Martin Totty has been appointed CEO of the Barbon Insurance Group

Martin Totty has been appointed CEO of the Barbon Insurance Group replacing Ian Sutherland who was the acting CEO.

Martin Totty was previously the CEO at First Assist Insurance Services.

The Barbon Insurance Group owns three of the the most prominent landlord and tenant insurance companies, HomeLet, Rentshield Direct and Letsure. It is also is involved in the commercial property sector with companies including Farr, Zenor, Cadogan Keelan Westall and Deacon. 

jml Property Services have been marketing Letsure insurance products on their websites since 2002 and unfortunately have had to remove them this week as they have changed their terms of business and will not be paying commission on renewals. It is a great shame as the writer of this blog had been using Letsure referencing services and insurance products to landlords and tenants since the 1980s in the lettings business in Buckinghamshire and Middlesex. Rentshield Direct has also been removed.

 HomeLet insurance is still being marketed on the sites. The relationship goes back to 2002 and Landlord and Tenant insurance products are well promoted. Over they years hundreds of landlords and tenants have reached HomeLet by following the links on various jml sites. 

You too can find out more about HomeLet Landlord and Tenant Rental Property Insurance HERE

Flood Insurance deal reached last month

We might not have had too much rain the second part of the summer into the autumn, but 2013 has been a very wet year and more to come most likely.

In August The ABI (Association of British Insurers) and the Government  agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on how to develop a not-for-profit scheme - Flood Re - that would ensure flood insurance remains widely affordable and available. The MoU is a first step towards establishing Flood Re, and confirms it as the Government’s preferred option.

The ABI's Director General Otto Thoresen said in an ABI press release "Insurers’ priority has always been to ensure that flood insurance remains affordable and available for everyone who needs it. Today’s announcement is the start of a process that aims to deliver affordable flood insurance to high flood risk households.

"Getting to this stage has required compromise by both sides and there remain issues that need to be overcome. For Flood Re to be established successfully there needs to be an unprecedented level of partnership between the Government and the industry. But insurers and the Government are now working towards a shared vision, with Flood Re as the Government’s preferred choice.


"Flood Re would be a major undertaking for UK insurers and the work insurers have undertaken to get here reflects the industry’s desire to cover flood risk at an affordable price in the face of the increasing flood threat in the UK. The hard work now begins for both sides if we are to make this vision a reality”

Meanwhile on behalf of the Government Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said:


“Flooding is terrible for anyone affected by it. We have worked extremely hard with the industry to reach an agreement on the future of flood insurance. There are still areas to work through but this announcement means that people no longer need to live in fear of being uninsurable and that those at most risk can get protection, now and in the future.”

Key elements of the framework are:

•Flood Re will be run and financed by insurers as a not-for- profit fund which will cover the cost of flood claims from high risk homes.
•Insurers will pass the flood risk element from those households deemed at high risk of flooding to the fund. Premiums for the flood risk will be calculated based on council tax banding up to a maximum limit depending on the Band. 
•Flood Re would charge member firms an annual charge of £180million.This equates to a levy of £10.50 on annual household premiums and represents the estimated level of cross-subsidy that already exists between lower and higher flood risk premiums.
•Flood Re will be designed to fully deal with at least 99.5% of years. Even in the worst half a per cent of years, Flood Re will cover losses up to those expected in a 1 in 200 year – a year six times worse than 2007 – with Government taking primary responsibility – working with the industry and Flood Re – for distributing any available resources to Flood Re policyholders should claims exceed that level.


Providing operational issues, including governance and regulatory approval, are resolved, the aim is for Flood Re to be up and running by summer 2015, with regular progress reviews taking place to ensure Flood Re can proceed. For now ABI members will voluntarily continue to meet their commitment to continue to offer flood cover to existing customers under the previous Flood Insurance Statement of Principles. Source ABI

The Future of Flood Insurance: What you need to know about Flood Re Here at The ABI site

If you are looking for insurance for Home insurance for previously flooded or flood-risk homes, follow this link to find out more

Rentguard Insurance will cover Bedsits and HMOs now

Rentguard Insurance are delighted to announce that they have expanded the scope of their cover to cater for non-standard properties, including Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and bedsits.

At Rentguard they are always trying to be as flexible as possible to meet the individual requirements of  customers and this is a pleasing step in further-increasing the range of cover available.

The HMO market is a fast-growing sector which refers to properties lived in by three or more tenants, forming more than one household, but sharing either a bathroom, kitchen facilities, toilet or living area.

Popular with young professionals and students, HMOs provide an attractive proposition for Landlords looking to maximise the return on their property, therefore being able to offer them tailor-made insurance.

Rentguard Insurance  are also able to offer comprehensive cover on Bedsits. Bedsits differ to HMOs in that the occupier may share a communal bathroom with other occupants, but cooking facilities are included in the sleeping/living area.

Rentguard Insurance offers  competitive rates on purpose built flats and studio apartments are also currently available. Find out more Here  Source: Rentguard Insurance 18-9-13

Amlin UK has joined Rentguard's Commercial Insurance providers

Rentguard Insurance  are delighted to  announce that they have extended their partnership with Amlin UK, enabling them to offer a wider choice of Property Insurance products. 

Rentguard Insurance have been working closely with Amlin within the field of residential insurance and are now pleased to announce the expansion of their relationship to encompass their range of commercial policies, giving them the  opportunity to offer them at highly competitive prices.

Amlin are a leading independent insurer operating in the Lloyd's, UK and Continental European markets. Alongside our existing provider NIG, they will offer a comprehensive range of commercial products to meet the needs of you and your customers, combined with exceptional underwriting and risk management expertise.


The new Amlin products protect commercial properties such as offices, retail outlets, cafes, manufacturers and doctor’s surgeries against all the major perils – including fire, storm, flood and escape of water as standard – as well as accidental damage and property owner’s liability.

Their flexible policies can be tailored to a customer’s individual requirements, and can also include commercial properties with residential flats above. Other benefits include cover against loss of rent and £25,000 contents cover as standard.

“We relish the opportunity to be able to provide more choice and diversity to our brokers and their customers, and we look forward to expanding our underwriting capabilities in the future” said Rentguard’s Managing Director Steve Jones.


Rentguard is a trading style of RGA Underwriting Limited, registered in England  and Wales under number 4302819 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The registered office is Grove House, 551 London Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 4DS

 (Source Rentguard)

Find out more Here

Rentguard Insurance offers a great selection of property insurance products including:

Landlords Insurance

Commercial Property Insurance

Legal Expenses with/without Rent Guarantee Insurance

For Owners (Private Residences) Insurance

Tenants Insurance

Holiday Home Insurance

Rentguard Insurance – Home Insurance

Rentguard Insurance – Portfolio and Blocks of Flats Insurance Insurance

You make all the arrangements direct with Rentguard Insurance - Find out more Here 

Final 2 days of Speen Festival 2013

Unfortunately the 7th Speen Festival is drawing to an end. The 2013 festival started on the 1st September and end on Sunday 15th September.

When the festival kicked off the weather was hot and sunny and unfortunately it has not been so good for the second week. However the events have been excellent and there are still more to come over the next couple of days in this picturesque Chilterns hilltop village near High Wycombe and Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire.

On Saturday morning is the Teatro Unfortunato - Children's Theatre Company are presenting The Wind in the Willows. 

The Cabaret Supper still has a few spare places -  More information here 

Finally on Sunday The Prom in the Playing Field - This is grand finale with a fabulous free outdoor festival event for all ages with an orchestra created especially for the purpose. Local violinist Alexandra Reid and tenor Jeff Stewart will be performing. Time: 3 pm to 5.30 pm

jml Insurance promotional insurance website have been one of the proud sponsors of this event and are very pleased to have been associated with it.http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/    

Dancing holidays outlined by Questor Insurance

Fancy a spot of toe tapping? Well Questor Insurance has just revealed five of the best holiday locations to tango to. The insurance company that offer Travel insurance plus car hire excess, van hire excess, motorhome hire excess and minibus hire excess insurance has got in the dancing mode for autumn season holidays.

 1.    Tango in Argentina

Latin culture is synonymous with music and dance, and where better to get to grips with one of the sultriest dances in the ballroom dancing repertoire than Argentina – the birthplace of Tango itself. Head to Argentina’s thriving capital Buenos Aires and take a dedicated tango course to bring your moves up to speed in no time.

2.    Flamenco in Spain
Flamenco is a dance that encapsulates energy and passion, and for those holidaymakers who’ve always dreamed of twirling a pair of castanets while carrying out some fervent dance moves – Andalucía is the place to do it. Head to Andalucía this month and see Flamenco at its best at Flamenco festivals hosted in both Malaga and Seville.

3.    Line Dancing in America
Fans of the country and western movement will love the simple steps and catchy routines that line dancing is famed for. As an added bonus those who are afraid of striking out on their own, can test out their dancing prowess as part of a group. Head to the sunshine state of California and sign up to one of the many line dancing classes in the San Francisco area.

4.    Ceroc in France
This modern jive dance is an abbreviation of the French phrase c'est Rock. Head to France’s famed capital Paris, and join others for high-paced, rhythmic dancing in the bars and clubs of the city of love’s Latin Quarter.

5.    Merengue in the Dominican Republic
Merengue is a style of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic. Head to the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, to sample one of the many Merengue and Bachata classes on offer, before taking a well earned rest on beaches such as Boca Chica and Punta Cana. - Source Questor insurance

Find out more about Questor Insurance Services Products Here

Staysure Insurance named the winner of the Customer Service Award at the UK Broker Awards 2013

Staysure the over 50s specialist insurance company has been named the winner of the Customer Service Award at the UK Broker Awards 2013. The award recognises their commitment to providing outstanding customer service to those they put at the heart of our business.

The awards ceremony, now in its 20th year, took place on Friday 6 September at the Brewery in London.

These prestigious awards were open to FCA-registered UK general insurance intermediaries and appointed representatives, with entries judged by an independent panel of judges. The ceremony attracted over 500 of the industry's leading figures to celebrate the achievements of the top insurance brokers.

The Customer Service Award judges looked for evidence of excellent delivery, and a continually improving level of customer service supported by clear service standards and regular performance monitoring. In addition, proof of the impact of a customer-care strategy on retention, overall business and client satisfaction was sought.

The judges considered examples of Staysure’s outstanding customer service in action, and its commitment to going above and beyond when dealing with customers. In one example, an elderly customer who became ill at home hit the redial button on his telephone and was connected to Staysure’s quick-thinking customer services team, who used the customer’s information on file to send emergency services to his address while reassuring him on the phone until they arrived.

Andy Bord, Deputy Chief Executive of Staysure, who collected the award at the ceremony in London, said:  “Having been runner-up in this category last year, scooping the top spot this year demonstrates how hard we’ve worked to really push ourselves ahead of our competition. We put customer service at the heart of everything we do, ensuring that our customers know when they deal with us they will be helped and supported at every step of the way to ensure a great experience from start to finish.

“We’re delighted that the hard work of our customer service team has been recognised with this prestigious award. Source Staysure. 

Staysure the over 50's experts have a great range of products including  Health insurance,  Travel Insurance, Holiday Homes insurance, Home insurance,  Private Health insurance and Motor insurance
Staysure Holidays and it is well worth visiting.