Property
The stats: Hard market remains - but for how much longer?
Property and fleet rates remain stubbornly high as shown by the latest Q4 figures from the Acturis Commercial Lines Index, Rachel Gordon reports.
Holmes promises to ramp up focus on smaller brokers and across mid-market
Allianz has been growing in SME business and will push ahead further with smaller brokers this year alongside targeting growth in mid-market, according to UK CEO Colm Holmes.
Zurich UK grows in P&C but operating profit flat in 2023
Zurich UK has reported a 9% rise in property and casualty gross written premiums to £3.72bn for 2023.
Brokers told to act now over BT Redcare closure
Brokers should alert clients about the closure of BT’s Redcare signalling system next year, and need to find an alternative supplier as soon as possible to avoid “installation bottlenecks”, insurers have warned.
Allianz Commercial sees double-digit jump in fraud detection again
Allianz Commercial detected £77.4m worth of claims fraud in 2023 – up from £70.7m in 2022 – with application fraud savings of £1.95m.
UK commercial pricing flat in Q4 – Marsh
UK commercial insurance pricing was flat in the final quarter of 2023 having posted its first fall in years in Q3, according to the latest research by Marsh.
Aviva leaders on simplification for brokers at heart of changes
Aviva’s 2023 actions will see it move up the gears with brokers this year, according to leaders Ryan Birbeck and Michael Yabantu.
The AA buys Keycare
The AA has purchased Key Care, the household and motor key insurance specialist.
JMG Group’s Astute makes first buy with property specialist
Astute Insurance Solutions has bought property specialist Sandhouse Insurance in its first deal since becoming part of JMG Group in 2022.
Tech and innovation to the fore for property risks, says Lockton leader Warman
Pushing forward on technology and innovation will be front and centre this year, according to global real estate practice leader at Lockton, Ben Warman, who also revealed his expectations on market hardening in 2024.
New property MGA Ventis launches with ex-Covéa quartet
Ventis, a specialist commercial and residential real estate managing general agent, has opened for business.
Circle grows turnover, profits and headcount
Post tax profits at Circle 1991, the holding company for Circle Insurance Services, rose by nearly 20% in the year ended 30 April 2023 as turnover and headcount also grew.
Bridgehaven unveils first UK MGA fronting partnership
Hybrid fronting insurer Bridgehaven Insurance has made its first move partnering with managing general agent Avid Insurance on property excess of loss insurance solutions for registered providers of social housing.
Hug Hub stakes revolution claim with “first of its kind in the UK” extranet roll out
Hug Hub has launched Extranet Hub, an aggregator-style quote tool, claiming it is the first of its kind in the UK that promises to revolutionise commercial quoting for brokers.
Broking Success: Customer service is key for retention
Ben Henderson, managing director of Brownhill Group, is looking to expand the family-run broker’s in-house schemes and double gross written premiums.
Interview: SiriusPoint’s Rob Gibbs and Alex Hardy
Regional brokers’ interest in SiriusPoint has been piqued by a slew of appointments, most notably involving ex-RSA leaders, and a high profile MGA deal. Emmanuel Kenning finds out what the insurer has to offer and what is coming next.
Allianz has all the ingredients to be the go-to on mid-market for brokers, says Carey
Dave Carey, managing director for mid-market at Allianz Commercial, is upbeat on the prospects for the insurer working in partnership with brokers as he reveals the characteristics-based underwriting approach for 2024.
UK property MGA to launch in January 2024
Real estate managing general agent Ventis is set to launch in January with capacity from Accelerant and the support of Mission Underwriters.
Jensten buys Scrutton Bland in East Anglia
Jensten has added to its footprint in East Anglia buying Scrutton Bland Insurance Brokers to follow up its purchase of One Broker, which completed last month.
RSA sells home and pet books to Admiral and confirms UK PL withdrawal
Intact Financial Corporation has reached an agreement to sell RSA’s UK direct personal lines operations, representing approximately £165m of annual premiums, to Admiral Group.
Policy Expert eyes accelerated growth after ADIA takes majority stake
Steve Hardy, CEO at Policy Expert, is confident that new majority backer ADIA understands the business and is well placed to support it going forward.
C-Quence launches real estate product and ‘drag & drop’ automated submission reader
Managing general agent C-Quence has launched a real estate product for the property owners market, and unveiled a ‘drag & drop’ automated submission reader.
MGA Moveda goes live to broker market
Moveda Underwriting, a managing general agent set up by the Movo Partnership in May, has gone live to the independent broking sector with capacity from AmTrust and Irwell.
Axa UK: broker clients will benefit from contractor body cameras
A major insurer is providing body cameras to contractors in move it claims will enable broker clients to highlight best practice to underwriters.