Switching broker · Consolidation · 2026

Your insurance broker has been acquired — what now?

If a bigger group has bought your broker, you're far from alone. It doesn't have to be a problem — but it is a good moment to check you're still well looked after.

Part of: When to switch business insurance broker

In short

A wave of consolidation has seen many independent UK brokers bought by larger acquirers, so it's common to find the firm you signed up with is now part of a group. Your existing policies stay valid, and often little changes at first. What can change over time is the service model: a new account handler, more centralised servicing, a different panel of insurers, and pressure to move you onto the group's own products. None of that is automatically bad — but if the personal relationship that made your broker useful has gone, you're free to move, at renewal or mid-term.

What typically changes after an acquisition

Your point of contact. The person who knew your business may leave or be reassigned; you may be routed through a central service team instead.
The insurer panel. Larger groups often place business through their own preferred markets or facilities, which can change where — and on what terms — your risk is placed at renewal.
Cross-selling. You may be encouraged onto the group's own schemes or additional products.
Renewal handling. Renewals can become more automated and less individually negotiated, so it's worth checking your price is still being tested against the market.

What to check before you decide

Who is my named contact now, and can I reach them directly?
Is my risk still being re-marketed at renewal, or just rolled over?
Has anything in my cover, excess or terms changed since the acquisition?
Am I being moved onto a group scheme, and does it genuinely fit my business?

If the answers are reassuring, staying put is perfectly sensible. If they're not, a second opinion costs you nothing.

Moving is straightforward

Your policies belong to you, not the broker. You can appoint a new broker at renewal, or mid-term — replacement cover is arranged before anything is cancelled, so there's no gap, and any live claims stay with the insurer on risk. All a new broker needs is your current schedule, renewal notice and claims history.

Frequently asked

Is my policy still valid if my broker was acquired?

Yes. The policy is a contract with your insurer, not the broker, so an acquisition doesn't affect the cover itself. What can change is who services it and how it's renewed.

Do I have to move brokers if my broker is acquired?

No, and equally you don't have to stay. You can appoint a different broker whenever you like; you're not tied to the firm that was acquired.

Will switching broker after an acquisition affect my claims history?

No. Your claims history follows you regardless of broker, and any claim already in progress remains with the insurer that was on risk.

How do I know if I'm still getting a competitive deal after my broker was acquired?

Ask whether your renewal was re-marketed or simply rolled over. If it wasn't tested against other insurers, a specialist broker can do that and show you the difference.

Broker been taken over? Get an independent second opinion.

Send us your renewal and a named Apex broker will tell you plainly whether your cover and price still stack up — with no pressure to move.

Get a second opinion → Request a callback

Apex Insurance Brokers is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 724952). This page is general information, not advice.