Table of Contents

Print Archives

Canadian Underwriter - April 2013

Features

Getting Ready for ORSA
Canada, along with the rest of the world, will be subject to new Own Risk and Solvency Assessment rules in the future. ORSA is intended to provide a more effective means for insurers and insurance regulators to be able to effectively monitor insurance risk and capital requirements on a prospective, rather than retrospective, basis.

Power to the Consumer
With changing times putting consumers front and centre, they wield considerable influence over what constitutes good service. Property and casualty insurers looking to maintain and enhance profitability in 2013 and beyond are advised to adopt a more consumer-centric business model.

Turn in the Road
Nova Scotia's planned auto reforms came into effect April 1, but did not include a controversial optional tort product for minor injuries - which was "deferred" by the provincial government for further study. Other changes, such as diagnostic and treatment protocols for minor injuries, are full speed ahead.

Who do you tell?
A seasoned broker who maintains good relationships with current and former clients notices that she is losing business to another producer. Upon investigation, she discovers the advice being provided by the other broker may be putting clients at risk. What's an ethical broker to do?

Pull to Push
Economical Insurance is launching a pilot involving eight broker partners to test the functionality of its eDocs solution, based on the Centre for Study of Insurance Operations' (CSIO) XML standard. The goal is to help brokers realize enhanced efficiencies by pushing declaration documents electronically to their broker management systems.

Solid Investment
Technology offers potential solutions for property and casualty insurers looking for ways to build profitable growth. But technology also presents challenges, making it critically important that companies pursue the right investments in claims systems and organizations.

Both Sides Now
Understanding international business practices and regulatory protocols are critical drivers for client and broker success on the global stage. To effectively manage this added cross-border risk, brokers need a firm grasp of both the risks associated with their clients' industries and the legal requirements in which they operate.

Pinpointing Peril
Location, location, location. The oft-repeated objective when purchasing real estate becomes critically important when the goal is to determine how location history can influence future risk. Understanding risk from proximity to peril is essential.

Departments

Cover story

Get Connected
Computers are supposed to save time and effort, but too many brokers still spend too much time re-entering data from their own records into insurance carrier systems. Combine that wasted time with what some analysts see as an industry that lags other sectors in capitalizing on readily available technology to maintain existing - and attract new - business, and resources may be diverted away from what brokers see as fundamental: face-to-face contact.

Marketplace

Marketplace

Moves & Views

Moves and Views

Opinion/Analysis

Plus ça change
In insurance, as in everything else, the more things change, the more they stay the same. What are the top drivers of change? How well are they understood? And what implications will they have on how business is done?

Growth Potential
A new professorship at the University of Manitoba's I.H. Asper School of Business, funded by Guy Carpenter & Company, offers an opportunity to take the global lead by conducting academic research in agricultural risk management and insurance from an actuarial perspective.

Editorial

Piece by piece

Profile

The Go-Between
Ross Totten may have announced his retirement (from the Totten Group), but seems not to be slowing down. His next role as consultant will allow him to tackle whatever venture strikes his fancy.