My award-winning features (links open new windows) are:
2008
Take Cover, (pdf file) Healthcare Finance – an article examining how NHS foundation trusts bought commercial insurance. This won the newly created business category at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association awards for 2008.
It was widely agreed that the award had been created to enable non-personal finance journalists from the national newspapers to win an award. The four other shortlisted journalists were all from the nationals.
The runner-up was Yvette Essen from the Telegraph. Yvette had worked for me on Insurance Times.
2007
Can they take the heat?, (pdf file) Insurance Times – a feature looking at how insurers and social housing providers (councils and registered social landlords such as housing associations) could help low income tenants take out home contents insurance.
The was highly commended in the trade press category at the BIBA Awards for 2007. It also led to me taking part in a Worshipful Company of Insurers group trying to get more insurers to help tackle financial exclusion.
The winner of this category in 2007 was Lynn Rouse, deputy editor of Post Magazine (the rival to Insurance Times, so-called because it was the first magazine ever sent by penny post).
Lynn is an excellent journalist. Coming second to her is a great achievement. I tried to poach Lynn to join Insurance Times many years earlier and she steadfastly refused.
2002
Beware cut-price cover, (pdf scan) Choice – an article in the over-50s magazine about why cheap insurance often fails to provide the right level of cover.
One of my bugbears is that personal finance journalism is always about getting the cheapest price rather than the best product. The easiest way to make insurance cheap is to reduce the cover offered.
Ironically, by the time I won this award I had fallen out big time with the magazine because it was unable to pay its bills on time. I had to threaten court action to get paid. It was very much a cut-price outfit.
1999
Is the deal too good?, The Guardian – an article about the pitfalls councils faced buying insurance, detailing how insurers and brokers operate.
