Swiss Re estimates its claims costs arising from the Feb. 22, 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand will be approximately $800 million, net of retrocession and before tax.Swiss Re estimated total insured claims for the insurance sector for the earthquake…
The Ontario Court of Justice has ruled that a FSCO settlement for income replacement benefits (IRBs) counts as a “collateral benefit” and is therefore deductible from a court award, but a settlement from the Ontario Superior Court related to short-…
Underride guards on tractor trailers can fail in relatively low-speed crashes, increasing the risk of a smaller vehicle lodging under the truck in the event of a collision, reported the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).Rear guards are the main…
Manitoba and Saskatchewan are facing a high probability of a spring flood, cautions the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).Since overland flooding is generally not covered by home insurance, homeowners are urged to take preventive action now, an IBC release says.“The…
FM Global reported a net income of $687 million in 2010, marking a decrease from 2009’s net income of $840 million.The mutual insurer also reported a 16% increase in policyholder surplus to $7.3 billion in 2010 despite an uptick in…
Insurers should consider the multiple benefits of remediating fuel spills to pre-spill conditions, even if new Canadian regulatory guidelines for handling and cleaning fuel spill sites apply to contaminated and Brownfield sites and not to domestic fuel spills.John Tidball, environmental…
The European Union’s highest court has outlawed any discrimination between men and women as actuarial factors when calculating premiums for life and property and casualty insurance policies. “The use of actuarial factors related to sex is widespread in the provision…
EGI Financial Holdings reported a boost in its 2010 Q4 net income, which the company attributes to “remedial actions” taken over the past six to 12 months to restore profitability.The company reported a 2010 Q4 net income of $3.3 million…
Travelers Canada has promoted vice president Francine Armel to lead its financial and professional services division. Armel joined Travelers Canada in 2005 in the financial and professional services division, which offers management liability and professional indemnity products for public, private…
Optimum West Insurance Company and Offsetters, a carbon management solutions provider based in Vancouver, B.C., have teamed up to bring a home insurance policy to the B.C. marketplace that offsets a household’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.Called the Optimum Green-Home Extension,…
QBE Insurance Group increased its underwriting profit by 19% in 2010, posting a $1.2-billion underwriting profit in 2010, compared to a $981-million underwriting profit the year previous.At the same time, the company’s net profit after tax slipped from $1.532 billion…
The Economical Insurance Group reported a 167% increase in net income in 2010, growing to $64.4 million from 2009’s net income of $24.1 million. The insurer reduced its combined ratio for the year to 103.3% from 107.9% in 2009. It…