Regulation
Medical experts challenge Straw to defend whiplash claim
A group of medical experts has claimed that Jack Straw MP’s comments made on 13 September in the House of Commons presented an unfair generalisation of the independent medical sector.
Legal profession slams referral fee ban
The legal profession has claimed access to justice will suffer with the banning of referral fees.
Government to ban referral fees
The government has pledged to ban the use of referral fees as part of what it calls its commitment to curb compensation culture.
Motor market faces OFT investigation
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched an investigation into the private motor market following the sharp increase in premiums over the last 12 months.
SRA slams suggestions it is responsible for ABS delay
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has hit out at the assertion that it was responsible for the delay in the authority becoming an approved regulator of Alternative Business Structures (ABS).
Pressure group hits back at ABI compensation culture claim
The Access to Justice Action Group (Ajag) has slammed the Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) call for reform of Britain’s compensation culture laws.
Farewell to the pool
The Assigned Risk Pool will eventually close in 2013, but entrants to the solicitors’ PI market are already trying to exploit this
Is the FSA ready to trash TCF?
FSA assures brokers its focus on TCF remains despite cancellation of workshop road shows
Editor’s letter - September 2011
“Brokers would do well to pay attention to the spirit of what TCF was trying to achieve, even if the regulator’s beady eye is elsewhere at the moment”
Boardroom equality
Making boardrooms more equal is not just the right thing to do, it could also have business benefits, explains Peter Done
The 10 most stupid insurance decisions
What are the 10 biggest bloopers committed by the industry? Tony Cornell gives us his top 10 insurance calamities
What will the FCA look like?
The new regulatory regime could have a very different complexion to the current watchdog, explains Terence Clark
Compliance consultant wants client name cleared, not apology
The compliance consultant at the centre of a bullying claim with the regulator has insisted she wants her client’s reputation cleared rather than receive an apology.
Banks accused of another insurance rip-off
An investigation has uncovered further evidence of high street banks deliberately mis-selling insurance products.
Top three crash for cash hotspots maintain position in Q2
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has released its second quarter 2011 statistics pinpointing the top 20 areas of the UK affected by crash for cash activity.
FSA to apologise over "bullying" TCF assessors
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has said it will apologise to a firm's compliance officer for the conduct of two treating customers fairly (TCF) assessors during a supervisory visit after an official complaint was upheld.
Regulator warns of bogus firm offering motor cover for young drivers
The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) has issued a warning to the public regarding Unique Car Insurance.
PPI complaints against banks continue to rise
Payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints at Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group rose by up to 30% in the first half of this year compared to the previous six months and may yet rise further.
SRA to crackdown on ARP
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has claimed it is taking strong enforcement measures against firms in the Assigned Risks Pool (ARP) insurance scheme that are failing to pay their premiums.
FSA threatens action against small brokers over add-ons
Small brokers are not treating their customers fairly and are not even sure whether they are conducting an advised or non-advised sale when selling add-ons according to a report from the regulator.
Editor’s letter - August 2011
“My guess is that although there will be further high-profile examples made, this type of practice will continue unfettered”
Confidence in insurance sector drops as losses, regulation and soft market bite
The latest ICAEW/Grant Thornton UK Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) has revealed that a year of catastrophic losses, on-going soft pricing and regulatory uncertainty has hit confidence in the insurance sector hard.
Regulator puts TCF on the backburner
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has cancelled its programme of regional workshops on treating customers fairly to concentrate its resources on the move to the new regulatory restructure and the RDR.
FSA chiefs claimed over £60K in expenses last year
Financial Services Authority (FSA) bosses Hector Sants, Adair Turner and Margaret Cole claimed over £60,000 of expenses in 2010.