Lime boss defends e-bikes amid ‘lime bike leg’ concerns September 27, 2025 Lime has become an unavoidable presence on London’s streets. Its distinctive green e-bikes are now the backbone of the capital’s micro-mobility network, with more than four million unique riders and tens of millions of trips recorded. The company has added 900 new parking bays this year alone as part of a “London Action Plan” designed [...]
The Long Tail: The crucial role of Managing General Agents September 17, 2025 As the fastest-growing segment in property and casualty (P&C) insurance globally, managing general agents (MGAs) are attracting significant investment and playing a crucial role in closing the protection gap. MGAs utilise capital from large insurers to underwrite on their behalf, allowing insurers access to specialised product lines without having to build in-house capabilities. In the [...]
How AXA UK&I boss is building a £7bn insurance powerhouse September 16, 2025 If AXA UK&I was listed on the London Stock Exchange in its own right, it would be part of the FTSE 100, its chief executive Tara Foley has said. The AXA group is one of France’s best-known financial services firms, and its financials reflect this, having generated over €110bn (£95bn) in 2024. While back at [...]
Taxpayers give over billions for new vehicles under Motability scheme September 11, 2025 The budget for new vehicles under the Motability scheme for disabled people is higher than expenditure on school repairs across the UK, fresh analysis has indicated, in further evidence of the breakdown of the social contract. Number-crunching by the free market think tank Adam Smith Institute has shown that the scheme, which allows disabled people [...]
Housing ladder? What about those who can’t get on the credit ladder September 9, 2025 There are plenty of column inches dedicated to getting more Brits on the housing ladder, but what about the credit ladder, asks Jono Gillespie.
Close Brothers shares downgraded despite motor finance win August 18, 2025 Analysts have slapped a downgrade on Close Brothers stock despite the bank’s motor finance win last month at the Supreme Court. The FTSE 250-listed bank’s stock rating was lowered to ‘Sector Perform’, down from previous ‘Outperform’ expectations. Close Brothers shares were down over four per cent in early trading to 494.80. It comes after the [...]
Admiral: Shares surge after FTSE 100 giant’s profit jumps August 14, 2025 Shares in insurance giant Admiral surged 5.5 per cent in early deals this morning after the group reported a significant jump in earnings for the first half of its financial year, thanks to its UK insurance arm and income from Admiral Money. The group reported a 69 per cent jump in profit before tax from [...]
Fayder: The fan and athlete platform tackling sport’s funding problem August 11, 2025 Vwaire Obukohwo dreams of rowing for Team GB at the LA 2028 Olympics, although her more immediate concern is how she will afford her weekly food shop. Like many elite athletes, the 23-year-old from south-west London receives some central funding to pursue the ambition of representing her country on the biggest stage. But funding has [...]
InsurTech funding slumps despite AI demand August 7, 2025 Global funding for InsurTech startups slumped in the second quarter of the year despite demand for AI as companies looked to the tech to help drive efficiencies and process claims. According to the second-quarter 2025 Global InsurTech Report, a collaboration between Gallagher Re and CB Insights, global InsurTech funding declined by 16.7 per cent quarter-on-quarter [...]
One in eight high earners with no inheritance ‘trapped by financial outgoings’ July 27, 2025 One in eight (12 per cent) people with a salary over £100,000, but with no parental wealth to fall back on, feel “trapped” by their current financial commitments, a survey has found. More than two-fifths (44 per cent) do not feel that they are able to comfortably meet their financial commitments each month, according to [...]