FCA warns millions of Brits who live in blocks of flats urgently need better protection September 21, 2022 Under a move by the City watchdog to improve how the buildings insurance market operates, the FCA said today that people living in blocks of flats could receive greater protections from high insurance costs. A cross-industry risk-sharing scheme could be set up to limit the risk to individual insurers posed by buildings affected by flammable [...]
Lloyd’s of London closes underwriting room to remember Queen Elizabeth II September 15, 2022 Lloyd’s of London today closed its underwriting room to hold a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II and mark the accession of King Charles III. The centuries-old insurance marketplace closed the underwriting room in its iconic City headquarters, as it held a ceremony to remember Her Majesty and express support for the new King. The ceremony [...]
Legal sector wage inflation expected to slow, Gateley chief executive says September 13, 2022 The head of UK listed law firm Gateley Plc has said he expects “pay inflation” in the legal sector to slow over the coming year. Speaking to City PM Gateley chief executive Rod Waldie said “wage inflation has been the single biggest issue we’ve had to confront” as he noted the law firm’s payroll costs [...]
Insurance lobby pushes back against EU’s ESG rules September 13, 2022 Insurance sector lobby group Insurance Europe has called on the EU to prioritize setting climate standards over social ones, in putting forward its ESG taxonomy. In a response to an EU consultation, Insurance Europe called on the bloc to hold back from setting “overly prescriptive” ESG standards, particularly in regards to human rights, as [...]
UK insurer Phoenix Group undergoes executive reshuffle September 6, 2022 UK Insurer Phoenix Group has hired the Bank of Ireland’s chief operating officer Jackie Noakes as its new chief transformation officer as part of a wider boardroom reshuffle. Prior to this, Noakes held senior roles at both Legal & General and American Express. Andy Briggs, Phoenix Group chief executive officer, said he was confident that [...]
Lloyd’s of London says state-backed cyberattack policy is ‘responsible’ September 5, 2022 Lloyd’s of London has defended plans to stop providing insurance coverage for state-backed cyberattacks. In an interview with the Financial Times, Lloyd’s chief of markets Patrick Tiernan said the insurance marketplace is “being responsible” by taking a cautious approach. In a note last month, Lloyd’s explained that the potential for state-backed cyberattacks to spread could [...]
Generali snaps up Axa’s Malaysian operations in deal worth £130m August 30, 2022 Generali has acquired Axa’s Malaysian operations in line with plans to strengthen its position in the “high potential” Asian economy. The acquisition will see Generali buy Axa’s stakes in its two Malaysian joint venture operations – Axa Affin General Insurance and Axa Affin Life Insurance – for a combined sum of €150m (£131m). Alongside the [...]
Woman wins tribunal against Swiss Re over executive’s sexist comments August 25, 2022 A former underwriter at Swiss Re has won an employment tribunal against the world’s biggest reinsurance company, after a senior executive at the firm told her: “If I had breast like yours, I would be demanding too.” Julia Sommer, a political risk underwriter at the Swiss insurer, is now set to receive a payout, after [...]
Soaring inflation risks creating UK property ‘insurance gap’ August 25, 2022 SOARING inflation in the construction sector threatens to create a major “insurance gap” amongst UK policyholders, London headquartered insurer Chaucer has warned. Sharp increases in the costs of building materials could leave homes and businesses underinsured, as policies fail to cover the cost of repairing and rebuilding damaged properties, research carried out by the Lloyd’s of [...]
Prudential shares continue to slide as Covid hits insurer’s profits August 25, 2022 Shares in Asia-focused insurer Prudential continued to slip over the previous day as investors maintained their scepticism towards the firm’s claims its recent losses are simply the result of Covid. The London listed firm’s shares have lost more than 30 per cent of their value since the start of 2022, as stringent Covid policies across [...]
