In Brief

New service at Hiscox Online
Interactive Investor International has joined forces with Hiscox Online to provide a home and contents insurance capability. The minimum contents cover is for £50,000. The latest addition to the site, at www.iii.co.uk/insurance, complements the selection of motor, household, and travel policies. A link from the site takes the user to a specialist co-branded site where after answering a few questions they can get a personal quotation within minutes. Policyholders can obtain a wide range of information from the site. Specific questions on home security can be posted by secure messaging service to the site and Hiscox's own in-house head of security will reply be email or telephone.

Tradition not top of the list
Swooping down the ski slopes or soaking up the sun is how nearly a quarter of British people want to celebrate the festive season, according to research by Lloyds TSB Insurance. Some 23% of those polled would prefer a break abroad rather than traditional festivities at home with family or friends. But only 4% would choose a snowy skiing break compared to 19% who said they would like to spend the day lazing on a beach in the sun.

Free guide for Xmas
Broker 1st Quote has published a free Christmas guide highlighting all the steps consumers need to take to reduce the risk of potential disasters during the holiday period, such as burst pipes, burglaries and Christmas tree fires. The guide is available at www.1stquote.co.uk .

Axa donates card money
AXA is donating its festive card budget to charity rather than sending out Christmas cards to clients this year. Both the Insurance Charities and Diabetes UK will each receive £2,500. The Insurance Charities support people who have worked in insurance who suffer financial hardship due to misfortune.

Biba goes live
The new Biba website, www.biba.org.uk , is now live. The site has been designed to communicate more effectively with members and to offer a resource for consumers, including why they should use a broker, how to choose one and what to look for in a policy. It also offers advice to consumers on the recent floods.

UKnet to slash handling times
Internet database firm UKnet Select has launched an online claims handling system for solicitors' professional indemnity claims that it says will slash claims handling times. The system allows all parties to view and process information on the case. When changes are made the other parties are emailed. It was developed for professional indemnity brokers Alexander Forbes and litigation firm Kennedys.

Brokers are here to stay
Ecommerce will never push brokers such as Aon and Marsh from the corporate risk management services, a report claims. The report from consultants Mactavish, based on 500 interviews with risk managers and chief financial officers, said brokers were delivering far better value to customers than bigger names such as Pricewaterhousecoopers, Zurich, Swiss Re and Merrill Lynch. It said industry commentators had been naive to see brokers as just salespeople. "Insurance brokers are unlikely to suffer from disintermediation at the hands of the insurers due to increased use of the internet and ebusiness," the report said.

AIG brings out reports
AIG Europe has launched a new range of reports on the emerging corporate governance environment. The new range – Boardroom Summaries – contains individual reports on the Turnbull Report, the Whistleblowers Act, the new contaminated land regime and corporate killing. The reports are free to existing or potential clients in hard copy or by email.

Claims Direct bags award
Claims Direct, the controversial no-win-no-fee claims management company, has won the coveted Company of the Year award at the Growing Business Awards. The awards were presented by Real Business magazine and the Confederation of British Industry. Claims Direct, which saw its share price plummet recently after bad publicity on the BBC's Watchdog programme and in the Sun newspaper, beat four other companies to snatch the title.