Insurer

Ageas UK has reported a net profit increase of 17.3% to £49.1m (HY1 2012: £41.9m) in its 2013 first half year results as its combined operating ratio held steady at 98.5% (HY1 2012 98.8%.)

Royal London has completed the acquisition of the Co-operative Banking group's life insurance and asset management businesses.

Bright Grey and Scottish Provident have introduced a fast-track system to reduce the time it takes to pay out on life cover claims.

Ten insurance companies have been implicated in the use of the "rogue element of the private investigation industry", according to a report from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).

LV= has seen a drop in life and pensions sales of 14% for the first half 2013 compared to last year.

Peter Hamilton, head of retail propositions at Zurich, gives an update on the providers campaign to aid advisers in increasing their protection sales.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has approved the change in control required for the purchase of Co-operative Banking Group's life insurance business Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) by mutual Royal London.

UK insurance companies are either failing to capitalise on the customer data they hold or adequately capture it in the first place.

Sustainable and well regulated growth in the UK financial services could generate approximately 22,000 additional jobs in the insurance industry by 2020, according to anaylsis from PwC.

PruHealth and PruProtect have announced a new joint venture between their parent company, Discovery Limited (Discovery) and AIA Group Limited (AIA) to introduce Vitality to the Asia-Pacific region.