High five: Catch up on the biggest exclusive stories this week

eTrading was at the forefront of this week’s exclusives, as George McDade reported that Aviva Fast Trade maintained its five-star rating in Insurance Times’ Five Star Rating Report: eTrading 2025.

While competition is increasing – with Zurich, RSA, and QBE also achieving five stars – Aviva’s seven-year streak indicates a consistent broker preference for its platform’s breadth of cover and support.

• Brokers reveal 2025’s best and worst insurer eTrading platforms

Meanwhile, Harriet Scott explored the evolving MGA market that seems divided into two categories – established players scaling up to rival traditional carriers and startups driving underwriting innovation.

Alex Hardy, director of delegated and distribution at SiriusPoint, noted that MGAs must balance growth, capacity and adaptability in a “two-speed” marketplace characterised by varying maturity and specialisation levels.

• MGA sector entering ‘two speed market’ as innovation and maturity diverge – SiriusPoint’s Alex Hardy

Amid ongoing scrutiny over customer outcomes post-Consumer Duty, complaints in niche product lines are rising. Exclusive analysis by Insurance DataLab revealed a sharp increase in pet and travel insurance complaints, with pet-related complaints now the fastest growing in the UKGI sector.

In many cases, complaints upheld exceeded 50%, indicating persistent pain points in claims journeys and service delivery.

• Pet and travel insurance complaints rise amid regulatory scrutiny

Meanwhile, insurers are leveraging increasingly granular data to price risk property-by-property, aiming to refine personal lines mapping.

While this allows firms like Avantia to price high-risk areas accurately, experts warned that postcode generalisations concerning crime can affect coverage accessibility.

• Mapped out: How data is helping insurers navigate risky postcodes

Finally, in response to mounting reputational and inflationary pressures, experts have called for a fundamental shift in claims strategy.

Leaders from Davies, Keoghs, and McLarens emphasised moving beyond simple cost-cutting to focus on the Total Cost of Risk (TCOR). They highlighted that enhanced collaboration, coupled with smarter spending and technology-led efficiencies, could deliver fairer outcomes and begin restoring public trust in the sector.

• Is the industry’s handling of claims inflation damaging its reputation?