Story link: AA partners Moorhouse in commercial lines offering

AA Insurance has launched a range of own-brand products aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The group has joined forces with Moorhouse Brands, a subsidiary of Welsh broker Moorhouse, to develop an offering that contains a range of policies tailored for SMEs, trades people and the construction industry.
The selection includes liability insurance, professional indemnity; fleet [...]

Car premiums rise at fastest rate in 15 years

by Gill Montia

Story link: Car premiums rise at fastest rate in 15 years

The AA’s car insurance premium index shows average premiums increasing 14% in the past year.
In the last quarter alone, typical premiums surged 5.6%, rising at their fastest rate since the AA began keeping records 15 years ago.
Motorists who shop around can expect to pay £522 on average for fully-comprehensive cover, whereas those who fail to [...]

Car ownership a ‘rite of passage’ for teenage drivers

by David Masters

Story link: Car ownership a ‘rite of passage’ for teenage drivers

More than two-thirds of drivers aged between 18 and 24 owned their first car as a teenager, research by AA Insurance has discovered.
This is compared to just 28% of drivers aged over 65 who owned their first car in their teens.
As well as buying cars at a younger age, newly qualified drivers are buying more [...]

Helphire loses AA referrals

by David Masters

Story link: Helphire loses AA referrals

Helphire has lost the referral contracts it held with the AA and Saga, leaving an 11% dent in its turnover.
The news came as an added blow to the company after it reported it was hit with £82 million of one-off charges in the six months to 30 June.
Despite the gloomy reports, shares in the firm [...]

Sexy pedestrians distract male drivers

by David Masters

Story link: Sexy pedestrians distract male drivers

Three quarters of motorists admit to having been distracted while driving.
The most likely distractions include attractive people in other cars, attractive pedestrians, and a “nice view”.
Seven in ten men admit to being distracted by an attractive person in another car or on the street, compared with just a quarter of women.
“A nice view” is the [...]

Buildings and contents premiums diverge

by Gill Montia

Story link: Buildings and contents premiums diverge

New research from AA Insurance shows a 10% rise in the average cost of residential buildings insurance, over the 12 months to the end of June.
The cost of annual buildings cover has now risen for the sixth successive quarter, to £223.92.
However, those making a keen effort to shop around can expect to pay less.
According to [...]

Motor premiums soar on fraud and personal injury costs

by Gill Montia

Story link: Motor premiums soar on fraud and personal injury costs

New research from AA Insurance shows that car insurance premiums are rising at a faster rate than at any time since 2000.
According to the insurer, Comprehensive cover increased to an average £778.13 at the end of June, up 3.5% from end March and showing an 11.3% rise on a year earlier.
For Third Party Fire & [...]

The ‘hit-and-run’ car-park drivers

by David Masters

Story link: The ‘hit-and-run’ car-park drivers

One in nine motorists would flee the scene if they bumped a parked car, research from AA Insurance has discovered.
Of 8,800 drivers polled by the AA, 1,000 said they’d drive away rather than owning up if they accidentally damaged a parked car.
Applied across the UK, that’s nearly 4 million motorists.
The AA also found that four [...]

AA: Combined home insurance is poor value

by David Masters

Story link: AA: Combined home insurance is poor value

Two in five households could save money by choosing buildings and contents insurance from separate providers, research by AA Insurance has discovered.
An AA survey of 25,000 home insurance quotes in April, May and June 2009 found that 41% of households are better off buying buildings and contents insurers from separate providers.
This figure rises to 59% [...]

AA: High premiums punish responsible young drivers

by David Masters

Story link: AA: High premiums punish responsible young drivers

Motor insurers should use more sophisticated methods to calculate premiums so conscientious young drivers no longer have to subsidise the 20% of young motorists who crash within a year of passing their test.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said companies should reward young motorists who drive carefully.
“I believe the industry must work together to find [...]

Car insurance premiums show unexpected first-quarter rise

by Gill Montia

Story link: Car insurance premiums show unexpected first-quarter rise

The AA’s latest British Insurance Premium Index shows a 1.3% rise in the average quoted premium for annual comprehensive car insurance over the first quarter of 2009.
Notably, premiums tend to fall during the first three months of the year as most car insurance renewals take place during this period and competition is therefore strong.
The index, [...]

Drivers warned of rusty springtime bikers

by David Masters

Story link: Drivers warned of rusty springtime bikers

AA Insurance has warned motorists to look out for motorcycles coming back on the roads after a winter in hibernation.
Most of Britain’s 1.6 million motorbikes will be back on the road over the next few weeks, and according to the AA, insurance claims relating to motorcycles increase 40% at this time of year.
Many bikers are [...]

AA expands car insurance panel with LV=’s ABC

by Gill Montia

Story link: AA expands car insurance panel with LV=’s ABC

ABC Insurance, part of the Liverpool Victoria group (LV=), has been added to the AA’s car insurance panel.
The private car brand, which was launched in 2007, takes its place alongside more than 20 other insurers quoted via the AA’s website or call centres, including sister LV= brand, Highway.
According to the AA, the addition of ABC [...]

AA launches “value” caravan policy

by Gill Montia

Story link: AA launches “value” caravan policy

AA Insurance has this month launched a new caravan insurance policy, aimed at UK tourers.
Caravan Essentials is a value policy that should be of interest to the average family with a caravan worth up to £10,000.
The Association’s head of caravan insurance, Karen Jakes, is expecting strong interest, explaining: “With the poor exchange rate, [...]

Icy roads are ‘death traps’, AA warns

by David Masters

Story link: Icy roads are ‘death traps’, AA warns

As the Met Office continues to issue severe weather warnings for heavy snow and icy roads, the AA has expressed concern that drivers braving the weather could be risking their lives as local authorities run low on salt for road gritting.
The car insurance and breakdown service provider called on the government to lead a co-ordinated [...]

Car insurers snowed under by crash claims

by David Masters

Story link: Car insurers snowed under by crash claims

Motor insurers have been inundated with claims this week following heavy snowfall across much of the UK.
AA’s call centres struggled to cope with the number of insurance claims, whilst esure reported a 100% increase in snow related claims.
AA said the increased number of claims were largely due to UK motorists being unfamiliar with driving in [...]

Car insurance premiums still rising

by David Masters

Story link: Car insurance premiums still rising

Car insurance premiums continued to rise over the fourth quarter of 2008, according to data released this week by the AA.
The cost of car insurance increased by an average of 1% per month over the three month period.
Since October, the average premium for annual comprehensive cover has risen 2.9% to a record £741.66.
This is an [...]

Sharp rise in car premiums forecast

by Gill Montia

Story link: Sharp rise in car premiums forecast

A leading broker has warned that car insurance premiums could rise by a record 20% during 2009.
Swinton Group’s chief executive, Patrick Smith, believes that premiums are seriously adrift and 20% lower than they should be.
He is expecting a significant correction this year, which could see the cost of the average motor policy rise by [...]

Morning-after drink driving rampant, AA discovers

by David Masters

Story link: Morning-after drink driving rampant, AA discovers

Four in five UK drivers believe they may have driven the morning after a night’s drinking when the level of alcohol in their blood was still too high for them to drive legally, a survey by the AA has discovered.
The online poll, conducted by Populus, also found that almost half of Brits know someone who [...]

Young male driver premiums continue to rise

by Gill Montia

Story link: Young male driver premiums continue to rise

Research from AA Insurance shows that young men are paying around twice as much for their car insurance as young women.
According to the study, premiums for newly qualified young male drivers have continued to rise, while for young women, they have declined.
For example, the average quote for a 17-year-old male driving a three-year-old [...]