Various changes are emerging in the international financial arena which could challenge the West’s dominance in for example the global monetary system. In this latest addition in our special series of thinkpieces on global themes, Vanessa Rossi of Chatham House explores these changes....

Financial Secretary Stephen Timms considers Labour’s response to the financial crisis and looks forward to what his party is doing to secure the recovery.[...]

There are many cases where poor information or human psychology can impede effective decision-making.For example, one theory in behavioural economics warns that people taking decisions are inclined to drawincorrect mental references based on what they know. “Nudge theory” is a potential...

CII Introduction: The UK insurance sector lies at a critical juncture in its long and eventful history. On the one hand, insurers are feeling the recessionary pinch in the form of a capital squeeze and a hardening market, but they can still benefit from escaping the contagion in the global...

CII Introduction: the insurance industry provides a long-standing and often forgotten role of helping people and businesses do things without the fear of catastrophic loss should something go wrong. How can this be achieved in a sustainable manner? Does the industry use the most sophisticated...

CII Introduction: At the beginning of the new millennium the issue of pandemics was a hot topic. With outbreaks in the Far East of SARS and then avian flu the media was awash with debate on what would happen if something similar hit the UK and questions around how well prepared we are. As we...

CII Introduction: last month’s Mumbai terrorist attacks were a reminder that the international terrorist threat remains real and varied. While the security services work to prevent further atrocities, the corporate world and the insurance industry can also help by demonstrating that business...

CII Introduction: Our previous thinkpiece by Mick McAteer described how the transfer of risk from the state to the individual is failing. Protection is one area where this problem persists: state income support is rolling back and private protection insurance is simply not alleviating the gap,...

CII Introduction: how much financial services regulation is appropriate to protect the public while promoting a free market has been a key debate within the industry and government in recent years, especially after the financial crisis and on the eve of a general election.[...]

CII Introduction: increasing financial capabilityhas been a longstanding research theme forus – from our IPOD research into attitudes ofyoung people in November 2008 to the recentthinkpiece by Jane Vass of Age UK oninclusive design for an ageing population. Inthis latest thinkpiece, Carole...