Lower car insurance costs, a new CBD drink, and a new sheriff for company law

Drivers could benefit from lower motor insurance costs following an investigation by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), writes Barry O'Halloran. This comes as insurance companies AIG, Allianz, Axa, Aviva, FBD and broker AA Ireland have pledged to reform compliance on foot of a CCPC investigation into allegations that industry players were "signalling" price increases to each other.

Barry also reports that competition regulators hope to get new powers this year after securing the agreement with the companies.

Four sports stars are among a number of angel investors who have invested a combined €2 million into Mynd, a new plant-based CBD drink. Charlie Taylor has the details on the new product, which is being led by Simon Allen and is already on sale.

Charlie also reports on moves by an Irish-founded company that wants to spread its indoor rock climbing centres all across Britain. The Climbing Hangar has raised £4 million (€4.7 million) to help with its expansion plans.

Motor insurance cost may fall after watchdog investigation

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Goldman Sachs to buy Dutch asset manager for €1.6bn

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ECB’s revamp of interest rate plans just first step, Philip Lane says

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Thrive alive-oh: Arianna Huffington sets her sights on Dublin

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In a long-read Agenda piece, Mark Paul takes a look at what the new Corporate Enforcement Authority, essentially the sheriff for company law, will look like when it is set up next year. He considers the performance of its predecessor, the Director of Corporate Enforcement, and asks how the better-resourced reboot might work differently.

And in his Caveat column, Mark asks if we are all in the grip of a Nphet-imposed 'culture of fear', as suggested by one music promoter this week. As the inevitably fatigued events sector continues to lobby for a reopening, Mark wonders if it might be time to "breathe a little".

Arianna Huffington tells Charlie Taylor all about her decision to set up shop in Dublin as part of her latest venture, Thrive Global. The Huffington Post founder says the venture amounts to a mission to end employee stress and burnout, describing Dublin as " an amazing tech hub" with "incredible engineering talent". She also reveals that she knows Ireland well, having for years attended the Wexford Opera Festival, staying at Whites of Wexford, now the Clayton Whites Hotel.

John FitzGerald uses his weekly economics column to survey the world of vaccines in light of the experience of the past year. What worked and what didn't in terms of how vaccines were developed, produced and delivered, he asks, and what might be done better if we find ourselves here again?

In our Work section, Olive Keogh looks at how employers can best "onboard" new staff when all involved are working remotely. It should be all about community and culture, she writes, with thought given to how new staff might get the chance to properly experience the philosophy of the workplace.

Laura Slattery takes us on a tour of the week on Planet Business, making sense (sort of) of caffeine price rises and changes to Twitter, via the latest German adventures of Elon Musk.

This week's Wild Goose is Dr Enda Murray, a native of Drogheda in Co Louth who has ended up as the founder of the Irish Film Festival Australia. Dr Murray also teaches communications at Macquarie University, telling Pádraig Collins about how a visit to an older sibling in 1977 helped shape his passion for film.

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