Promoting debate and fresh thinking in the financial sector
CII Thinkpieces are a part of our ongoing commitment to promoting new thinking within the financial sector. Each Thinkpiece is a short paper contributed by an expert and covering topics as diverse as pensions, Islamic finance, terrorism, recruitment, claims, consumer psychology, and more.
Each contributor is free to express his or her opinion, with minimal editorial interference. Giving this voice to our writers does not necessarily mean that we endorse their points of view. The CII is simply interested in promoting new and challenging ideas and building dialogue on key issues of interest to all stakeholders in insurance and financial services.
We are also publishing groups of thinkpieces on specific themes such as international finance and climate change.
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Qualified CII members please note that reading the CII thinkpieces can earn CPD credits. |
Mailing list or comments/suggestions: you can be added to our thinkpiece mailing list to be emailed articles when they are published.* We also welcome feedback and suggestions from readers. Please email us at thinkpiece@cii.co.uk
* Email addresses sent to us will not be shared with anyone else or be used to send material other than Thinkpieces. |
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Vanessa Rossi & Nora Burghart: Deflation Threats & Insurance Premiums International Series number 4
29 May 2009:The property market has been hit hard by the current recession, and impacts of the decline have seen deflation reach new levels. Many assume that recovery is around the corner – but what will happen if prices continue to fall? Vanessa Rossi and Nora Burghart of Chatham House explain the serious implications of a prolonged recession, focusing on how insurance premiums, in particular, might cave in to ongoing market pressure. |
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Swenja Surminski: How Can the Insurance Industry Promote Climate Change Adaptation?
Climate Change Series number 3
21 May 2009: An overview of the insurance industry’s recent work promoting climate change adaptation . Swenja Surminski of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) explores efforts to improve understanding of current and future risks, protect homes, businesses and communities, and develop risk management solutions for climate risks and making the market work for adaptation. |
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Trevor Maynard: Pandemics – be prepared 19 March 2009: Trevor Maynard, manager of emerging risks at Lloyd’s, examines the issue of pandemics and the insurance industry. His paper he shows that the risk of a pandemic is ever present, despite the decline in media interest, and that contingency and business continuity planning is vital. He points out the potential consequences of a pandemic and highlights the need for businesses, insurers in particular, to be prepared for all eventualities. |
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Number 2 Andrew Voysey: ClimateWise Challenging to do More
15 April 2009: ClimateWise is a grouping of insurance firms and related organisations (including the CII) aiming to work individually and collectively to reduce the economy’s and society’s long-term risk from climate change . In this article, ClimateWise secretary Andrew Voysey gives his personal view on the role the initiative and the industry more widely can play; and then explores some of the challenges confronting them. |
Number 1 Maureen Agnew and Ana Catalano: The Science of Climate Change 16 February 2009: Dr Maureen Agnew of the University of East Anglia examines the science of climate change, warning that increases in temperature and sea level rises will continue, and this has already become serious for the insurance industry. This summarises a chapter of a detailed report published by the CII and launched on 23 February. |
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Number 4 Vanessa Rossi & Nora Burghart: Deflation Threats & Insurance Premiums
29 May 2009: The property market has been hit hard by the current recession, and impacts of the decline have seen deflation reach new levels. Many assume that recovery is around the corner – but what will happen if prices continue to fall? Vanessa Rossi and Nora Burghart of Chatham House explain the serious implications of a prolonged recession, focusing on how insurance premiums, in particular, might cave in to ongoing market pressure. |
Number 3 Vanessa Rossi and Nora Burghart: Ageing & Migration Preparing for Change
30 March 2009: Vanessa Rossi and Nora Burghart from Chatham House analyse the changing age and migration trends in the EU labour market. Might the impact of ageing be reversed by raising the retirement age to 70? How important will migration be in picking up the slack left by a declining indigenous population? How ready is the insurance industry in dealing with these changes? |
Number 2 Vanessa Rossi and Ruth Davis: The Rising Influence of the Gulf in Financial Services
13 February 2009: Vanessa Rossi and Ruth Davis from Chatham House examine the positioning in the global economy of the Gulf states including the UAE, Qatar and Oman. When the region does recover from the current recession, financial services will be seen as a popular investment choice by governments. Are we seeing a top-ten world financial centre in the making? |
| Number 1 Vanessa Rossi: Which countries and sectors will lead the recession recovery?
7 January 2009: Vanessa Rossi, senior research fellow at the international relations think tank Chatham House, examines the global economic downturn, and predicts that Asia and the US will lead a recovery. She warns that the recession will lead to major shifts in global governance especially in favour of the emerging economies. |
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Jane Vass: Inclusive design: the challenge of an ageing population 3 March 2009: Jane Vass, Financial Services Policy Advisor for Age Concern, examines the industry’s approach to delivering products and services to older people. She argues that there are large gaps in the design of mainstream financial products and services, with many providers ignoring the changing physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of their older customers, and calls for the industry to take a new approach shaped by principles of inclusive design. |
| Raffaello Pantucci: Responding to the terrorist threat – implications for firms and insurers 20 January 2009: Raffaello Pantucci, research associate at the global security think tank the International Institute of Strategic Studies, analyses some of the recent developments in international terrorism, examines the risks facing UK firms both at home and abroad, and considers what the insurance industry could do to encourage firms to better prepare and manage these risks . |
| Elizabeth Truss & Nick Bosanquet: Personal Capability and Risk 10 December 2008: Elizabeth Truss and Nick Bosanquet from the think tank Reform take a timely look at factors shaping the public’s ability to take financial risk decisions, and in so doing argue that the very government regulation that is supposed to protect consumers might actually be quietly harming their ability to assess risk. |
| Chris Bath : Time served: unlocking insurance to help reintegrate offenders into society 10 November 2008: Chris Bath of the reformed offender charity UNLOCK argues that the insurance industry is failing reformed offenders by preventing them access to their products. In this paper Bath puts forward what he believes to be workable solutions that will benefit all parties. |
| David Cavell: Retail financial services: success through branch led-strategies 10 October 2008: British bank branches are often far behind the levels of innovation and service demonstrated by their international counterparts. British banking expert David Cavell argues that the way forward means coming to terms with flexible markets and an ever-changing customer base, while committing to practical, straightforward solutions that will lead to better served consumers—and better branch bottom lines. |
| Nick Hurman AEGON Listening to Consumers 27 August 2008: The current retail distribution system is plagued by low financial capability, overly-complex products, and low levels of trust in the industry. Supported by the findings of their major consumer research project that has spanned 18 months, Nick Hurman of AEGON argues that consumers can become engaged and confident with financial services—if the industry changes how it talks to them. |
| Drs. Henry Stott and Stian Reimers - Psychology and bridging the insurance gap 01 August 2008: The UK insurance gap is growing, and Drs Henry Stott and Stian Reimers argue the way forward for modern insurance is to provide peace of mind through a better understanding of consumer psychology. |
| Ann Rossiter – Worker safety net 9 July 2008: Ann Rossiter of the leading think tank the Social Market Foundation proposes a radical social security system that addresses the protection gap and employment insecurity suffered by UK workers. This paper summarises a detailed research project undertaken recently by the SMF and sponsored by global insurer Genworth Financial. |
| Mick McAteer - Longevity Challenge 19 June 2008: Financial services consumer advocate Mick McAteer provides a consumerist insight into the challenge of increased longevity on the insurance industry. |
| Hugh Price – Personal injury reforms 05 June 2008: Experienced claims lawyer Hugh Price examines the new and potentially radical rules now being proposed by the Government for the personal injury compensation system. |
| Ros Altmann – Personal accounts and Money Guidance 29 May 2008: Dr Ros Altmann, one the UK’s top pensions experts, takes a critical view of the Government’s proposed Money Guidance service with respect to advice on retirement savings and personal pensions accounts. |
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