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Competition in UK Personal General Insurance 2007

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Dec. 4, 2007 - 64 Pages


Table of Contents


DATAMONITOR VIEW
CATALYST
SUMMARY
ANALYSIS
Introduction
2007 saw a number of mergers and acquisitions and job losses
AXA acquired Swiftcover in February 2007
Norwich Union and HSBC announced plans to create a joint venture in May 2007
Kwik-Fit launched The Green Insurance Company in August 2007
Groupama acquired a majority stake in Lark Group in August 2007
HBOS decided to merge Esure and First Alternative's motor businesses in August 2007
Tesco launched its own price comparison website in September 2007
The AA and Saga merged in 2007
Equity Insurance Group recorded a high number of small-scale acquisitions
A number of insurers announced job cuts in 2007 to make cost savings
The top 10 UK personal lines insurers showed mixed results in performance in 2006
Norwich Union's personal lines book contracted slightly during 2006
Direct Line was the only personal lines RBSI subsidiary to achieve growth in 2006
Direct Line saw its personal lines book increase by 0.9% in 2006
UKI saw GWP for its personal lines business fall by 1.3% in 2006
Churchill saw the largest decrease in personal lines GWP of all the RBSI subsidiaries
AXA recorded strong growth across all its personal lines businesses in 2006
Royal & SunAlliance's private motor book grew in 2006, but other personal lines did not fare well
St Andrews's personal lines business grew as it recorded a large increase in household GWP in 2006
Zurich recorded GWP decline in all of its personal lines during 2006
BUPA witnessed a decline in its personal lines business during 2006
Fortis recorded strong GWP growth in the UK personal lines insurance market in 2006
Several of the leading UK personal insurers did not underwrite any commercial business in 2006
The profitability of the top 10 accident and health insurers deteriorated in 2006 due to increases in loss ratios
The top 10 accident and health insurers recorded an average loss ratio of 63.7% in 2006, with the majority seeing an increase in their loss ratio
The average loss ratio of 63.7% in 2006 was a 3.5 percentage point increase from 2005
Standard Life combined a growing book of business with a smaller loss ratio
Combined Insurance Company of America was the only top 10 accident and health insurer to see a loss ratio reduction other than Standard Life
Five insurers saw loss ratios increase at the same time as their books grew
New Hampshire and BUPA saw loss ratios increase, while their books declined in size
The top 10 accident and health insurers recorded an average expense ratio of 29.9% in 2006
Three of the top 10 accident and health insurers saw their expense ratios decrease while their books grew
Combined Insurance Company of America saw its book shrink and its expense ratios reduce
Norwich Union, SimplyHealth and AXA saw expense ratios increase as their books expanded
Two insurers saw their expense ratios increase alongside a shrinking book of business
The top 10 accident and health insurers recorded an average combined ratio of 93.6% in 2006, although two of the biggest players saw their ratios move above 100%
The top 10 accident and health insurers achieved an average combined ratio of 93.6% in 2006
Groupama and Standard Life both saw their combined ratios decrease in 2006 and their books grow, but Groupama's ratio remained above 100%
Combined Insurance Company of America's loss ratio fell by 5.8 percentage points
Six of the top 10 insurers saw their combined ratios increase in 2006
The top 10 motor insurers made the move into profitability in 2006 on the back of reductions in losses and expenses
The average loss ratio among the top 10 UK motor insurance providers declined in 2006 with AXA, Norwich Union and Churchill recording the biggest improvements
In 2006, the average loss ratio of the top 10 UK motor insurers fell by 3.3 percentage points to 71.1%
AXA, Norwich Union and Churchill recorded the strongest loss ratio reductions
Four insurers recorded loss ratio deterioration
The average expense ratio of the top 10 UK motor insurers declined by 0.7 percentage points in 2006, with Churchill, AXA, NIG and Royal & SunAlliance recording above-average reductions
The average expense ratio of the top 10 UK motor insurers declined by 0.7 percentage points in 2006
Churchill, AXA, NIG and Royal & SunAlliance recorded above-average expense ratio decline
Norwich Union, Zurich and NFU Mutual recorded the highest increases in their expense ratios
The average combined ratio of the top 10 motor insurers fell by four percentage points in 2006, with AXA and Churchill seeing significant declines
The average combined ratio of the top 10 motor insurers declined by four percentage points in 2006
AXA and Churchill recorded significant reductions in combined ratio in 2006
NIG, Direct Line and Zurich recorded combined ratio increases
The top 10 pecuniary loss insurers saw their profitability increase
Pecuniary loss combined ratios increased as expense ratios rose and loss ratios fell
The average loss ratio of the top 10 pecuniary loss insurers declined by 0.2 percentage points to 29.4% in 2006
Norwich Union and Lloyds TSB achieved strong loss ratio reductions
Direct Line and Pinnacle recorded the highest loss ratio increases
The average expense ratio of the top 10 pecuniary loss insurers increased to 65.3% in 2006, with Direct Line, Allianz and St Andrew's seeing the highest individual increases
The average expense ratio of the top 10 pecuniary loss insurers increased by 1.8 percentage points to 65.3% in 2006
GEFI, Norwich Union and UK Insurance recorded double-digit increases in their expense ratios
Direct Line, Allianz and St Andrew's achieved strong expense ratio reductions
Combined ratios increased among the leading pecuniary loss insurers in 2006
The average combined ratio among the top 10 pecuniary loss insurers rose by 1.6 percentage points in 2006
Allianz, Direct Line, St Andrew's and Lloyds TSB reduced their pecuniary loss combined ratios
GEFI, UK Insurance and Pinnacle all experienced increases in their combined ratios
Combined ratios rose for the top 10 property insurers in 2006 due to rising expenses and claims however most players remained in profitable territory
The average loss ratio of the top 10 property insurers increased by 0.1 percentage points in 2006, with Direct Line, Zurich and Norwich Union recording the biggest reductions
The average loss ratio of the top 10 property insurers increased by 0.1 percentage points
Norwich Union, Direct Line and Zurich recorded strong loss ratio reductions
St Andrew's, NIG and Royal & SunAlliance recorded high loss ratio increases
The average expense ratio of the top 10 property insurers increased in 2006, with Norwich Union and AXA recording the largest individual increases
The average expense ratio of the top 10 property insurers rose by 1.4 percentage points in 2006
Norwich Union, AXA and Lloyds TSB saw their expense ratios increase, but they achieved GWP growth
Four of the top 10 property insurers achieved expense ratio reductions
The average combined ratio of the top 10 property insurers rose in 2006, with Norwich Union, AXA and NIG seeing the largest increases
Among the top 10 UK property insurers, the average combined ratio rose by 1.5 percentage points in 2006
Norwich Union, AXA and NIG recorded high combined ratio growth
Three insurers were able to defy the property market trend and reduce their combined ratios
APPENDIX
2005-6 definitions for lines of business
Accident & health
Medical expenses
HealthCare cash plan
Travel
Personal accident or sickness
Motor
Total private motor
Total commercial motor
Private motor comprehensive
Private motor non-comprehensive
Motorcycle
Fleets
Commercial vehicles (non-fleet)
Property
Total commercial property
Household and domestic all risks.
Consequential loss (i.e. business interruption)
Financial/Pecuniary loss business
Total personal financial loss business
Total commercial financial loss business
Legal expenses
Fidelity and contract guarantee
Liability business
Employers liability (including the employers liability part of mixed liability packages but excluding mixed commercial packages)
Professional indemnity (including directors' and officers' liability and errors and omissions liability)
Public and products liability
Mixed commercial package
Total personal
Total commercial
Pre-2005 definitions for lines of business
Accident and health
Individual accident and health
Group accident and health
General liability
Motor
Pecuniary loss
Total pecuniary loss figures
Property
Premium income measures
Earned premiums
Gross Premium
Net Premium
Written premiums
2005 FSA Return changes
Major changes in FSA Return categories and their impact
Market size
Changes in market size information
Market size methodology
Lloyd's players and underwriting result figures
Competitor data
GWP versus GEP reporting
Total personal and total commercial business
Home-Foreign, overseas and facultative reinsurance business
Further reading
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer
List of Tables
Table 1: Top 10 personal insurance competitors by GWP and market share, 2006
Table 2: Split between personal and commercial business for the top 10 personal insurers, 2006
Table 3: Change in premium income compared to change in loss ratio for the top 10 UK accident and health insurers, 2005-06
Table 4: Change in premium income compared to change in expense ratio for the top 10 UK accident and health insurers, 2005-06
Table 5: Change in premium income compared to change in combined ratio for the top 10 UK accident and health insurers, 2005-06
Table 6: Change in premium income compared to change in loss ratio, top 10 UK motor insurers, 2005-6
Table 7: Change in premium income compared to change in expense ratio, top 10 UK motor insurers, 2005-6
Table 8: Change in premium income compared to change in combined ratio, top 10 UK motor insurers, 2005-6
Table 9: Change in premium income compared to change in loss ratio for the top 10 UK pecuniary loss insurers, 2005-06
Table 10: Change in premium income compared to change in expense ratio for the top 10 UK pecuniary loss insurers, 2005-06
Table 11: Premium income compared to change in combined ratio for the top 10 UK pecuniary loss insurers, 2005-06
Table 12: Premium income compared to change in loss ratio for the top 10 UK property insurers, 2005-06
Table 13: Change in premium income compared to change in expense ratio among the top 10 property insurers, 2005-06
Table 14: Change in premium income compared to change in combined ratio for the top 10 UK property insurers, 2005-06
List of Figures
Figure 1: Norwich Union was the largest UK personal general insurer in 2006, with a 15.8% market share
Figure 2: Several of the leading UK personal insurers did not underwrite any commercial business
Figure 3: Only two of the top 10 UK accident and health insurers achieved better loss ratios in 2006
Figure 4: Numerous UK accident and health insurers saw their expense ratios increase in 2006
Figure 5: Six of the top 10 UK accident and health insurers recorded higher combined ratios in 2006
Figure 6: While the average loss ratio of the top 10 UK motor insurers fell in 2006, NIG and Direct Line saw increases in their ratios
Figure 7: Norwich Union saw the biggest increase in private motor expense ratio in 2006
Figure 8: NIG saw the biggest increase in combined ratio in 2006
Figure 9: A number of UK pecuniary loss insurers recorded significant GWP decline in 2006, although some were also able to decrease their loss ratios as a result
Figure 10: Direct Line achieved strong GWP growth and reduced its expense ratio in 2006, although fellow RBS subsidiary UK Insurance did not fare as well
Figure 11: Allianz, Direct Line and St Andrew's achieved the strongest pecuniary loss combined ratio reductions in 2006, largely through decreasing their expense ratios
Figure 12: Direct Line, Zurich and Norwich Union saw the best decreases in loss ratio in 2006
Figure 13: St Andrew's was the only insurer to successfully reduce its expense ratio and at the same time increase its property insurance GWP in 2006
Figure 14: Direct Line and Churchill saw the biggest reductions in combined ratio in 2006


Abstract

Introduction

The report analyzes the performance of the main competitors in the personal general insurance sector, providing data on competitors' premium income, market shares and profitability.

Scope

Analysis of key competitors' performance and competitive strategies Loss, expense and combined ratio data across the accident and health, motor, pecuniary loss and property markets

Highlights

In 2006, the top 10 personal lines insurers recorded varying results in terms of performance. Six of the top 10 personal lines insurers recorded a decline in GWP. These were Norwich Union, UK Insurance (UKI), Churchill, Royal & SunAlliance, Zurich and BUPA.

Reasons to Purchase

Benchmark your own performance against that of your competitors Gain insight into the merger and acquisition activity that has taken place


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