Topic
Brokers
Navacord’s first deal of the year
February 29, 2024 by Jason ContantCommercial insurance brokerage Navacord Corp. has completed its first transaction of the year with a partnership with Winnipeg-based Avant Insurance. Announced Wednesday, the deal with the personal and commercial lines brokerage was effective Feb. 1. Navacord said in a press…
Meet your new underwriting assistant: GenAI
February 28, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoGenerative AI (GenAI) won’t replace underwriters, but you can train it to be your underwriting assistant, one AI expert shared at an industry event Tuesday. “In North America, there are quite a few insurers that are going through proof of…
Why brokers are embracing the ‘bots
February 27, 2024 by Jason ContantRobotic process automation (RPA) used to automate brokers’ repetitive tasks has become a much more mainstream technology over the past year or two, the co-founder of software robot tech company Quandri told Canadian Underwriter in an interview. “A couple of…
Pricing still affects brokers’ ability to sell cyber
February 27, 2024 David GambrillTo the surprise of no one in the broker channel, the ongoing hard market in cyber still plays a significant role in why clients decline to buy coverage. About 40% of brokers responding to a recent CU survey selected ‘Price…
Employees may dig their heels in on hybrid work
February 22, 2024 Alyssa Di SabatinoWorking five days a week in an insurance office is a thing of the past, industry experts are saying. But P&C industry leaders are still debating whether client experience, workplace culture, and productivity gels with a hybrid work model. “Within…
Air Canada chatbot error shows liability implications of AI
February 21, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAir Canada has been ordered to uphold a policy fabricated by its AI customer chatbot in a recent Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) dispute. The decision is a cautionary tale for why clients need to be sure their AI chatbots…
Brokers needn’t advise new Canadians to obtain a provincial driver’s licence
February 20, 2024 by David GambrillInsurance brokers in B.C. aren’t required to advise clients new to Canada that they must apply for a provincial driver’s licence within 90 days of residency in the province, B.C.’s Civil Rules Tribunal has ruled. “I find that the duty…
PE-driven M&A is slowing, despite record deals in 2023
February 20, 2024 by Alyssa DiSabatinoDespite some consolidators slowing their pace — namely, private equity firms — Canadian insurance brokerage M&A reached a record level of deals in 2023. There were 108 publicly announced deals last year, Smythe LLP, a P&C insurance advisory and consulting…
CU Poll: Ontario’s DCPD auto reform widely viewed as a flop
February 16, 2024 by David GambrillOntario’s property and casualty insurance professionals have widely panned the provincial government’s latest move to make mandatory Direct Collision Physical Damage (DCPD) coverage optional to reduce premiums. Canadian Underwriter conducted an online poll with more than 400 P&C professionals nationwide…
What brokers need to discuss with hospitality clients
February 16, 2024 Philip PoradoHospitality providers are gradually emerging from a pandemic-era slump that nearly scuppered the industry in 2020 and 2021. The new normal, though, means restaurateurs, venue owners and other businesses likely need to review their insurance coverages and consider some very specific…
Making clients valuable to your brokerage for the long term
February 15, 2024 Adam MitchellWhen it comes to ensuring clients have the right products and coverage levels, life insurance brokers are doing things much better than personal lines brokers. But there’s no reason the P&C industry can’t operate at that level. You can’t sell…
Why D&O price cuts may not be justified
February 15, 2024 David GambrillSofter market conditions reported in some professional liability lines are premature and unjustified, a global reinsurer told September’s National Insurance Conference of Canada (NICC) in Montreal. The NICC reinsurance panel followed a presentation on the global economy by Swiss Re’s…