Opinion
Insurance commission: What’s the big deal?
Following the launch of a campaign by a group of tenants who feel they have been unfairly charged by their landlords for insurance commissions through service charge, David Marsden, property litigation partner at national law firm Freeths, defends…
Circular economy: A fresh approach to property repairs
Nick Turner, head of surveying at Woodgate & Clark, on the steps that need to be taken for insurers to adopt the circular economy in property repairs.
There’s no such thing as a safe battery
Dr Andrew Collins, senior associate of Halliwell Forensics, examines what’s behind the increase in battery fire claims and why there is no such thing as a “safe battery.”
Regulator to reduce red tape for general insurers
Editor’s View: Emma Ann Hughes reflects on how general insurers should be careful about what they wish for from the Financial Conduct Authority's review of the rules governing financial services.
Gallagher’s King on securing talent pools
View from the Top: Wendy King, managing director of talent acquisition at Gallagher, outlines what insurers and brokers need to do to secure their talent pools.
What insurers should know about the FCA’s anti-greenwashing rule
Alexandra Nurse, a partner at Kennedys, explains how the Financial Conduct Authority’s new anti-greenwashing rule will, in the long term, mitigate the risk of claims brought in the insurance sector so long as providers review their communications.
Mass’s Sue Brown on access to justice
Trade Voice: Sue Brown, chair of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society, says she would like to see a change of direction on civil justice from the new Labour government.
Is it time to ditch lithium ion batteries?
News Editor's View: Scott McGee considers if government legislation to make lithium ion batteries safer is too little too late for electric vehicle insurers and whether providers’ appetites for covering such cars will only return when manufacturers…
Ageas’s Clarke on what GenAI means for fraud
View from the Top: Adam Clarke, chief underwriting officer at Ageas UK, says artificial intelligence is a double-edged sword in the fight against fraud.
Addressing the fire risk of rooftop solar panels
After an increase in fires involving solar photovoltaic systems, largely in residential installations, Rob Murton, senior development underwriter for Ventis Insurance, and Lee Masson, managing director at Halliwell Forensics, examine how insurers can…
Apil’s Scarsbrook on why the personal injury discount rate isn’t about insurance
Trade Voice: Past president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Jonathan Scarsbrook, says injured victims of negligence must not be made scapegoats for the insurer’s inability to control their costs.
Addressing financial stress and its implications for insurers
Alison Williams, managing director of Prestige Underwriting, highlights what insurers need to do to address the needs of a growing number of non-standard consumers caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
The CrowdStrike outage – assessing the fallout for the insurance market
After a poorly-executed update to cyber security firm CrowdStrike’s Falcon Sensor software caused millions of Windows devices to go offline, Tim Johnson, partner at Browne Jacobson, assesses the lasting impact and implications for cyber insurers as the…
DynaRisk’s Martin on the insurance industry’s cyber resilience
DynaRisk’s Andrew Martin discusses the cyber resilience of UK insurance firms, exploring hacker motivations, common threats and challenges that firms face.
Is embedded insurance friend or foe?
Joe Sultana, commercial director of IS2, on how to ensure the convenience of embedded insurance does not lead to a lack of informed decision-making plus a repeat of the payment protection insurance mis-selling scandal.
Can telematics solve the mathematics of car insurance pricing?
Rory Yates, global head of strategy at EIS, observes if consumers do not love telematics by now, then they are unlikely to embrace it en masse any time soon to push down the price of motor insurance.
What is truly behind the uptick in travel insurance complaints?
Editor’s View: Emma Ann Hughes argues travel insurers who try to claim 99.993% of holidaymakers are happy with their products and services should reconsider the way they look at customer complaints.
Insurers need to unlock the mass-timber revolution
Judith Schulz, fire safety engineering lead at Arup, tackles what insurers need to know about mass-timber risks.
Why EU’s rules represent critical cyber milestones for insurers
Given today’s interconnected insurance ecosystem, Thomas Brogger, regional vice president of Sapiens, recommends providers pay close attention to the European Union's Digital Operational Resilience Act before it takes effect in January 2025.
Small changes could make a big difference with BI insurance
Trade Voice: Aruna Chandrapalan, chair of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters’ business interruption special interest group and head of forensic accounting services for Asia at Sedgwick, looks at how uncertainty around BI cover might be dispelled.
Is Labour the key to a telematics renaissance?
News Editor’s View: With the newly elected Labour government determined to fix and address motor insurance premiums, Scott McGee asks if telematics hold the key to pushing down the price of cover.
Understanding the dangers of working at height
Stuart Dickinson, senior underwriter at Square Pegs, examines why working at height injuries and associated medical costs are increasing in the UK and why greater heights do not mean more claims.
Cut-through clauses: a two-speed, double-edged tool
Cut-through clauses are a complex concept with many potential pitfalls with which those in the reinsurance industry may regularly need to engage, according to Emmanuèle Lutfalla and Nour Jonot, partner and associate respectively at the Paris office of…
MGAA’s Keating says insurers must hold their nerve on rates
Trade Voice: History tells us that a sensible, hard market is often followed by a more unruly soft market. Mike Keating, CEO of the Managing General Agents’ Association, urges insurers to not sacrifice technical underwriting on the altar of new business.