SJS Consultancy is calling for more transparency between insurers and restorers, in the hope of simplifying and improving the claims process, and making a significant difference to the environment. The company specialises in damage management and restoration, and founder Stuart Simpson notes: “For some years there has been an increasing lack of trust between the [...]
Zurich will be increasing its motor insurance premiums in 2010 because of a rise of third party and personal injury claims. The firm sees the current market as unsustainable and from March could be hiking broker premiums by as much as a fifth. According to the company’s general insurance chief executive officer, Steve Lewis, inflation [...]
MMA Insurance and RiskSTOP, independent risk management services provider, have formed a partnership whereby MMA policyholders will benefit from risk management assistance from RiskSTOP. From this month RiskSTOP will conduct site and questionnaire-based surveys as well as handling the enactment of risk improvements on MMA’s behalf. The first to benefit from the new service will [...]
Wherever someone is in the world, they can acquire car hire excess insurance from insurance4carrental.com. The website offers products such as insurance4carhire.com and Questor insurance and, subject to terms and conditions, can offer motorists insurance wherever they happen to be in the world. When hiring a vehicle costs can be cut dramatically by acquiring excess [...]
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) have teamed up with topgear.com to quiz visitors to the popular TV programme’s website about getting into uninsured vehicles. The partnership is part of the MIB’s Stay Insured campaign, which is seeing the organisation emphasise the importance of insurance to motorists, particularly young drivers. Young motorists are more likely to [...]
Although much of the snow has now melted, forecasters are warning that adverse weather will continue until the end of January. The continuity specialists at Cowens Survival Capability have advised businesses to ensure that trading interruptions due to severe weather are covered by up-to-date insurance policies, to minimise the financial impact of prolonged severe weather. [...]
International general insurance and reinsurance group Brit Insurance is bolstering its Global Markets business unit with the addition of Neil Russell and Joachim Tolle as underwriters. Russell brings a decade and a half of experience to the firm, including a long stint at Lexington Underwriting Company managing the Lloyd’s North American Property accounts. Russell will [...]
The BGL Group has announced that Andy Bord is to occupy a new post as managing director for Frontline, incorporating the firm’s own brands. Bord will also become a member of the BGL Group Executive. He joined BGL a year and a half ago, as director of Budget & Dial Direct, having previously worked for [...]
TriSystems is launching a new electronic broking service, Lime-St.com. The London Market technology specialist has designed the software exclusively for brokers and branded it “the broker’s friendliest and most cost-effective e-business platform”. Users are charged from only £500 per seat annually with no transaction or licence fees. With a minimum of five seats per customer, [...]
The high cost of car insurance has led more than a million learner drivers to go without the prohibitively expensive coverage. With costs of around £3,000 and a risk to the no claims bonus of the car owner, learner drivers are faced with a hefty cost for insurance. Young Marmalade has partially attributed the high [...]
Specialist event insurer Hiscox has said that the prolonged cold spell has led to the cancellation of numerous trade fairs and conferences. With temperatures reaching near record lows at night and the estimated cost to the economy per day standing at £690m, the weather put paid to significant numbers of planned events. The primary cause [...]
ALC Health, the international medical insurance firm, has announced it has entered into a partnership with Ibex Insurance Services, the leading provider of insurance to expatriates on the Iberian peninsula. British expats in Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar can now directly access ALC Health’s Prima product range, availing them of highly flexible insurance products. As a [...]
COBRA Network has increased its membership to 159 by bringing on board Riverbourne Group. The network is aimed at commercial insurance brokers with gross written premiums in excess of £1 million and Riverbourne more than fits the bill, having reported GWP of £12 million in 2009. The firm was founded in 2002, promising rapid growth [...]
Householders are being warned to keep their homes warm during the current freezing weather or risk having their property flooded by burst water pipes. Research by Virgin Money found burst water pipes and “escape of water” accounted for 15% of claims between December 2008 and November 2009. The average amount paid out for these claims [...]
Specialist insurer, Young Marmalade, claims that the Internet is partly responsible for the sharp rise in young drivers’ car insurance premiums seen in recent years. Price comparison websites have meant that loyalty to a particular insurer has been replaced by regular switching. According to Young Marmalade co-founder, Nigel Lacey, whilst the ability to compare quotes [...]
Specialty property and casualty insurer Markel International is going to establish a new trade credit division, which will be headed up by newly appointed MD Ewa Rose. The trade credit division is to be the second division launched by Markel in the last 12 months, having established an equine and livestock division last year. Rose [...]
Aon, the insurance broker and risk adviser, has named Kelvin Chadwick as sales director in Manchester. Chadwick will be tasked with driving forward Aon’s commercial sales in the city, and to continue the strong revenue growth of recent years. He brings with him over two decades of insurance experience, and joins Aon from insurance broker [...]
Brit Insurance has promoted Sean Norris to lead Group Services. He has been with the firm since 2003, beginning as a group credit and cash manager. More recentlly he led the Production Services team and developed a centralised underwriting service function, including technical entry, quality control, credit control and outward reinsurance teams. Norris will assume [...]
Insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh has announced the appointment of Julian Macey-Dare as international leader of its Political Risk and Structured Credit Practice. Macey-Dare will be based in London and tasked with exploiting business opportunities across the world (outside of the US), in addition to supervision of the pre-existing client base’s strategic development. He [...]
Aviva has published details of its regular bonus rates for 2010, saying “despite the volatility of investment markets over the past two years, the vast majority of regular bonus rates have been maintained”. According to the insurer, its with-profits funds continue to give consistent and stable returns. For example, a customer who invested £10,000 five [...]
