Daily Insurance Industry News
 
 
Daily Insurance Industry News
Thursday 18th of March 2010
March 18, 2010

Fronting rife among young drivers

by David Masters

Story link: Fronting rife among young drivers

One in ten families are guilty of fronting on their car insurance, according to research by moneysupermarket.com.
Fronting – in which parents insure their child’s car in their own name to save money – is illegal and can result in claims being rejected by insurers.
Nonetheless, one in three (30%) parents polled said they would consider fronting [...]



Which? challenges Admiral on racial discrimination

by Gill Montia

Story link: Which? challenges Admiral on racial discrimination

Which? has raised concerns over Admiral Group’s treatment of motorists born outside the UK.
According to research by the consumer group, the insurer’s quotes vary by an average of 18%, dependent on how applicants answer the question “Have you lived in the UK since birth?”
In making its argument, Which? says it has been advised by a [...]



March 17, 2010

Simple launches caravan insurance via jml

by Gill Montia

Story link: Simple launches caravan insurance via jml

Simple has announced that its new caravan insurance offering is now being promoted on the jml-insurance.co.uk web site.
The product is aimed at the owners of the UK’s 498,000 touring caravans; 112,000 motorhomes and 335,000 caravan holiday homes (figures from the National Caravan Council).
Cover is available under two policies: Simple Static Caravan Insurance and Simple Touring [...]



March 15, 2010

New, low-cost insurance for learner drivers

by Richard Kilner

Story link: New, low-cost insurance for learner drivers

Driver’s champion Provisional Marmalade has teamed up with Halfords, the titan of motoring accessories, to offer an innovative and fresh approach to car insurance.
Costing just £3 per day, a provisional driver will be able to take out fully comprehensive insurance on a car belonging to family, or a friend.
On a monthly basis the new insurance [...]



March 12, 2010

Saga voted best customer service for motor insurance

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Saga voted best customer service for motor insurance

The readers of This is Money, the Daily Mail’s personal finance website, have voted Saga Motor Insurance as the motor insurance provider with the best customer service.
Five thousand of the website’s readership participated in the survey to discover which firm was considered the most trusted and equipped with the best customer service.
Saga was also named [...]



March 11, 2010

Winter freeze costs insurers £650m

by Gill Montia

Story link: Winter freeze costs insurers £650m

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has reported that its members paid out £650 million in total in dealing with claims arising from the coldest winter in the UK in thirty years.
Policyholders submitted 335,000 claims for damage to their homes, businesses and vehicles, broken down as follows:
Motor insurance – 268,400 claims at a cost of [...]



March 8, 2010

Parliament looks at faster RTA compensation scheme

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Parliament looks at faster RTA compensation scheme

Parliament today looked at a new, faster process for those injured in road traffic accidents to receive compensation.
Under the new proposals there would be fixed stages and costs and deadlines for the claimants’ and defendants’ solicitors.
Compensation sums between £1,000 and £10,000 would be covered, (claims of this size have previously comprised the majority of road [...]



Better van hire excess insurance from insurance4carrental.com

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Better van hire excess insurance from insurance4carrental.com

Insurance4carrental.com has updated its van hire excess insurance page to reflect the fact that Towergate Underwriting Group, on whose behalf the site has advertised van hire excess, has now launched its new Insuremyvanhire.com site.
Philip Suter of jml Insurance has expressed his delight that the new site has gone live, adding that insurance4carrental.com had updated its [...]



Hastings opens first High Street branch

by Gill Montia

Story link: Hastings opens first High Street branch

True to its word, Hastings Direct has made an appearance on the High Street with the opening its first branch, in Bexhill-on-Sea.
The firm says the move will provide the local community with a face-to-face service that includes an annual review and price check; help managing claims; and access to exclusive offers and promotions.
The [...]



Most trusted car and home insurers revealed

by Gill Montia

Story link: Most trusted car and home insurers revealed

Thisismoney.co.uk has named the UK’s most trusted financial providers, based on a poll of 5,000 of its readers.
According to the financial website, firms providing savings accounts, current accounts, mortgages and car and home insurance have all been evaluated on the basis of trustworthiness and customer service.
In all but one category the same provider took the [...]



March 5, 2010

THB Clowes introduces faster online quote system

by Richard Kilner

Story link: THB Clowes introduces faster online quote system

THB Clowes, the motorsport insurance specialist, has launched a new online quote system.
The new system, On-Track, gives professionals and amateurs a quick and easy way to change their on-track insurance coverage.
Managing Director Karen Ellis has expressed the firm’s pride at its intimate relationship with the motorsport business, and said that the firm has developed and [...]



March 4, 2010

AA reveals gender bias in motoring offences

by Gill Montia

Story link: AA reveals gender bias in motoring offences

Male drivers are almost one-and-a-half times more likely to have a motoring conviction than their female counterparts, although it should be noted that men are clocking-up 20% more mileage than women, on average.
According AA research 18% of the UK’s motorists have at least one conviction (compared with 14% a decade ago) and 4% have two [...]



March 3, 2010

Halo launches with car rental excess cover

by Gill Montia

Story link: Halo launches with car rental excess cover

Halo Insurance Services has been launched today.
The underwriting agency, which is backed by Bridges Ventures and Magenta Partners, will focus on niche personal lines offerings for both wholesale and retail customers.
The firm has set out with a suite of car hire excess products available through brokers and affinity partners under the Halo Insurance brand, and [...]



Premiums double for sporty models

by Gill Montia

Story link: Premiums double for sporty models

Britons with a taste for flash cars are paying dearly for their pleasures, according to swiftcover.com.
The online insurer reckons premiums are around twice that for standard models from the same manufacturer.
For example, a 30-year-old male with five years’ no claims discount can expect to pay £1,000 to insure a VW Golf GTi, whereas the [...]



February 24, 2010

Over two-thirds of UK drivers hazy on “fronting”

by Gill Montia

Story link: Over two-thirds of UK drivers hazy on “fronting”

Large numbers of motorists could be deceiving their car insurers by naming themselves as the main driver of a vehicle when they are not.
An example of this would be a parent insuring a car and declaring themselves the main driver in order to reduce the premium, when in fact their son or daughter will be [...]



February 23, 2010

Five year old cars the worst for claims

by David Masters

Story link: Five year old cars the worst for claims

Motorists with five year old cars are the most likely to make a claim on their car insurance, according to research by Virgin Money.
The insurance provide found that 9.6% of all claims were from drivers with five year old cars.
This compares to ten year old cars, which account for just 6% of claims, and cars [...]



February 16, 2010

UK’s uninsured driver hotspots revealed

by Gill Montia

Story link: UK’s uninsured driver hotspots revealed

A growing number of people are driving without insurance, moneysupermarket.com has warned.
To make the point, the price comparison website has compiled a top 10 hotspots list for the uninsured drivers who are responsible for bumping up the cost of the average car insurance policy by £30, to provide for their accident victims.
The firm has analysed [...]



February 15, 2010

Moneysupermarket.com revamps car insurance comparison

by David Masters

Story link: Moneysupermarket.com revamps car insurance comparison

Moneysupermarket.com has revamped its car insurance price comparison service to make it more user friendly.
The website said the updates make its price comparison service the fastest and most accurate available in the UK.
Visitors to moneysupermarket.com can now get up to 120 car insurance quotes in under three minutes.
A new look results page displays both voluntary [...]



February 11, 2010

AXA Assistance expands Rescue 24 fleet

by Gill Montia

Story link: AXA Assistance expands Rescue 24 fleet

AXA Assistance has expanded its Rescue 24 fleet with the purchase of six new rescue vehicles and one motor bike.
The fleet is deployed strategically in London and the North West of England, where it complements AXA Assistance’s existing 400-strong third party network.
Rescue 24 currently employs 40 technicians who, in addition to rescuing customers on [...]



February 8, 2010

Kwik Fit reports strong sales

by Gill Montia

Story link: Kwik Fit reports strong sales

Kwik Fit Insurance has reported its strongest sales figures for a single day since the company was established in 1995.
The Lanarkshire-based firm saw more than 2,000 new policyholders signing up to the Kwik Fit Insurance brand in just 24 hours, with sales of new car insurance policies topping 1,600, alongside 400 new home insurance [...]