The number of so-called ‘green’ or environmentally friendly products is on the rise, and there has been a corresponding up-tick in the number of ‘greenwashing’ liability suits against companies accused of exaggerating the environmental benefits of their products, says Levick…
The financial strength ratings (FSR) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of 33 Canadian property/casualty companies have been affirmed by A.M. Best Co. Additionally, one company had its FSR and ICR confirmed, four had their ICRs upgraded, four had their FSRs…
The European Union is moving ahead with the creation of a European Systemic Risk Board, which will monitor and assess potential threats to financial stability, the European Council has decided.In addition, “where necessary,” the risk board in a financial crisis…
A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb” and the unsecured debt ratings of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited of Toronto (TSE, NYSE: FFH). “The ratings of Fairfax recognize the quality of its ongoing operations, which are…
When determining death benefits under the province’s Automobile Accident Insurance Act, Saskatchewan’s government auto insurer, SGI, should use the same accounting method for calculating income as the deceased, the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan has ruled.The decision considered whether the…
Piracy risk should be removed from general hull and machinery policies and placed with war insurance policies, a report from Allianz says.In the report, Piracy: An ancient risk with modern faces, Dr. Sven Gerhard, global head of hull insurance at…
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has overturned an order to dismiss, on account of delay, two motor vehicle insurance claims (each of which has lasted for six years or longer) that arose from an October 2001 auto accident.A court…
The University of Western Ontario, in affiliation with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), has received funding to build the first wind tunnel that will simulate a tornado. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation has confirmed Cdn$9.5 million to build…
Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is requesting no overall increase in its basic Autopac rates beginning Mar. 1, 2010.If the Public Utilities Board approves MPI’s rates proposed for 2010, the average passenger vehicle premium will fall by $2 to Cdn$886, an…
The only product in the Canadian (re)insurance market experiencing cutbacks is credit insurance, said Jack Lee, national marketing manager at BFL Canada, in BFL’s publication The Cover Note.In a question-and-answer section on the state of the (re)insurance market, Lee also…
Sixty-five per cent of survey respondents living in Alberta indicated they had not sought competitive auto insurance quotes in the past two years, according to a 2009 public perception survey commissioned by the Alberta Automobile Insurance Rate Board (AIRB).The survey…
An actuarial analysis presented to the Alberta Automobile Insurance Rate Board (AIRB) has suggested a 3% decrease in rates, assuming a cap on minor injury remains in place. This is in contrast to Insurance Bureau of Canada’s request for a…