Car insurance cost dips yet effect of gender ruling still to be felt January 29, 2013 THE COST of a comprehensive car insurance policy fell to an average of £789 in December – the lowest level since October 2011 – according to figures released today by the AA. However the company warned that the 2.9 per cent decline over the last three months of 2012 does not tell the full story [...]
Cameron’s decision to call a referendum is absolutely right January 23, 2013 GOOD on David Cameron. He has finally listened to public opinion and agreed to seek a better, renegotiated EU membership deal for the UK. Nobody born after 1957 in the UK has ever had a chance to say what they think of an organisation that controls more of UK public policy than ever before. Of [...]
Would leaving the European Union be a positive move for businesses in Britain? January 17, 2013 YES Robert Hiscox The EU is a slow-moving caravan, forced to move at the speed of its slowest member. It imposes job-destroying, one-size-fits-all regulations and policies, in a centralised manner. But to prosper, companies (and countries) need policy flexibility, which the EU does not offer. Unfortunately, we have little democratic capacity to overturn bad EU laws. [...]
What’s the secret of Zipcar’s success? January 2, 2013 Q How do customers hire a car using Zipcar? A Users book a vehicle online for any period from one hour upwards. They unlock it using a phone app or membership card and return it to the parking space before their time is up. Q How much does it cost to drive one of the [...]
Female drivers feel the pinch as insurance premiums rise today December 20, 2012 YOUNG women drivers are set to see substantial rises in the amount they pay for car insurance from today, after a new EU ruling came into force. Last year the European Court of Justice ruled that it was discriminatory to charge people different amounts for insurance products based on their gender. “The new rules are [...]
City Views | Are the new car insurance rules fair? December 20, 2012 JEN HAWES-HEWITT ACCENTURE No, not really. I think it is fair to let insurance companies assess their risk. I do not quite see it as discrimination. It will just make things more blunt, and that does not benefit the consumers. DANIEL BLYTON RPS No, I do not really think it is fair. You have different [...]
Whiplash claims crackdown to push down cost of premiums December 11, 2012 DRIVERS will find it harder to make fraudulent insurance claims for whiplash injuries, thanks to new proposals that the government says should drive down the cost of motoring. Proposals unveiled yesterday include independent medical assessments of whiplash claimants to ascertain which injuries are real. In addition, most whiplash claims would be dealt with in the small [...]
Electra waits for prices to fall as it builds up war chest to £400m November 28, 2012 UK listed private equity firm Electra Partners yesterday said expensive price tags on companies being sold had stopped it buying more firms this year after revealing solid numbers in its full year results. The firm, which has holdings in motor car insurer esure and caravan park operator Park Resorts, said the chasm between buyer and [...]
Mark Carney’s Canadian legacy has still not weathered the test of time November 27, 2012 MARK Carney, the Bank of England’s new governor, will leave his current position as governor of the Bank of Canada with a sterling reputation. The widespread acclaim he has attracted is based on his Bank’s deft handling of the beginning of the financial crisis, and his recent appointment as head of the G20’s Financial Stability [...]
Gloating over broken windows forgets their real costs November 25, 2012 THE price of payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling continues to spiral upwards. Barclays put aside an extra £700m in October for PPI compensation, taking its expected payout to £2bn. RBS and HSBC have each set aside well over £1bn and Lloyds added another £1bn at the start of November, taking its PPI provision to an [...]