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Trading standards.

Business in the contracting sector is at last beginning to pick up, although insurance rates are not mirroring this improvement in performance yet, says David Fanning.

Worthy opponents.

Competition is fierce in the high net worth market and, with rates as low as they can go, insurers claim to be competing on service rather than price to attract customers, says Shona Cronin.

Consumer champion.

Walter Merricks, the first Financial Services Ombudsman, talks to Tim Collison about how he plans to merge the eight current ombudsmen into one single super scheme.

Access all markets.

Robert Beckett, chairman of the Beckett Group, tells Tim Collison how the group's international approach to placing risk has been one of the major factors in its success.

All fired up.

Loss adjusters are under pressure to provide insurers with a slick, 24-hour service. Simon Threadgold says this also means forging better relations with brokers so that customers can benefit from a seamless claims handling service.

Staying in credit.

Despite the many economic threats on the horizon, including most prominently the Millennium Bug and the switch to euro, a large number of UK companies are still trusting to luck where their receivables are concerned, says Shona Cronin.

Dream boat.

The boats may be to die for, but the market for insurance is not so ideal. Andrew Newman says rates are still too low, the sector is overcrowded and theft is still a significant problem.

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