Your peace of mind

Whether you′ re a policyholder or business partner, what you′ re probably after from your insurance provider is protection, security and above all peace of mind.

Northern Counties recognises these needs and fully supports and adheres to the following organisations:

The Association of British Insurers ("ABI")

The Association of British Insurers is the trade association for around 400 insurance companies and represents 97% of the UK insurance market. The ABI has developed a number of codes of conduct with which its members are required to comply.

The Financial Services Authority ("FSA")

The Financial Services Authority is an independent organisation, which the UK Parliament has delegated responsibility for the regulation of the financial services industry including deposit taking by banks, insurance and investment business. Its main objective is to ensure consumers are protected and treated fairly. Since 14th January 2005 the FSA has regulated general insurance advice. The FSA is now the sole regulator for the sector replacing organisations such as IMRO, PIA, SFA and the Insurance Directorate of HM Treasury following powers granted under the Financial Services Markets Act 2000.

Financial Ombudsman Service ("FOS")

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent public body set up to resolve disputes between financial services companies and consumers fairly and impartially. The Financial Ombudsman Service was set up by law under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to provide a single ombudsman scheme to handle all financial services related complaints, replacing existing dispute resolution schemes including the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau and the PIA Ombudsman Bureau.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme ("FSCS")

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is a safety net for customers of authorised financial services firms. FSCS can pay compensation if an authorised firm is unable, or likely to be unable, to pay claims against it. In general this is when a firm is insolvent or has gone out of business. The scheme covers deposits, insurance and investments.

British Insurance Brokers Association ("BIBA")

The British Insurance Brokers' Association - is the UK′ s leading general insurance organisation. They represent the interests of insurance brokers, intermediaries and customers, and have partner members from the leading companies in the insurance industry.

The majority of BIBA′ s members are regulated advisors who pride themselves on the professional advice and range of products and services they offer, always focused on the client′ s individual needs and requirements. Between them, they handle over three quarters of the UK′ s industrial, commercial and consumer insurance business.