Property
Admiral chair: Defending UK motor advantage remains ‘number one priority’
Admiral is not going to give up its crown as the UK’s leading personal lines insurer to Markerstudy without a fight, its chair has intimated.
Acrisure’s Russell Scanlan buys construction specialist BLG
Nottingham-headquartered Russell Scanlan has bought Leicester-based Building & Land Guarantees.
Flood Re becomes first public body to be a Biba partner
Flood Re has become the first public body to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association.
JMG buys Madoc & Rhodes
JM Glendinning Insurance Brokers has purchased Birmingham-based Madoc & Rhodes, adding to its growing portfolio.
FCA’s Mills commits to using all regulatory tools in flats insurance update
Sheldon Mills, executive director of consumers and competition at the Financial Conduct Authority, has promised to use all regulatory tools at the watchdog’s disposal in an update on progress for multi-occupancy buildings insurance.
The stats: Hard market remains - but for how much longer?
Property and fleet rates remain stubbornly high as shown by the latest Q4 figures from the Acturis Commercial Lines Index, Rachel Gordon reports.
Holmes promises to ramp up focus on smaller brokers and across mid-market
Allianz has been growing in SME business and will push ahead further with smaller brokers this year alongside targeting growth in mid-market, according to UK CEO Colm Holmes.
Zurich UK grows in P&C but operating profit flat in 2023
Zurich UK has reported a 9% rise in property and casualty gross written premiums to £3.72bn for 2023.
Brokers told to act now over BT Redcare closure
Brokers should alert clients about the closure of BT’s Redcare signalling system next year, and need to find an alternative supplier as soon as possible to avoid “installation bottlenecks”, insurers have warned.
Allianz Commercial sees double-digit jump in fraud detection again
Allianz Commercial detected £77.4m worth of claims fraud in 2023 – up from £70.7m in 2022 – with application fraud savings of £1.95m.
UK commercial pricing flat in Q4 – Marsh
UK commercial insurance pricing was flat in the final quarter of 2023 having posted its first fall in years in Q3, according to the latest research by Marsh.
Aviva leaders on simplification for brokers at heart of changes
Aviva’s 2023 actions will see it move up the gears with brokers this year, according to leaders Ryan Birbeck and Michael Yabantu.
The AA buys Keycare
The AA has purchased Key Care, the household and motor key insurance specialist.
JMG Group’s Astute makes first buy with property specialist
Astute Insurance Solutions has bought property specialist Sandhouse Insurance in its first deal since becoming part of JMG Group in 2022.
Tech and innovation to the fore for property risks, says Lockton leader Warman
Pushing forward on technology and innovation will be front and centre this year, according to global real estate practice leader at Lockton, Ben Warman, who also revealed his expectations on market hardening in 2024.
New property MGA Ventis launches with ex-Covéa quartet
Ventis, a specialist commercial and residential real estate managing general agent, has opened for business.
Circle grows turnover, profits and headcount
Post tax profits at Circle 1991, the holding company for Circle Insurance Services, rose by nearly 20% in the year ended 30 April 2023 as turnover and headcount also grew.
Bridgehaven unveils first UK MGA fronting partnership
Hybrid fronting insurer Bridgehaven Insurance has made its first move partnering with managing general agent Avid Insurance on property excess of loss insurance solutions for registered providers of social housing.
Hug Hub stakes revolution claim with “first of its kind in the UK” extranet roll out
Hug Hub has launched Extranet Hub, an aggregator-style quote tool, claiming it is the first of its kind in the UK that promises to revolutionise commercial quoting for brokers.
Broking Success: Customer service is key for retention
Ben Henderson, managing director of Brownhill Group, is looking to expand the family-run broker’s in-house schemes and double gross written premiums.
Interview: SiriusPoint’s Rob Gibbs and Alex Hardy
Regional brokers’ interest in SiriusPoint has been piqued by a slew of appointments, most notably involving ex-RSA leaders, and a high profile MGA deal. Emmanuel Kenning finds out what the insurer has to offer and what is coming next.
Allianz has all the ingredients to be the go-to on mid-market for brokers, says Carey
Dave Carey, managing director for mid-market at Allianz Commercial, is upbeat on the prospects for the insurer working in partnership with brokers as he reveals the characteristics-based underwriting approach for 2024.
UK property MGA to launch in January 2024
Real estate managing general agent Ventis is set to launch in January with capacity from Accelerant and the support of Mission Underwriters.
Jensten buys Scrutton Bland in East Anglia
Jensten has added to its footprint in East Anglia buying Scrutton Bland Insurance Brokers to follow up its purchase of One Broker, which completed last month.