The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has imposed a fine of £2.17 million for failings by insurers Direct Line and Churchill, both of which are owned by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). According to the regulator, the firms failed to prevent files that the FSA had requested from being improperly altered. During the collation of 50 [...]
Direct Line Car Insurance and road safety charity Brake have called upon the Government to push through measures aimed at tackling drug driving, following a survey which reveals that 11% of young drivers have driven whilst under the influence of drugs during the last year. In addition, the survey revealed that 3% of young drivers [...]
As of today homeowners can benefit from a 30% introductory discount, as part of the Direct Line Sale, with a further 20% discount for shopping online. Stuart Curson, head of home insurance at Direct Line, said that after the high spending of Christmas January was the month to get finances in order, including home insurance. [...]
Analysis by Direct Line home insurance has uncovered the worst subsidence hotspots in the UK. London and the south-east are particularly prone to the problem due to the nature of the soil there, which has more clay than is usual in other parts of the country. Subsidence claims run into thousands of pounds, and the [...]
Insurer Direct Line and road safety charity Brake are urging drivers not to succumb to distraction or stress whilst driving during the forthcoming bank holiday. The call comes as new research reveals that 71% of drivers in the last year have lost concentration whilst driving due to stress induced by inconsiderate road users or other [...]
Stag and hen parties held overseas can lead to more serious after-effects than bleary eyes and a hangover, new research by Direct Line Travel Insurance has revealed. Of the 5.7m people who held stag and hen parties overseas in the last two years 115,000 knew someone who had had a piercing or tattoo that they [...]
New research commissioned by Direct Line has revealed that 5.2m people have not reported a crime because of the fear it would deter buyers/renters if the incident appeared on a police crime map. Three-quarters (3.9m) of those not reporting crime have ignored vandalism, drug dealing or similar offences, and 45% have not reported stolen or [...]
A new survey by Direct Line has revealed that 3.2 million Britons would go without travel insurance to increase their spending money on holiday. Saving on duty free (61%) and new clothes (60%) proved the most popular economies when saving for a holiday, but one out of 15 Britons indicated they would risk travelling without [...]
One in 10 motorists (3.3 million) have been involved in a crash with an uninsured driver, according to new research commissioned by Direct Line and road safety charity Brake. Of the accidents involving an uninsured driver, 25% of them saw someone injured and 4% of these led to one or more deaths. Immorality is often [...]
New research from Direct Line car insurance has potentially discovered the reason as to why male drivers are more likely than their female counterparts to be involved in an accident. Of the male drivers surveyed, 15% confirmed that they found it difficult keeping their eyes on the road when travelling with an attractive passenger. This [...]
Direct Line has lost a High Court case brought against the victim of a motorcycle accident. The insurer was ordered to pay £3.4 million in compensation for an incident that occurred in 2003 and left Mark Noble of Wareham in Dorset with extensive injuries, including a fractured pelvis that made him partially wheel-chair dependent. The [...]
Homeowners are being hit for damages totalling £246m every year due to neighbourhood botches, according to Direct Line. The insurer’s research has found that neighbours cause a wide range of woe, from smashed windows and severed electricity supplies to flooding. During the last five years, 9% of homeowners have suffered damage at the hands of [...]
People who move house are being urged to change the locks, as failure to do so exposes them to increased risk of burglary. The findings comes from new research commissioned by Direct Line and show that 63% of people moving into a new home do not bother to change the locks. More than 70% of [...]
Homeowners may be leaving themselves exposed to underinsurance, according to a new report from Direct Line. The report indicates that as much as £212.9bn in home contents could be at risk, with over a quarter (26%) of people with contents cover underinsured by as much as £20,000. Furthermore, one in five people have no home [...]
Direct Line has warned those contemplating going without travel insurance during a winter break of the financial risk they are exposing themselves to if the worst happens. More than a million Britons are expected to participate in winter sports this year, and could face bills of £5,000 for a simple fracture to a lower limb, [...]
Homeowners concerned about the effects of severe winter weather on their homes can benefit from a Home Response 24 policy from Direct Line. The policy offers a 24/7 service for emergencies in the home, including problems related to plumbing, electricity and heating. Direct Line’s home expert Jenny Trueman explained that winter weather can cause a [...]
According to new research from Direct Line British motorists want fines for uninsured drivers to increase to £900, an increase of 350% from the present £200 fine. There is presently a proposal to decrease the fine to just £50, which may prove unpopular with disgruntled motorists. In addition, 34% of drivers want those caught driving [...]
As Guy Fawkes Night approaches, pet owners are being urged by Direct Line pet insurance to protect their pets from the potentially traumatic night of fireworks exploding for hours on end. Direct Line’s Claire Foster explained that pets injure themselves every year as they strain to escape the loud and bright fireworks, and many go [...]
Legendary investor, Warren Buffett, has been named as a potential bidder for Royal Bank of Scotland’s (RBS) insurance business. The sale of the business was first mooted in 2008, before the departure of disgraced former RBS chief executive, Sir Fred Goodwin, who was determined to stick out for a £6 billion asking price. The scale [...]
Research commissioned by Brake and Direct Line has revealed that the majority of drivers have driven whilst tired, and a shocking lack of awareness regarding the facts of driving whilst exhausted. The survey found that the vast majority (74%) admitted driving whilst tired during the last 12 months, with 9% doing so habitually (once a [...]
