Incubator specialist OneAdvent has launched managing general agent Collective, which provides insurance products to cover high value equipment for photographers and musicians. Collective aims to offer cover for the gaps left in standard home contents policies when items are used away from the home, are shared or are subject to low single-item limits.

Ageas has developed a home insurance platform for Connells Group, which will enable the estate agency’s mortgage and insurance advisers to offer home insurance to customers. Connells Group has a network of 1,200 branches and the digitised proposition builds on a relationship that spans 30 years.

Zurich UK has made a free virtual GP service available to its club blue partner brokers and their employees. The additional service marks the third anniversary of the club, which supports independent regional brokers with learning, development and wellbeing support.

Legal expenses insurance and assistance solutions provider Arag UK has become a member of the Association of British Insurers. It has operated in the UK since 2006 and is part of the Arag Group which is headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The latest Confused.com car insurance price index in association with WTW shows that comprehensive car insurance premiums were up by 1% between March and May of this year. The average comprehensive policy now costs £719. On an annualised basis, premiums are still down by 5%.

John Lewis Money has added Ageas to its home insurance panel with immediate effect. It becomes the fourth provider on the panel, joining Axa, Prestige Underwriting and Covéa Insurance. Ageas says the move will help it grow its UK personal lines footprint.

Analysis from Defaqto shows that the travel insurance market did not see a spike in premiums in response to the escalation of the Middle East crisis, although it says prices have fluctuated since the beginning of the year.

Addept Insurance Services has signed a multi-million five-year capacity deal with Irwell Insurance Company, which has a B++ (Good) rating from AM Best. The additional capacity will support further growth in Addept’s legal expenses insurance portfolio, which Irwell has provided support for since it launched in 2025.

The Chartered Insurance Institute has appointed eight industry leaders to its newly created Professional Communities Advisory Board. It will operate in tandem with the CII’s specialist advisory groups in broking, claims and underwriting and seeks to ensure the professional body’s outputs meet the needs of its members.

Managing general agent Prestige Underwriting says that two in five (41.4%) of escape
of water claims exceed £20,000 with more than one in five (22.4%) costing more than £50,000. It says the figures come from analysis of data from its claims on unoccupied and holiday home policies this year.

Managing general agent Helix Underwriting has penned a multi-year agreement to use CyberCube’s account manager solution, which provides users with access to cyber risk analytics. Helix says the deal gives its underwriters more data on potential exposures, threat-led scenarios and possible risk accumulations.

Chubb will operate as the lead underwriter in a new Lloyd’s market consortium that includes Lloyd’s syndicates and specialist market partners. It has been established to offer additional marine war risk insurance capacity for vessels and cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Aviva will rebrand its Lloyd’s platform Probitas 1492 to Aviva Syndicates. The new branding will be in place by the end of September and will act as a significant step in the business’s integration into Aviva’s global corporate and specialty division.

Broker Verlingue has established a specialist practice to provide for the bespoke needs of historic and country houses as well as estates. It seeks to offer specialist insurance, risk management and employee benefits support to clients.

Supermarket Morrisons has partnered with affinity insurance specialist Hood Group Ltd to launch pet and travel insurance products that are available from the retailer’s website. The move marks Morrisons’ first step into financial services.

Aviva has developed a digitally traded contractors combined product that is available on Acturis and will shortly be launched on the insurer’s own Fast Trade platform. Aviva says the product is aimed at self-employed contractors as well as and more established small to mid-sized businesses in the construction sector.