Opinion
2006 - a legislative milestone
The past year has seen a raft of new legislation debated and passed by the government. However, more needs to be done to ensure these laws serve the purpose for which they were created
Brokers cannot have failed ..
Brokers cannot have failed to notice that many of the more established insurance companies have been...
Industry needs to take a cycle-proficiency test
Making underwriting profits from general insurance in the UK has always been difficult and in its da...
pollyc@incisivemedia.com - The hottest insurance gossip
Even though Polly's true loyalty lies with the broker, she very rarely says no to an invite - especi...
imarket and the IT Achilles heel
The thorny issue of technology was brought to the fore recently through comments made by brokers in ...
The personal lines challenge
There seems to be a 'current wisdom' that states that, to have any kind of future, brokers need to m...
Compensation chaos looms
The government is about to plunge the law on compensation into chaos as it has caved into the emotional demands for more efficient compensation of mesothelioma sufferers, regardless of the wider implications
Qualification is the PPI solution
There has been much debate over how the insurance industry, regulators and trade bodies should tackl...
Letter of the month - Surprise over tone and hints of 'sleaze'
I am responding to David Worsfold's comments in the May edition of Professional Broking (Parliament,...
Concerned about his image
Dane Douetil, chief executive of Brit, is a man who is cleary quite concerned about his image. After...
Contract uncertainty
Q. Recent missives from some insurers state that quotations must comply with contract certainty. I am a provincial broker, so what should I be doing?
Age legislation rules
Q. Laws regarding age discrimination come into effect this year, how can I ensure I am complying?
The news in this month's issue..
The news in this month's issue of Insurance Age seems to have picked up a theme and it's not a posit...
There is change afoot but who is driving it?
Robin Oakes looks at the changes undergone by the London insurance market over the past 24 years and says it is time the regulator caught up if the market is to become the world's best
It's still a battle to survive out there
It was reported recently that Norwich Union (NU) might abandon its stance on non-exclusive quotes fo...
The hottest insurance gossip
Polly is not normally a massive football fan but is very happy to support the England team (sorry Wa...
Talking of football ..
This month we discovered Anthony Middle, head of corporate partners at Axa, was once manager, chairm...
Letter of the month - Marketing should target carefully
The May 2006 issue of Professional Broking reported two major industry figures' comments advising ho...
The high value of the broker
The high net worth sector is made for the broking market as it is not just about finding the cheapes...
Making time for the Fraud Bill
The industry is looking forward to the forthcoming Fraud Bill but many are worried that it seems to have been forgotten in the political storms that have recently occurred
UK needs underwriting discipline
Predicting rate changes is not an easy business, but it appears the current soft market is here to s...
Tips on money rules
Q. I am concerned by the Financial Services Authority's comments about money rules. I am carrying out a review of procedures but can you give me any tips as to where small firms such as ours may be slipping up?
Past perks permitted?
Q. Are we obliged to continue a staff performance bonus scheme in a firm we are acquiring?
Dental plans: worse than pulling teeth?
Dentistry is an area that is often misunderstood, mainly due to the constantly changing legislation and tabloid headlines concerning NHS dentists. Raman Sankaran explains all