Digital insurance provider Ripe has joined the Managing General Agents’ Association. Ripe has a portfolio of more than 20 products and serves 430,000 customers across consumer and SME markets. It has a turnover of more than £20m. It launched in 1998 with a golf insurance product.

Catastrophe insurance data provider Perils has updated its loss estimate for Storm Goretti to £417m. This is up by £10m on the initial figure given in the weeks after the January windstorm hit southwestern England. The estimate covers motor and property insurance losses.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, will be a keynote speaker at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association conference and is scheduled to address delegates on 13th May. He is currently serving his third term as mayor, having secured re-election in 2024.

Premium finance provider PremFina has announced a £100m expansion to its existing funding partnership with Waterfall Asset Management. PremFina said the new agreement would strengthen its balance sheet and support its growth strategy. It builds on a £350m private securitisation facility from HSBC and Waterfall Asset Management that the firm announced in June 2025.

Managing general agent Dual has expanded its ability to write larger cyber and technology risks after securing backing from a consortium of A-rated capacity partners led by Liberty. Dual said the deal allowed it to better support mid-market businesses.

Willis has agreed to retain Premium Credit as its premium finance provider for a further three years, building on a relationship that began 23 years ago. The new deal incorporates increased automatic approval limits, a new process to support larger and more complex customers and enhanced data sharing.

Chubb has added four industry-specific products to its mid-market commercial combined proposition – MasterPackage. They are office professions and surgery; retail and shops; manufacturing; and wholesale and distribution. Chubb’s MasterPackage proposition now has products aimed at 10 specific sectors.

The average claim for a missing diamond has jumped by 33% from £7,618 in 2024 to £10,157 in 2025, according to Aviva. The insurer said it had also recorded a 13% rise in the number of claims for missing diamonds during the same period.

Data from Defaqto’s latest general insurance price index shows that average motor premiums in Q1 2026 rose by 1.4% during the quarter. They remain 6.8% lower than a year ago and more than 23% lower than two years ago. On a longer-term horizon, Defaqto said premiums were up by 9.1% since the beginning of 2020.

Acrisure UK Broking has added four firms to its platform, They are managing general agent Confidas and brokers Heathwoods Insurance and Financial Services, Marrs Insurance Brokers and Smith Greenfield Services. The additions boost Acrisure’s plans to grow its influence in the UK retail broking market.

Hybrid insurer Bridgehaven Europe Specialty DAC has signed a capacity deal with managing general agent Arrow Risk Management GMBH. Arrow has a focus on underwriting risks associated with technology products and services, providing global technology errors and omissions coverage on either a standalone or combined basis.

Managing general agent Pen Underwriting has agreed a multi-year deal with insurers Zurich and Hiscox for its non-standard household insurance business in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Zurich already supports Pen in areas such as specialised fleet cover, while the backing from Hiscox marks the beginning of a new relationship.

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association has renewed the travel scheme that Jackson Lee Underwriting provides to its members. The scheme gives members access to holiday, sports and business travel insurance policies to cover individuals, families, groups and sports teams.

George Shirley and Harry McAlister have set up Bontra AI with the aim of overcoming many of the recruitment issues that blight the industry and prevent firms from securing a consistent quality of candidates. Shirley was previously an account executive at Howden Insurance Brokers while McAlister comes from a technology background.

Managing general agent Alps has responded to the deterioration of the UK’s road surfaces by launching a pothole add-on policy for brokers. The insurance provides up to £2,000 of cover for pothole related damage to vehicles including private cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and motorhomes up to 3.5 tonnes.

Consumer satisfaction with insurers in Q1 2026 sits at 86%, the highest level recorded since the Chartered Insurance Institute began recording the data in 2019. The findings came from the CII’s latest public trust index, which monitors the market’s performance in motor, travel and buildings and contents insurance across 9 metrics – loyalty, confidence, ease, protection, price, relationship, speed (claims), respect (claims) ad control (claims).