A broker’s activity is one of the elements of insurance mediation. Brokers sell property and personal as well as life insurance policies. Apart from the range of duties, the quantitative condition of distribution channels, the paper also discusses problems of a broker’s professional ethics, which include broadly understood information reliability, activation honesty and assistance in damage liquidation. Signed in 1998, the Sobieszew Charter lays out the norms of ethical broker’s activity in three dimensions: their contacts with clients, mutual contacts and (...) contacts with an insurance company. As well as that, the Charter created the Commission of Professional Ethics, the role of which is settling conflicts arising in the above-mentioned dimensions. The Charter also established seven main principles of professional ethics including the principle of a fair turnover or that of forming healthy relationships among brokers. The paper investigates the data concerning ethics in broker organizations, the major elements of which are a broker’s impartiality, conducting honest negotiations and the duty of submitting identical requests for proposal to insurance companies. The issue of insurance brokerage is not discussed. (shrink)

The problem of car theft has been observed for many years. The largest scale of this phenomenon occurred in the 1990’s. In this paper, the issue is discussed in social, ethical and economic aspects. We present the scale of the phenomenon of the theft of passenger vehicles in Poland in the years 2001–2012 in terms of the number of vehicles, type of stolen vehicles and the accident areas. In addition, we present the cause of theft and selected ways to protect (...) cars from it. We also briefly discuss the role and responsibility of the insurance companies. (shrink)

In market economy to protect consumers’ rights in an extremely important insure. This also applies to the insurance market generally understood as issues related to the conclusion and execution of insurance contracts. Insured is exposed to many dangers, is weaker in the insurance market, because insurance as professionals may impose their conditions Convenient for the transaction. This article aims to identify the market practices by means of the unfair terms used by insurance companies. The article gives examples of unfair terms (...) and points the consequences of their use. (shrink)

For many years we have observed the occurrence of extorting compensation from insurance companies. The scale of it is not fully identified. Despite the enormous effort to combat with this phenomenon, the size of it is still growing. The article discusses the reasons for this phenomenon, especially motivation and tendency of the insured to fraud. It also presents the economic consequences of the phenomenon for insurance companies.

There is a term ‘self-avareness’ in the literature of insurance and opinion on the insurance market. On the base of the insurance data it is concluded that Poles hale a low level of awareness. The level increases when random event occurs. The aim of his article is an attempt to define a term ‘self-awareness’ and point its connection with life and property insurances.

The issue of mutual trust is an important element in each economic activity, especially in the global market economy. It also concerns insurance activity. Entering into contracts with clients, a life insurance company becomes a public trust institution. The long-term responsibility lies on the insurance company side. The act of 23 March 2003 on insurance activity sets forth that insurance institutions are obligated to systematically inform their insured clients about contract commitments. The paper shows some examples of clients losing trust (...) in insurance companies. It also defines public trust and the basic factors influencing public trust in life insurances. (shrink)

The problem of fires in Poland is an important element of public safety. One of the reasons ofthe fires are different types of arson of buildings, crops or forests. This paper presents a quantitative scale of the phenomenon of arson in Poland. Basing on data from the General Headquarters of the Police and Fire Headquarters it analyzes the scale offire danger. It also presents the role of specialists in the detection of causes of fires. The article points the role ofinsurance (...) in the compensation of fire damage. (shrink)