Britain's Most Admired Companies 2012: Life assurance & Insurance
It's a busy time for UK insurance firms with flooding across the country prompting a flurry of claims. Meet the firms that the industry rates best in class.

A deserved sector win for St James’s Place. The wealth management group reported a strong Q3, with revenues up 8% for the period, while maintaining a strong grip on existing business. Funds under management also rose 6% to £32.8bn. St James’s scored highly for quality of management and financial soundness. ‘There’s a good feeling in the business right now,’ reckons CEO David Bellamy. Last year’s winner, Cardiff-based Admiral, falls to second, ranked best in sector for quality of goods and services and capacity to innovate. Third is the largest insurance company by market capitalisation in the UK – the Prudential – which finally laid the ghost of that failed AIA bid, buying Thai insurer Thanachart for £368m in November.