News
Alan Boswell crowned Broker of the Year at 2025 BIAs
Alan Boswell Group won Broker of the Year at the 2025 British Insurance Awards last night (9 July).
Liberty moves into HNW market
Liberty Specialty Markets has launched into the UK high-net-worth market, expanding on its fine art and specie offering.
JMG strikes 50th deal
JMG Group has completed its 50th acquisition since its 2020 management buyout, snapping up London-based Profile Insurance Services.
Close Brothers to cut broker relationships in personal lines pull back
Close Brothers has confirmed it will exit some broker relationships over the next year as it pivots away from personal lines premium finance to focus on commercial business.
Insurance Age scoops two Biba Journalist and Media Awards
Insurance Age was crowned twice at the 2025 British Insurance Brokers’ Association Journalist and Media Awards held at Lloyd’s yesterday.
PremFina restructures senior management
PremFina has made “significant” changes to its senior management roles to support its growth plans over the next two years.
Ceta adds Mark Chappell as head of intermediary in wholesale push
Atec Group’s Ceta Insurance has appointed Mark Chappell as head of intermediary to bolster its wholesale proposition.
Markel adds pre-loss services to Cyber360
Markel has launched its pre-loss services for UK Cyber360 policyholders, to help clients minimise cyber risks.
CRC signs up to buy Atrium
US firm CRC Group has signed up to buy Lloyd’s insurer Atrium, in a deal expected to close in the third quarter of this year.
Underwriting discipline key for MGAs
Gavin Dollings, chief underwriting officer at Rockstone Commercial, has highlighted that “flawless execution” of underwriting discipline is key for managing general agents as brokers want consistency of appetite.
Broker M&A ends half-year with a ‘whimper’ – MarshBerry
Mergers and acquisitions of UK insurance distribution business were down 35% in the first half of the year compared with 2024, specialist MarshBerry has calculated.
FCA’s Brewis responds to 15-hour training removal pushback
Matt Brewis, director of insurance at the FCA, has responded to the pushback against the watchdog proposing to end the specified minimum hours of training and development required for insurance employees.
Broker pot FSCS compensation ticks up to over £700,000
Claims against the general insurance distribution class, in which brokers sit, resulted in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme paying out £722,000 in the year ended 31 March 2025.
Biba reveals board changes as Evans steps down, succeeded by Fraser
Carl Evans is stepping down as chair of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s Larger Brokers’ Advisory Board, with Alistair Fraser succeeding him.
People Moves: 30 June – 4 July 2025
Keep up to date with the latest personnel moves in insurance.
‘An MGA is for life not just for Christmas’ – Dual’s Dixon
Managing general agents need to get away from transactional relationships and move into “deeper, more sustainable” ones with carriers, brokers and policyholders, according to Catherine Dixon, chief underwriting officer at Dual.
Over half of carriers expect to increase MGA capacity between now and 2027
Almost three in five (57%) of carriers are set to increase managing general agent capacity in the next two years, according to a new survey.
Insurance cases drop at FOS in 2024/25 with downward trend expected to continue
The number of insurance cases received by the Financial Ombudsman Service fell by almost 3% in 2024/25 to 45,606 new complaints.
CII members give thumbs down to FCA CPD proposal
The Chartered Insurance Institute has found significant opposition to the Financial Conduct Authority’s proposal to end the requirement for insurance employees to do a minimum of 15 hours training and development a year.
SRG buys Generation Underwriting from WF Risk Group
Specialist Risk Group has bought Newcastle-based managing general agent Generation Underwriting from WF Risk Group.
Brokers brought into scope of FCA’s bullying and harassment misconduct rules
The Financial Conduct Authority is extending the scope of serious bullying and harassment in financial firms qualifying as misconduct to around 37,000 regulated firms, including insurance brokers.
Simply Business operating profit soars almost 90% in 2024
Xbridge, which trades as Simply Business, increased operating profit to £45.91m for the year ended 31 December 2024, up almost 90% from the previous year.
Home insurance premiums fall 3.8% in Q2
Home insurance premiums continued to fall in the second quarter of 2025 with the average top five prices down by 3.8%, according to Pearson Ham.
Aviva names Owen Morris UK personal lines CEO as Direct Line deal completes
Owen Morris has been appointed CEO of UK personal lines at Aviva as the Direct Line takeover went through.