Insurance

Barbecue weather beckons for millions of Brits

Tipsy Brits at the barbecue cause £617m fire damage to homes

Brits have caused a staggering £617 million of fire damage to their properties while barbecuing when they’re drunk, new research reveals.

Financial Ombudsman receives record PPI claims

Six out of every 10 cases handled by the Financial Ombudsman Service in the past year were about the sale of payment protection insurance (PPI).

Nine out of 10 people support crackdown on whiplash claims

Nine out of 10 Brits welcome the clampdown on car insurance claims for whiplash injuries, according to an online poll by comparison site MoneySupermarket.com.

Drivers aged 18-21 pay six time more for car insurance than pensioners, according to new research

Young drivers pay six times more for car insurance than pensioners

New research from Confused.com reveals that young drivers pay an average of £2,500 for car insurance compared to just £440 for those aged 66-70.

The number of sick days taken by UK employees has fallen, according to the ONS

Public sector workers earn more for less hours, says ONS report

Official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that employee sick days have fallen by 36 per cent since their peak of 2003 and now average 4.5 days per employee.

Average garden theft claim more than £600

Average garden theft haul grows to £620

One in 12 Brits aged 50-plus have had items stolen from their garden, research commissioned by Saga Home Insurance reveals.

Sterling is strengthening against the Euro

Pound at record rate v Euro

UK travellers heading to the Eurozone will get more for their money as Euros are being sold at 1.20 to the Pound for the first time in three and a half years.

Aviva chief Andrew Moss quits amid pay storm

Andrew Moss has resigned as chief executive of Aviva with immediate effect after the insurer lost a shareholder vote over pay at its annual meeting last week.

A fall in spending on DIY is due to a decline in house sales

DIY spending falls to record low as Brits stop moving house

The fall in spending on DIY is linked to a fall in the number of property sales in the UK.

Service sector grows for 16th consecutive month

Britain’s services sector activity grew at a slower rate than expected in April, dropping to the lowest level since November, according to new figures.

Aviva shareholders voted against the executive pay report today

Aviva shareholders vote against remuneration plan

At Aviva's annual meeting in London today, shareholders voted against the insurers remuneration plan after seeing a fall in share value and profits in the past year.

Lloyds boss attacks 'fraudulent' PPI claims

Lloyds slams PPI claims process as RBS sets aside extra £125m

Lloyds banking Group says that the "harvesting" tactics adopted by claim management companies is unfair and wastes time and money on claims from people who were never customers.

Ministers to unveil whiplash injury reforms

Ministers set to clamp down on whiplash injury claims

Whiplash injury claims cost insurers more than £2 billion last year, adding around £90 to the cost of a typical car insurance policy, according to AA research.

Flood warnings issued across England and Wales

Help protect your property against flooding

With more heavy rain forecast, insurer Hiscox is urging homeowners to take some practical steps to minimise any potential damage to their property.

More than 4m Brits consider fraudulent home insurance claims

One in 10 cash-strapped Brits – some 4.3 million people – would consider making a false home insurance claim, latest research reveals.

Lloyds makes extra £375m provision for PPI claims

Lloyds Banking Group has set aside an additional £375 million to cover further payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation claims.

Aviva to consult with shareholders over pay deals

Aviva boss Andrew Moss agrees to waive pay rise

Aviva boss Andrew Moss has agreed to waive his pay rise of 4.6 per cent that would have taken his annual salary beyond £1 million amid concerns from shareholders.

ATOL reforms to protect holidaymakers 'don’t go far enough'

Government changes to ATOL, the holidaymakers’ protection scheme, do not go far enough, according to a report published today by the Commons Transport Committee.

Barclays is to raise its provisions for PPI compensation by £300 million

Barclays raises PPI provision by £300m

Barclays has raised its provisions to compensate customers mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) by £300 million and RBS is likely to follow suit.

Shoparound index reveals car policy quotes dip

Cost of car insurance falling in 2012, Shoparound index shows

The average premium quoted for comprehensive car insurance fell by 1.1 per cent during the first three months of this year, according to data from the AA.

Spotlight on fees charged by claims companies

One in four consumers 'unaware of PPI claims fees'

A quarter of consumers claiming for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) did not know that the companies acting for them take a fee, new research reveals.

Brits paying £448m over the odds in inheritance tax

Careful tax planning which puts life insurance under trust could save £448 million in unnecessary inheritance tax (IHT) payments, according to a new study.

The government has launched a follow up report on the cost of motor insurance

Government issues follow up report on cost of motor insurance

The government has issued its follow up report on the cost of motor insurance and pledges to hold a further insurance summit later in the spring.

Which? reveals cost of 'unnecessary' pipe cover

Water companies selling "unnecessary" water pipe insurance

Most of the UK’s largest water companies are promoting potentially unnecessary pipe insurance, costing consumers more than £100 million a year, a Which? study shows.