Ontdek onze samenvatting van de belangrijkste headlines in de verzekeringssector in België met slechts een scroll!
A new belgian insurance holding dedicated to niche markets
30/10/2025- Source
VdH (Vander Haeghen) and Beluga Insurance Solutions have joined forces to create United Underwriters, a new independent insurance holding dedicated to niche markets. This platform brings together specialized underwriters while preserving their autonomy and identity, with the ambition to foster innovation and deliver more personalized insurance solutions.
Combining Beluga’s expertise in Financial Lines (cyber, professional liability, directors & officers) with VdH’s know-how in rare risks (art, luxury real estate, exceptional vehicles), the group starts with €33 million in consolidated revenue, 40 employees, and over 700 broker partners. This initiative reflects the growing momentum of specialized players within the Belgian insurance market.
Ethias invests in the ImpaktEU impact fund to strengthen the social and inclusive economy
29/10/2025- Source
Ethias reinforces its commitment to responsible finance by investing €3 million in the Belgian-European impact fund ImpaktEU, created by Funds For Good and Inpulse. Supported by Impact Finance Belgium, this partnership aims to demonstrate that economic resilience also depends on tangible social and environmental investments. With this initiative, Ethias diversifies its portfolio while strengthening its support for social economy, microfinance, and inclusive impact projects.
Launched in 2022, ImpaktEU targets €50 million in assets by 2026 and aims to create 15,000 jobs by financing projects focused on social inclusion, agricultural transition, inclusive real estate, and local relocalization.
Yann Fantoli, Sustainable Investment Specialist at Ethias, will sit on the fund’s Board of Directors to help guide its strategic direction and ensure the tangible impact of the supported projects. This initiative reflects the growing influence of impact finance, as institutional investors increasingly collaborate with local actors to build a fairer and more inclusive economy.
Long-term absenteeism reaches a new record high again
23/10/2025- Source
Long-term absenteeism in Belgium has reached a new record high in the first half of 2025, with 3.51% of employees absent for more than a year — a 4% increase compared to 2024. According to Securex, over 105,000 workers are currently on long-term sick leave. The rise is particularly sharp among part-time workers, whose absenteeism rate grew from 2.13% in 2014 to 5.41% in 2025, compared to 2.99% for full-time staff. Women are significantly more affected (4.79%) than men (2.68%), especially those working part-time (6.37%). While short- and medium-term absences have stabilized, overall sickness-related absenteeism continues to climb slightly to 8.70%.
Securex highlights the need for employers to promote work-life balance and better support workers with caregiving responsibilities to reduce long-term absences.
Note that three years after the legal obligation came into force, roughly one in four Belgian companies still lacks a formal policy for absenteeism and reintegration of long-term sick workers, according to an expert survey by Acerta. Although 90 % of employers report having had at least one long-term sick employee, only 12.5 % consider their policy fully developed, while 61.7 % say theirs is only partly formulated.
Insurers are reviewing their remote work policies
23/10/2025- Source
Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, many Belgian insurers are rethinking their hybrid work policies. AXA Belgium will require managers to be in the office three days a week from January 2026, a rule that will later apply to all staff.
Allianz has set two on-site days for all employees and three for executives, while AG Insurance maintains two mandatory days with stricter enforcement.
Employers argue this strengthens team cohesion, but unions criticize the shift, saying it emphasizes control over trust and undermines flexibility.
In contrast, Ethias keeps a more flexible model based on dialogue and shared responsibility, allowing teams to decide arrangements according to their tasks. The company views telework as a tool for collective efficiency rather than a right or duty.
The debate reflects a broader cultural shift in post-pandemic work: many Belgians now value work-life balance and want more remote options.
One in seven employees opts for warrants in their cafeteria plan.
09/10/2025- Source
A recent analysis by Acerta of more than 13,000 Belgian employees participating in cafeteria plans reveals a strong rise in the popularity of warrants (stock options) in 2025. Their use increased by 20.8%, making them the fastest-growing benefit, now chosen by 14.5% of participants. This trend highlights a growing interest in flexible, performance-linked compensation options.
Despite this surge, the most popular cafeteria benefits remain pension savings (24.1%), followed by multimedia equipment (21.9%) and extra vacation days (18.1%). The report also notes clear generational differences: older employees tend to favor hospitalization insurance and pension-related benefits, while younger workers prefer digital tools and flexible work arrangements.
Acerta concludes that the increased adoption of warrants reflects both employees’ search for fiscal optimization and employers’ willingness to offer more personalized and motivational reward packages.
Ethias expands its life insurance offering
09/10/2025- Source
Ethias expands its life insurance offering with “Vitalia”, a Branch 21 life insurance policy with an open-ended duration that allows policyholders to receive a lifetime annuity after a capitalization phase. Following the launch of “Ethias Savings 21” and “Ethias Savings 26”, this new solution is part of Ethias’s long-term strategy to offer sustainable products in the field of individual protection and savings.
Vitalia is designed for young seniors aged 50 to 70 who wish to anticipate the drop in income associated with retirement. The annuity can be received starting at age 63, depending on the policyholder’s choice.
Based on the payment of a single premium, with no possibility of additional contributions, Vitalia guarantees a minimum annuity of:
€250 per month, quarter, or semester, or
€500 per year.
The monthly annuity cannot exceed €2,000.
Axa has equipped 1,250 insurance brokers with tools to face climate risks
03/10/2025- Source
AXA Belgium reaffirms its commitment to helping society adapt to climate change by equipping 1,250 insurance brokers with tools, training, and expertise to better advise clients on climate-resilience strategies. This initiative is part of AXA’s broader ambition to make the Belgian insurance sector a proactive player in mitigating and managing climate-related risks.
While AXA’s recent study paints an alarming picture of the growing impact of climate change, it remains constructive and solution-oriented. The report outlines several concrete adaptation measures that Belgian companies and local authorities can implement to better cope with its effects, including:
Awareness campaigns on heat-related health symptoms
Redesigning workspaces with more greenery
Adjusting working hours during heatwaves
Greening riverbanks and installing green roofs
Relocating vulnerable infrastructure
Building protective systems such as dikes or mobile barriers
Reforestation and sustainable water management
Ageas completes the acquisition of esure
30/09/2025- Source
The completion of the acquisition of esure represents a major milestone for the Group, establishing Ageas as one of the top three personal lines insurers in the UK. This development ensures a balanced and diversified distribution network across Direct, the prominent PCW channel, brokers, and partnerships, while also expanding the range of customer demographics served.
As previously communicated, the total consideration for the acquisition is GBP 1.295 billion (EUR 1.510 billion). Including the full impact of the acquisitions of esure and Saga, the Group’s pro forma Solvency II ratio would stand at a very resilient 205%.
Today, Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates (Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines). It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.
Digital insurance: Axa remains at the top of the Sia ranking
30/09/2025- Source
According to a recent ranking by consulting firm Sia, AXA Belgium has been named the country’s top digital insurer, ahead of Belfius Direct and KBC Assurances, and even ranks among the global top 10 of 110 insurers across 13 countries. The study assessed the online customer journey for car and home insurance, from information search to claims declaration. AXA stood out for its clear, flexible, and user-friendly digital experience, enabling real-time simulations and policy adjustments. The report highlights a growing digital gap in the sector, as many insurers like AG Insurance or Allianz still do not offer fully online contracts. AI is seen as the next major driver of transformation, with smarter chatbots, automated risk assessments, and photo-based damage evaluations. However, human intermediaries will remain essential as trusted advisors in this increasingly digital environment.
