Association of British Insurers calls for better flood-risk information for UK homebuyers November 2, 2015 Nine out of ten people think flood-risk information should be included in material about properties for sale, an Association of British Insurers (ABI) survey has revealed today. The ABI also criticised property search websites and marketing materials for new builds for lacking flood-risk information. In light of the survey, the ABI is calling for more [...]
Pension freedoms: Six months on, savers still held up by four-week wait to access lump sums October 13, 2015 Retirees hoping to make use of the new pensions freedoms are being held up for weeks by admin hurdles, research has found. Since April this year, anyone over the age of 55 has been able to take some – or even all – of their pension as a lump sum. The new rules wiped [...]
City Moves for 09 October 2015 | Who’s switching jobs October 8, 2015 KNIGHT FRANK The property consultancy has announced the appointment of Rob Macnab as partner in its City leasing team. He joins from Kinney Green, where he was an equity partner specialising in the midtown office market. Macnab has worked for clients including O&H Group, Aberdeen Asset Management and DTZ IM. AXA INVESTMENT MANAGERS Tom Clapham [...]
The best a dog can get: Your quick guide to pet insurance October 5, 2015 The average pet insurance claim is £679, and for dog owners it’s even higher at £683. But with only 20 per cent of pets insured, it’s clear insurance is not at the top of the priority list for most animal lovers. Even if an owner has savings which could cover a pet’s illness, insurance [...]
Pensions reform: Lump sums don’t mean Lamborghinis as Britain’s savers are still being prudent October 5, 2015 Pensioners were expected to be buying up Lamborghinis in droves this summer, after landmark pension freedoms came into effect in April. The new system allows people over 55 to take some – or even all – of their pension as a lump sum. It wipes away old restrictions which only let retirees have a [...]
RSA Insurance Group’s share price plunges as Zurich tells RSA: It’s not you, it’s us September 22, 2015 RSA Insurance Group’s share price plunged yesterday after rival firm Zurich revealed it was walking away from a £5.6bn takeover bid. RSA’s share price closed down 20.84 per cent as investors digested the shock news. Zurich’s share price was also down, albeit a less remarkable 2.79 per cent. Zurich said it was abandoning [...]
UK insurance sector shakeup puts spotlight on Association of British Insurers September 18, 2015 Britain's insurance market has undergone massive changes over the past year, and a series of megadeals recently taking place in the sector is just one sign of how companies are scrambling to protect themselves against new policies impacting the industry. Chancellor George Osborne famously shook up the market with his 2014 Budget, when he [...]
Pensioners shun Lamborghini lifestyle as savers opt for sound investments September 3, 2015 Fears that savers would blow their pension pots after new freedoms were introduced have failed to materialise, according to new figures that show Brits opting for sounder investments. Savers took £2.5bn out of their pensions, about £27m a day, during three months following new rules that came into place in April. Yet, during the [...]
NHS orthodoxy is dying: Here’s how to put patients at the heart of healthcare September 1, 2015 Surveys often suffer from what is known as “social desirability bias”: when people sense that an opinion they hold, or a habit they engage in, is unfashionable, they are unlikely to be entirely honest about it in a survey. Instead, they may simply tell the interviewer what they think they are socially expected to [...]
City Moves for 17 August 2015 | Who’s switching jobs August 16, 2015 Matthews & Goodman The commercial property adviser has announced the appointment of Giles Thomas to its national business space team. He most recently worked for TRW Real Estate, and began his career at Strutt and Parker, where he headed up its industrial team. Wedlake Bell The law firm has announced two promotions within its business [...]