Topic
Reinsurance
How Ottawa is trying to lower earthquake related property losses
December 7, 2020 by Greg MeckbachNatural Resources Canada is hoping to help insurers cut their loss costs with a yet-to-be released earthquake early warning system. The warning system could provide seconds to tens of seconds of warning before a location is affected by strong shaking,…
Mother Nature’s wrath
December 7, 2020 Derek ClouthierAlberta continues to endure the most expensive insured weather events in Canada. What’s happening and what can be done about it?
Storm System
October 15, 2020 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorSeveral pressures on rate suggest reinsurance premiums will rise during the January 2021 renewal season. By how much? Reinsurance execs look into the crystal ball
Cat bonds starting to attract this type of investor
October 15, 2020 by Greg MeckbachCatastrophe bonds are gaining a reputation as a socially responsible investment, a CatIQ Connect speaker said Wednesday. “Investors seeking investments in the [environmental, social and governance] market are starting to classify cat bonds as a responsible investment,” said Alyson Slater,…
The tough question for insurers withdrawing coverage from coal
October 14, 2020 by Greg MeckbachThe industry’s concern over carbon emissions, and their impact on climate change, raises the question of whether nuclear energy is better for the environment. “One the one hand, nuclear [energy] is a source of carbon-free power generation. On the other…
Insurers adding pandemic exclusions in commercial policies that go beyond just BI
September 2, 2020 by Greg MeckbachMany insurers that did not start adding pandemic exclusions this past July may have to do so in January, a Winnipeg-based executive with commercial brokerage Gallagher reports. “The majority of insurers – or all insurers – are adding specific wording…
Intact’s Brindamour: Why the hard market could last for up to two more years
August 20, 2020 by Greg MeckbachA hard market in reinsurance is among three main reasons why primary insurance rates will continue to rise for brokers’ clients for at least another year or two, Intact Financial Corp. CEO Charles Brindamour suggests. In a recent virtual fireside…
Reinsurers discuss the hard market, new bricks-and-mortar locations
August 18, 2020 by Jason ContantGiven the persisting novel coronavirus infections and the economic fallout from the pandemic, it seems unlikely any reinsurers would want to set up new physical locations this year, but that’s exactly what may happen, speakers said recently during an A.M.…
What an insurance solution for pandemic risk might look like
August 17, 2020 by Jason ContantThe P&C insurance industry has technical expertise it could bring to bear in covering future pandemics (risk management and claims adjustment experience, for example), but the financial losses would best be covered through public-private partnerships, speakers said recently during an…
Why A.M. Best sees the global reinsurance market as ‘stable’
August 13, 2020 by Jason ContantMonths into the COVID-19 pandemic, reinsurance industry observers are seeing a mixed forecast ahead and it’s too early to tell how the pandemic will affect rating actions, according to a recent A.M. Best webinar. “Obviously, the situation has gotten complicated…
The impact of Calgary’s hailstorm on North American H1 storm losses
August 11, 2020 by Jason ContantCanada’s costliest-ever hailstorm contributed to the largest insured losses in North America since the first half of 2011, according to preliminary natural catastrophe estimates from Swiss Re. The hailstorm that struck Calgary in June cost the industry $1.2 billion based…
Guy Carpenter names new head of Canadian operations
August 5, 2020 by David GambrillPeter Askew has been named president and CEO of the Canadian business of global reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, a business of Marsh & McLennan Companies. Effective immediately, Askew will be responsible for Guy Carpenter’s reinsurance broking activities…