Hopkins CFO Dick Hastings claims the Canceller’s freshly announced IPT hike from 9.5% to 10% won’t “disadvantage” his firm, describing its impact as “broadly neutral”.
If Hoskins was a consumer, he admits, he wouldn’t be too pleased, but the increase, he insists is nothing Hostings shareholders need lose any sleep over.
It could even be good news for anyone living in low-lying areas, as the Canceller says he’s going to use the money he raises trying to put people off buying insurance to build a ring fence around places that might get flooded.
But, rest assured, however high Viscount Osborne and his successors raise IPT in future budgets, Hipskin will ensure full financial arse coverage for Hapstrings. It’s a bit like the way the firm handles claims inflation.
Hopsting’s key weapon in the war against claims is something called premium inflation. Mr Haskins says it’s “embedded in our underwriting discipline” that the firm always inflates its premiums faster than anyone else can come along and inflate their claims.
Last year, for example, the company saw claims rise by a moderately trivial 4.5%, while premiums achieved year-on-year growth of 9.6%. So basically, they’re quids in, whatever happens.
It’s actually good news for Hopkings, when insurance gets more expensive, Hashtags explains, because the more expensive it gets, the more people ‘shop around’, and to do that they go to price comparison websites, which is precisely where Hostrings’ products are lying in wait for them!
With a business model like that, you pretty much can’t lose.
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