EXISTING CUSTOMERS ARE “FLEECED”

TODAY’S BLOG

EXISTING CUSTOMER PENALTY

If you have ever found yourself screaming at the radio or television as an advert comes on about your existing insurer, finally it seems, your exasperation has been heard. Yes you were right, new customers were getting a better deal than you (on your home and car insurance). Perhaps on your banking or mortgage too.. but let’s park that for another time.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is bringing an end to the practice of car and home insurers charging loyal customers more than new customers. ‘Price walking’ – commonly known as the ‘loyalty penalty’ – is a pricing practice where existing customers are increasingly charged more, the longer they stay with the same insurer. If you have been a client for a while, you will have heard me mention “the inertia that financial services companies rely upon”. I normally make this comment in relation to someone that has not reviewed their pension or investments for a while, or taken an annuity from their pension company (now that doesnt happen as much these days).

Following a consultation launched in September 2020, the FCA has confirmed this unfair practice will be banned from 1 January 2022 –  saving customers an estimated £4.2bn over 10 years. So, if you are a tad cynical like me, then we can look forward to adverts towards Christmas time that focus on the last hurrah of rip-off insurers…. of course I’d also suggest that we may all end up paying more.

Has your insurer offered a better deal?

NEW CUSTOMER DEALS FOR ALL…

Insurers will have to offer existing customers wanting to renew, a price that is no higher than they would pay as a new customer coming through the same ‘sales channel’. The ‘sales channel’ is just how you reached your insurer, which could be through their website, over the phone, through a comparison site or via a broker. These can all have an effect on the premium you pay and will continue to do so. So, for example, if you’re renewing over the phone, you’ll be offered the same price as a new customer switching to that insurer by phone.

There is of course a but… But this might be a higher premium than a new (or existing) customer taking out a policy online. If you really have the time to call a massive insurance company on the phone, they are likely to charge you more for the pure joy of the experience. As well as the new rules on pricing practices for home and motor insurance, the FCA is also bringing in new rules to make it easier to cancel the automatic renewal of their policy, which should make it easier to shop around. The pricing and auto-renewal changes will come into effect on 1 January 2022.

WANT MY ADVICE?

Well, do not waste your time with comparison websites. These are not whole of market and cheap is not necessarily best. This is insurance. You do not want it, but you need it and if you need to make a claim, you will want it paid out. So, use an insurance broker. Yes they will not be the cheapest option, but their real-life experience is…. priceless. They will get the most suitable arrangement from the market. If you do not have a broker, I can recommend one, who I have used for years – Richard Hiscox at 1StopInsurance. Put his details in your addressbook now or just call or email him to let him know your renewal dates.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

EXISTING CUSTOMERS ARE “FLEECED”2023-12-01T12:13:02+00:00

AS SAFE AS HOUSES…

TODAY’S BLOG

AS SAFE AS HOUSES

I am not really sure what the reason is, but most people trust their own bank. I guess that a degree of trust has to be there in order for you to agree to bank with them. However, there is a huge amount of inertia when it comes to banking. I don’t know if it is still the case but not so long ago a bank customer was more likely to leave their marriage than the leave the bank.

On 8 July 2021 the regulator concluded yet another investigation and disciplinary action against the Bank with the horse (again). This is prone to jokes about stable doors and a few about the long face. This time house insurance sales. Those awkward hassle reminder letters that tell you its time to renew.

I’m stretching a little, but I am basing my own assumptions on the statements made by the FCA. Long story short, loyal customers were not getting deals they thought were good and there was never any real attempt to compare just how wonderful the cost of insurance was against others. This all happened a few years ago… back in 2017 the home insurance market of 18 million policies and 12.29% of those with Lloyds Bank General Insurance. I make that about 2.2m policies. The premiums paid to Lloyds amounted to a tidy £713m… so that’s an average premium of about £336.

LONG FACE ABOUT FINE

BOLTING THE STABLE DOOR

In fairness to Lloyds they have already repaid customers £13.5m. The FCA have fined Lloyds £90,688,400 due to the misleading renewal and marketing literature, of which there were over 9m “renewal communications” between January 2009 and November 2017. So the problem went on for 8 years and its nearly 5 years after period concerned that a fine has been issued. There really is something about stables, horses and bolting here isn’t there?

Is it just me or is this about 2.2m polices sold each year since 2009… 12 years of premiums or about £8,556m for a £90m fine. It’s about 1% of premiums over those 12 years. Fair enough I am extrapolating the data, but I doubt its far off.

May I make a suggestion? Do not use your Bank for your insurance, or indeed anything other than banking. We see this sort of stuff on a regular basis, yet people remain loyal to their Banks. Use an insurance broker who will assess the market. I use Richard Hiscox at 1Stop. The main advantage is that price competition is part of the issue, the other is whether claims themselves ever get paid out easily with minimal fuss. This experience is something most of us have little of (thankfully) but an insurance broker sees this stuff every single week.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

AS SAFE AS HOUSES…2023-12-01T12:13:05+00:00
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