We investigate the deals insurers and brokers don't want you to know about, in our new-look Insurance Times

Insurers help their broker partners in many ways – but only ever for one reason. Dress it up how you will, they’re looking to get more business. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as it’s clear and above board. The publication this week of the Bribery Act shows the crucial importance of being transparent in all dealings across the business world.

But, as we reveal, in general insurance, insurers are routinely making multimillion-pound loans to brokers – and keeping them secret, often with confidentiality clauses. We’ve revealed some this week, but be assured, there are many more. Given the almost hysterical lengths to which insurer-owned brokers go to prove their independence, why does a different set of rules apply to brokers bankrolled by insurers in other ways? And isn’t it time the FSA woke up to this practice?

• The media landscape is changing: we know that you consume information on myriad platforms, in different ways at different times. You might love our news alerts on your BlackBerry for timely updates about key developments. But you still want to sit down with your copy of Insurance Times and take time out once a week, to find out everything you need to know – and what it all means.

Insurance Times remains the home of hard-hitting news in UK general insurance. Our promise to you is that we will break exclusive news online all day, every day. Once a week in print, we’ll select the most important stories and give you analysis, industry views and our own Insurance Times ‘take’ on them.

Our investigations will look deep into the market, asking (and answering) the questions no one else dares to. And we will continue to interview market leaders, bringing you profiles bursting with personality. Online, we’ll be selecting the best news stories, analysis, investigations and interviews, and sending them to subscribers in daily and weekly briefings.

This is the new Insurance Times: I hope you enjoy it.

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