Lloyd’s of London launches plan to split in bid to cut costs and modernise the market May 1, 2019 Lloyd’s of London has unveiled plans to split into two exchanges and move more of its business online in a bid to cut costs. The six-point strategy includes splitting the 330-year-old market into two automated exchanges, allowing less complex risks to be placed “in minutes at a fraction of today’s costs.” Read more: Lloyd's of [...]
Catlin founder launches new insurer Convex with $1.8bn capital April 30, 2019 The founder of Catlin has launched a new insurer today, four years after the $4.1bn (£3.14bn) sale of his eponymous company. Stephen Catlin will be chair and chief executive of the new insurer, called Convex, with former Catlin chief underwriting officer Paul Brand as deputy chief executive. Read more: XL Group profits jump following Catlin [...]
Why FinTechs are barking up the wrong tree April 30, 2019 While fintechs wave the flag of disruption and chant ‘financial inclusion for all’, the knights that promise to save the masses from the vagaries of traditional financial services have a more pressing agenda – profit. Both nascent and established players in consumer-facing financial service industries are searching for the holy grail that delivers droves of [...]
Incentives are needed to fix our broken social care system April 30, 2019 If I could choose just one phrase to sum up what politicians and civil servants need to know – the single maxim that should be tattooed on the insides of their eyelids – it would be this: “People respond to incentives.” It’s such a simple idea. But it’s extraordinarily powerful. Whenever something in government – [...]
Jupiter assets under management boosted by market movements April 30, 2019 Jupiter saw assets under management (AUM) soar by £1.4bn in the first three months of the year, the company announced today. The boost was driven by market movements, which offset net outflows in the quarter of £482m, the London-headquartered firm said. Read more: Jupiter finance chief Charlotte Jones moves to insurer RSA Mutual fund outflows were [...]
Watchdog slaps KPMG with £6m fine over insurance audit April 30, 2019 A financial watchdog has stung KPMG with a £6m fine and “severely reprimanded” the auditor after finding fault with how an insurance audit was conducted. Read more: KPMG examining audit spin-off in wake of damning report from MPs KPMG must also carry out an internal review following the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) findings, which relate [...]
German insurer Allianz close to deal for L&G’s general insurance business April 29, 2019 German insurer Allianz is in advanced discussions to buy Legal & General’s (L&G) general insurance arm, which was put up for sale last year. Allianz has fended off rivals, including Direct Line, and a deal is understood to be close, according to Sky News. Read more: German insurance giant Allianz unveils record €11.5bn profit The deal [...]
Climate change protesters to target Bank of England on Thursday with ‘green QE’ demands April 29, 2019 Climate change protesters have announced that they will target the City’s Bank of England on Thursday, with demands that future stimulus bond buying is done with green goals in mind. Read more: Businesses must tackle climate change or 'fail to exist', Carney warns The protests, organised by campaign groups Positive Money and Fossil Free London, will [...]
Regional airline FlyBMI owed £37m when it collapsed April 27, 2019 Regional airline Flybmi owed £37m when it collapsed earlier this year, blaming rising fuel and carbon costs and Brexit uncertainty. The airline filed for administration in February and most creditors, including passengers and suppliers, might only receive one per cent of their claims, the BBC reported. Read more: BDO steps in as Flybmi administrator Passengers [...]
Could this be the Tesla of mopeds? We test ride the Super Soco CUX April 26, 2019 London’s mopeds have almost entirely avoided electrification so far, owing to the simple fact that they’re as cheap as the Deliveroo chips they carry, and you can run them from here to the moon on a figment of petrol. But as the sword of Damocles hanging over the city’s smog-belching engines looks increasingly precarious, and [...]