INSURANCE COMPANY | OF THE YEAR September 21, 2011 HENRY ENGELHARDT ADMIRAL Car insurer Admiral motored ahead to achieve a seventh straight year of profit growth in 2010, with a 50 per cent revenue increase in 2011. Analysts expect the firm will have a 13 per cent market share by 2013. SHORTLIST Beazley Catlin Resolution Hiscox
You can still be a millionaire despite volatility September 18, 2011 THIS column starts with market volatility and ends up with me accompanying you on a free holiday. Bear with me. Markets around the world have been incredibly volatile recently. Risk seems to come on and off on a whim, with markets reacting wildly to rumours of financial salvation and Armageddon. Sovereign debt has dominated the [...]
Time to plan your golden getaway September 18, 2011 Deserted beaches, colourful fiestas, shopping meccas, or that perfect sunset – every destination opens up a world of golden opportunities. If exploring new places is your passion, the Preferred Rewards Gold Card from American Express can make your getaway even more rewarding. With the value of gold at an all time high, the Card now [...]
Spotting the very best in charge and credit cards September 14, 2011 REMEMBER when the American Express Gold Card was the celebrity’s payment card of choice in the movies? Well, times have changed. Every bank is offering exclusive cards to its premium customers now – they’re always keen to sign up City high-fliers. But which bank is offering the best deal? Kevin Mountford from MoneySupermarket.com says: “None [...]
Government bans injury claim referral fees September 9, 2011 The government has banned the referral fees paid for customer data that have been blamed for a surge in personal injury claims against car insurers, retailers and the NHS. The Ministry of Justice has said the ban on such fees, to apply solely to personal injury cases, is designed to tackle the alarming rise in [...]
WHY PROBE CAR INSURANCE? September 8, 2011 Q.WHY HAS THE OFT LAUNCHED THIS INVESTIGATION? A.The competition regulator is concerned that steep rises in car insurance rates in recent years could be due to insurers levying unnecessary charges or selling products wrongly. Q.WHAT IS THE OFT CALLING FOR EVIDENCE ON? A.The investigation covers areas where insurers charge motorists additional amounts, such as for [...]
Car insurers hit by probe into rate rises September 8, 2011 SOARING car insurance costs are at the centre of a new investigation by the UK’s competition watchdog, to assess whether insurance firms are raising premiums unnecessarily. The Office of Fair Trading yesterday said it was so concerned at signs that premiums rose up to 40 per cent in the year to March that it launched [...]
CITY VIEWS: IS THERE ENOUGH COMPETITION IN THE UK’S CAR INSURANCE MARKET? September 8, 2011 KATY TANN | RBS “Car insurance is very expensive at the moment but I do feel as though there is enough competition between companies. I’m just very grateful for the fact that I’m not a new driver buying an insurance premium now.” CHRIS DAVIS | RK HARRISON “I understand that some might not feel there [...]
OFT to probe soaring car insurance costs September 8, 2011 Steep increases in the cost of car insurance have prompted the competition watchdog to launch a call for evidence to understand the pressures on the market. The Office of Fair Trading is reacting to about 40 per cent increases in the cost of premiums for the compulsory insurance for all motorists, and has asked insurance [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING September 5, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES LIBYA’S NEW OIL CHIEF WARNS THAT OUTPUT WILL NOT RECOVER UNTIL LATE NEXT YEAR Libyan oil production will not return to pre-war levels until late next eyar at the earliest, with many of the county’s oil facilities having suffered heavy damage and looting during the conflict, according to the newly appointed charman of [...]