Global Car Insurers Offer Discounts – If They Can Monitor Driving Data

Insurance companies around the world are promising lower rates on car coverage. The catch is they want to install the equivalent of an airplane’s black box to track how and where you drive. Smartphone applications and devices that record trip and vehicle data are set to infiltrate auto insurance at a rapid pace, bolstered by … Read more

UK Regulator Asks Insurers to Provide Transparency on Coverage Costs

The UK’s financial regulator said insurance companies are not always providing clear information to consumers about whether it is cheaper to pay for coverage upfront or in installments. The Financial Conduct Authority said the industry should take action when required after reviewing 13 insurers and 30 intermediaries. It found a number of cases where insurers … Read more

UK’s Allianz Insurance Aims to Improve Fleet Safety With Telematics Partnership

Allianz Commercial has joined forces with fleet incident management provider FMG, to provide commercial fleet and motor trade customers with the capability to improve driver safety and fleet efficiency. Allianz Commercial is a division of Allianz Insurance, which is based in Guildford, England and is part of Allianz SE Group. The partnership will allow Allianz’s … Read more

Generali Acquires MyDrive Solutions, a UK Data Analysis Firm

Trieste-based Generali Group announced that it has acquired MyDrive Solutions, a UK company that uses data analytics tools to profile driving behavior. MyDrive Solutions, which was founded in 2010, specializes in identifying innovative and tailor-made products for customers as well as favorable premiums for low risk drivers. Generali said the acquisition of London-based MyDrive will … Read more

Insurers Could Find an Early-Mover Advantage from Telematics: Fitch

The motor insurance industry faces a significant shake-up from two waves of technological innovation – the growth of telematics and the development of driverless cars, according to Fitch. Over the short term, telematics will have a bigger impact on the industry, particularly in the UK, where take-up could grow rapidly, Fitch said. In the longer … Read more

Hiscox to Sell Hong Kong Division of DirectAsia Business to Well Link Group

Hiscox, the specialist insurance group, announced it has reached an agreement to sell the Hong Kong division of its DirectAsia business to Well Link Group Holdings Ltd., a member of a Hong Kong-based financial conglomerate. The transaction, which will allow Hiscox to focus the future growth of DirectAsia on its operations in Singapore and Thailand, … Read more

Telematics-Based Car Insurance Policies in UK Increase by 40%: BIBA Survey

The number of live telematics-based motor insurance policies, including black box policies, in the UK has increased by 40 percent, according to the latest annual research by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). These types of policies can offer savings of up to 25 percent for careful drivers. In particular, young drivers who often struggle … Read more

Britain Raises Insurance Premium Tax to 10% to Fund Flood Defenses

Britain’s finance minister George Osborne said on Wednesday he would raise the tax on motor and home insurance premiums by 0.5 percentage points to 10 percent to fund flood defenses, boosting insurance shares as the rise was smaller than anticipated. The tax hike follows a 3.5 percentage point rise in insurance premium tax last year. … Read more