the two industries has always been tense. Edward Murray asks where brokers fit in…
Market Moves
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News review: September
John Lewis unveiled plans to rebrand its insurance offering as it targeted "rapid growth" in the insurance market.
Aggregator surge could hamper insurers' IT
Software experts have raised concern that the growing popularity of comparison sites is causing IT troubles for UK insurance companies.
Economic downturn leads to claim payout battle for brokers
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has hit back at claims that brokers have had to fight harder to secure payouts for their clients during the recession.
Product launches: Aviva improves charity offering
Aviva has enhanced its offering for the charity and not-for-profit sector.
Axa online portal encourages discussion via social media sites
Axa has launched an online portal designed to allow personal lines brokers to discuss business issues and ideas with insurers and peers using social media channels such as Twitter, Linkedin and You Tube.
Fortis takes on travel customers in five-year deal
Fortis UK has announced it is to expand its existing partnership with Tesco Bank as part of a five-year deal worth around £59m in gross written premiums (GWPs).
NIG business to be exempt from further RBSI office closures
Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance (RBSI) has assured brokers that NIG will not be impacted by recent office closure plans.
Fortis begins name change to Ageas
Fortis Insurance UK has begun a phased approach to change its name to Ageas in the UK. This follows the approval of shareholders earlier in the year to adopt the new name reflecting the company’s status as a standalone global insurance group after the…
FSA plans to bump up max compensation to £150,000
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has proposed an increase in the maximum compensation which may be awarded by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) from £100,000 to £150,000.
RSA boosts D&O team
RSA has appointed David Berry to its professional and financial risks department.
Home & Legacy joins growing online mid-net-worth sector
Brokers having to work harder than ever to retain MNW clients, according to Home & Legacy.
Axa's new CEO takes up reins at start of October
Paul Evans takes up his new position as chief executive officer of Axa UK on 1 October, following on from his appointment earlier this year to deputy CEO. He also joins Axa’s global executive committee.
Arista raids NIG for senior underwriter in Leeds
Commercial lines underwriting specialist Arista Insurance has appointed former NIG senior business development manager, Steve Ford, as senior underwriter for the Leeds area.
Allianz Retail launches direct motor product
Allianz Retail has launched an online car insurance product direct to the consumer under the Allianz brand for the first time.
Former UK General chief exec Tim Rolfe joins Canopius
Canopius has announced the appointment of former chief executive of UK General, Tim Rolfe, as head of UK retail strategy.
Injury claims costs in motor rising by nearly a third a year, claims Towers Watson
The cost of injury claims in the UK car insurance market has grown recently by nearly 30% per annum according to Towers Watson.
Open GI links with imarket
Open GI has joined forces with imarket to provide a range of new commercial insurance products on its Open Trader platform.
Lloyd's profits drop by over 50%
After the "costliest" half year since it began interim reporting, Lloyd’s has reported that its profit before tax has more than halved to £628m (June 2009 £1.32bn) while the combined ratio has risen to 98.7% (June 2009 91.6%).
Zurich targets mid-sized market
Zurich has announced it is launching a new strategy and product suite for its mid corporate business customers.