Michael Glackin
ClaimsThe thick red line
Redlining (refusing to cover customers in a certain postcode) makes insurers unpopular with customers, but does it damage business for brokers? We discover that in fact it can offer an opportunity to add value if you can find the right insurer
In BusinessBest of Brokers: When size matters
Small independent brokers continue to be responsible for an important chunk of large insurers’ work streams. So what do the big names do in return for those brokers’ loyalty?
In BusinessBest of Brokers: Siren call of e-sales
Business clients have largely resisted the tempting prices of the aggregators for all but their most straightforward needs. But as technology becomes more sophisticated, the savings might lure more SMEs away from their brokers
Claims & LiabilitiesA record £13.7m in compensation following a motor claim - could you be next?
Will the wider UK lump sum discount rate drop to Guernsey levels? The industry remains alert to ripples from the Channel Islands
AnalysisThe future of SME: will e-trading eat away at insurer and broker revenues?
SME customers are increasingly being drawn to buying insurance online. But while aggregators are trying hard to win commercial customers, brokers and insurers argue that the e-trading model can't meet SME customers' complex needs
Markets & RisksAn uphill struggle
Insurers in the personal motor sector are at last realising that survival depends on being able to charge customers more – there’s simply no other option left. Insurance Times looks at how rising bodily injury claims, aggregators and claims farming have affected the industry’s sustainability
Markets & RisksThe centre cannot hold
‘Rogue’ lawyers costs insurers millions of pounds each year, pushing the price of solicitors’ PI higher and higher. With Quinn’s UK arm bowing out and the ARP badly in need of reform, we look at the current state of the market and what needs to change to put it right
Markets & RisksDouble trouble
The credit crunch killed off Finsure and a host of other premium finance providers, leaving the two dominant players unchallenged. What are the options for brokers and their clients – and will anyone else will enter the fray?
SupplementsSlowly does it
Technology hitches have left commercial insurance lagging behind in the race towards online trading. So what will prompt brokers to move to these platforms for their business clients? We talk to three very different broker businesses to find out
SupplementsLet’s get personal
About half of the UK’s insurance business now passes through one of 100 aggregator portals. But while it may suit customers in search of ever-lower premiums, many brokers are concerned about long-term damage to the industry
Markets & RisksReady to put up rates?
Prospects in the sector are poor, or at least that’s the pessimist’s view. But rates are starting to creep up. Slow progress in forcing through rises is due to the squeezed market and greater competition – but increases may come as companies feel the pain
SupplementsFeeling the squeeze
Predictions of a general spike in rates for PI cover have not been realised. Surveyors and solicitors are suffering as more claims are made against them but, elsewhere, competition means that the market is underwriting for income rather than profit
Markets & RisksAll-weather friends
With the collapse of Woolworths and other high street stalwarts, trade credit insurers were accused of pulling away the umbrella as soon as it started to rain. But having paid out record claims of £320m in 2009 alone, the industry is now facing forward with some lessons learned
Markets & RisksRich pickings
Forget price comparison sites and direct online buying: face-to-face relationships are how business is done in HNW, particularly when it comes to tailoring cover for non-standard niche assets. But while the sector may be booming, it’s not always that profitable
Markets & RisksThe best intentions
As a new government puts spending cuts at the top of its agenda, the Jackson Review on litigation costs comes at just the right time. But proposals to ban referral fees and allow off-panel lawyers could run counter to Jackson’s intentions and hit consumer pockets even harder
SupplementsFlood warning
Last year it was Cumbria; three years ago Yorkshire, the Midlands and Oxfordshire. With repair bills at more than £3bn, what is being done to make properties more resilient to future disasters?
Markets & RisksData loss? We have a policy for that
Fines of up to £500,000 are prompting companies to take a fresh look at the security of client details. Brokers must know what cover they can offer
Markets & RisksFeeling the squeeze
Predictions of a general spike in rates for PI cover have not been realised. Surveyors and solicitors are suffering as more claims are made against them but, elsewhere, competition means that the market is underwriting for income rather than profit
Markets & RisksLaws of nature
The Environmental Liability Directive has been law in the UK since March last year, but many clients – and even some brokers – are still ignorant of its impact. Legislation in this area is only going to increase, so now’s the time to get informed. It might even lead to ...
Markets & RisksHeal the world
As the world fights recession, expat healthcare has shown high levels of immunity, due to its total market spread. But the sector is changing as compulsory local health cover in specific countries rises and brokers get creative with tailor-made policies
