AA share price falls as company reports pre-tax loss and warns of future bumps in the road September 22, 2015 AA's share price tumbled this morning after the car group revealed a £63.6m loss following its refinancing. The figures The so-called fourth emergency service, which in March raised £935m to cut down its debt mountain, has had a difficult first half, with revenues down 1.4 per cent to £484.6m in the six months to the end [...]
Insurers look to technology to boost profits by profiling clients September 20, 2015 New technology, which monitors how fast you drive and where you go, as well as your Facebook profile is the future for setting insurance premiums. A survey by Interim Partners, found that, in addition to tracking technology installed in potential customers’ cars, insurance executives said social media profiling, combined with geographic, political and economic data, [...]
The rise of the sleeping giant: Why the next wave of tech innovation will come from corporates September 16, 2015 A unique new inflight entertainment system that allows you to start watching movies on your iPad before the flight. A connected car that knows what you are going to do during the day. Selling car insurance by the mile instead of by the year. What these innovations have in common is that none of them [...]
Motor insurer’s IPO could ignite the market September 16, 2015 Hastings’ float is putting the spark back into personal lines THE PERSONAL lines insurance market has been the less sexy relation to its commercial cousins in recent months. Zurich and RSA are dancing around the idea of a union, following the marriage of Aviva and Friends Life, not to mention XL Group’s successful play for [...]
Durham, Exeter and St Andrews: These are the university where students get most for their money September 8, 2015 Out of the top 20 universities in the UK, Durham is where students' money goes the furthest, according to research by Moneysupermarket. By looking at a series of living costs, including rent, average price of a pint and cost of car insurance, they found that students at this northern university were most likely to [...]
British shopper loads could lighten in race to roll out driverless vehicles September 6, 2015 BRITISH shoppers and businesses could save a fortune if haulage companies start using driverless technology, a new report has revealed. The study found that the advent of automated, driverless vehicles in the courier and haulage sectors could deliver nearly £34bn in savings in a decade, significantly lightening the load for companies if those savings are [...]
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 [...]
The poorest have most to gain from the Financial Conduct Authority making it easier to innovate August 25, 2015 One of the FCA’s statutory objectives is to promote effective competition in the financial services sector in the interests of consumers. As the economy continues to settle into a new phase, it is fair to ask whether the FCA should adjust the balance of its focus on market enforcement and instead ensure resources are [...]
Uber offices raided in Hong Kong after driver arrests in illegal taxi crackdown August 11, 2015 Uber's offices in Hong Kong have been raided by police following the arrest of five drivers in the country. An operation cracking down on illegal taxis lead to the arrests, AP reports citing a police statement. The drivers are being held on suspicion of illegally carrying passengers and driving without insurance, it said. It's just [...]
Amlin goes racing green with Formula E August 7, 2015 Global insurers Amlin announce their sponsorship of Formula E team Andretti for the next season today. Head of communications Adrian Britten, who was so proud of “the best looking cars on the road”, also hinted that the firm may start using electric company cars. “We’ve had a very positive response from our senior teams.”