Politics
Roger Carr appointed president of CBI
Roger Carr is to succeed Incisive Media’s non-executive chairman, Helen Alexander, as president of the Confederation of British Industry. Mrs Alexander has been in the role since 2009 and Mr Carr will take up the post at the end of her term of office in…
Referral fee income to stay
Legal experts have predicted that referral fees in personal injury cases will continue to exist in some form even if the Government decides to implement an outright ban on their use.
Agenda: Insurance and the state
The insurance industry and the state are inextricably entwined with a large number of common interests but competing in a number of areas in looking after the wellbeing of citizens and businesses. On a macro basis, the need for insurance in a communist…
E-commerce: Brokers criticised for not carrying out adequate sanction checks
Brokers are grossly underestimating the implications of government guidelines for client screening, according to Open GI.
2010 review: A year of living cautiously
The economy grew, rival political parties unexpectedly started working together and personal lines rates even hardened, although plenty of surprises and setbacks meant that 2010 was far from plain sailing, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
Broker regulation - Viewpoint: Securing the future
John Greenway on how, after 23 years as an MP, he is now turning his attention to helping brokers with the new regulatory regime.
Viewpoint: Justice for all will disappear
It is all too easy to point at the manner of Lord Young's recent departure from government as the Prime Minister's enterprise adviser to suggest that he was out of touch with the real world. Some commentators had already made the observation back in…
Focus - Broker funding: Finding your way through
With the major banks still cautious about lending, brokers are finding it tough to access funding for growth. Rachel Gordon looks at the options.
News Analysis - Cornwall: After the flood
Emmanuel Kenning asks how the insurance profession has responded to the floods in Cornwall.
The PB Interview - Laurent Matras: Through the storm
Laurent Matras, managing director at Groupama Insurances, tells Andrew Tjaardstra about the state of the insurance market and how he is working closely with brokers to give his firm a competitive advantage.
News Analysis - Ireland bailout: Ireland on the brink as UK exposures rocket
The bond markets continued to punish Ireland as fears of contagion spread in the Eurozone, writes Andrew Tjaardstra.
Market Watch - Construction: Building a brighter future
Emmanuel Kenning investigates the impact of the recession on the construction industry and asks sector experts if they are upbeat or downcast in their expectations for 2011.
Arag warns of difficult times ahead for claimants
Arag has warned that radical reforms to the legal aid system and civil litigation could leave many claimants in a significantly worse position.
Lord Young resigns following recession gaffe
Lord Young of Graffham has resigned from the coalition government in the fallout from his comments that the majority of Britons had "never had it so good" despite the "so-called recession".
"Ghost" brokers charged with offences totalling £500,000
Three individuals - a man and a woman from Kent and a man from West London - have been charged with motor insurance fraud, tax fraud and money laundering with offences totalling £500,000.
Jackson consultation silent on referral fees
The Government said it was waiting for the Legal Services Board review before it made a decision on whether to abolish referral fees.
Biba calls on Government to stem "spiralling" motor insurance costs
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) has called on the Government to implement an eight point plan to reduce the rising cost of motor insurance.
News: Large-scale pension reforms loom
If you do not have a pension scheme in place, then now is the time to act, as a series of state-mandated reforms is set to bite following the Spending Review.
News Analysis - Conferences: Prime Minister announces £200m university and enterprise link
This year's Chartered Management Institute and Confederations of Business Industry conferences pulled in the big hitters as business leaders attended to work out how best to plan for the period of austerity ahead.
News Analysis - Spending Review: Coalition cuts deep to stimulate recovery
Emmanuel Kenning finds that brokers are determined to be optimistic in the wake of the Chancellor's £81bn of public sector cuts announced in the Spending Review.
Viewpoint: Spending Review demands wise heads
Managers have had a difficult year, facing not only continued economic uncertainty and the lowest-recorded levels of employee morale but also the recently announced Comprehensive Spending Review, signalling the biggest business shake-up in decades.
Risk management/claims: Brokers warned: enforce EL or risk legal action
Brokers that fail to advise clients about environmental liability risks could face legal action following a government crackdown.
Slow insurer processing could mean a backlog of IPT charges
Brokers could be left to foot the bill if insurers choose to apply the Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) increase from the date it hits their books, according to the British Insurance Brokers' Association (Biba).
Reportage - Future of regulation: Predicting the future
Everyone is aware the FSA is on its way out but what is less certain is how the new regulatory structure will operate. Liz McMahon explores what brokers can expect in the medium to long-term future.