Motor insurance profits rise, global carbon tax and credit reports

Irish motor insurers last year enjoyed their highest level of profitability since at least 2009, as the level of road accidents and claims declined during Covid-19 restrictions, according to a Central Bank of Ireland report. Thr operating profits amounted to €163 million last year or €307 million if you included those ceded to reinsurers, who in most cases are related companies. Joe Brennan has the details.

On a related topic, Joe Brennan reports that RSA Insurance Ireland set aside €46 million in its 2020 accounts to deal with business interruption claims stemming from the Covid-19 crisis, in the wake of landmark court rulings earlier this year.

An internationally-agreed minimum carbon price/tax could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 12 per cent with little cost to economies, according to a report published by professional services firm PwC and the World Economic Forum. Mark Paul goes through the findings.

Ireland could face a sharp rise in company insolvencies as government pandemic supports are wound down, and a higher rate of company failure could persist for some time, according to a new paper from the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. Cliff Taylor examines its forecasts.

Motor insurance profits masked by reinsurance deals

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Irish motor insurers’ profits soar as claims collapse amid Covid restrictions

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Spike in company failures ‘could persist for some time’ as pandemic supports removed

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Is Government clamping down on preferential loans to adult children?

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Television consumption patterns "settled" further in the third quarter of 2021 as the more extreme effects of the pandemic on the Irish market faded and audiences got "back to normality", according to research by marketing communications group Core. Laura Slattery reports.

Discount retailer Dealz, which operates in the UK as Poundland, is to create 60 jobs with the opening of its first distribution centre in the Republic, writes Charlie Taylor.

Apache Pizza is to create 500 new jobs across its 180 stores before Christmas and has organised a national recruitment roadshow to visit towns and universities over the coming weeks to fill the positions "as rapidly as possible". Colin Gleeson has the details.

In personal finance, Fiona Reddan notes how there's only one place to go now to check your credit history. It is something that you might want to do if you're planning to apply for a mortgage or a personal loan, of if you've had a payment break in the pandemic.

In Q&A, a reader wonders if the Government is clamping down on preferential loans for their adult children. Dominic Coyle has some good news for them.

In her media & marketing column, Laura Slattery looks at how audiobooks are Spotify's newest, shiniest obsession.

Irish online grocery sales remain a tiny amount of the overall market, even after 20 months of a pandemic that spurred ecommerce activity here. Cantillon explains the reasons behind this apparent anomoly.

Is Tesla really worth over $1.2 trillion? Stocktake offers a view.

In Me & My Money, brand coach and photographer Hilary Hughes, owner of Brand Stories with Hil, explains how Covid has impacted on her personal spending.

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