Topic
Reinsurance
Excess of loss case should be heard in Canada, not New York: court
January 10, 2022 by David GambrillSeveral excess insurers have lost their bid to have a lawsuit take place in New York instead of Ontario in a mining insurance case brought before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Nine of 22 excess insurers argued that the…
What Canadian insurers paid for reinsurance in Jan. renewals
January 5, 2022 by David GambrillReinsurance rate increases for catastrophes in Canadian property lines depended on whether the carriers’ portfolios took a hit last year, with 10% to 20% rate increases for catastrophe portfolios that took a loss, and 5% to 10% increases for those…
These socioeconomic factors are driving up property claims
December 7, 2021 by Greg MeckbachUrbanization, the increasing popularity of solar panels and a greater awareness of what is covered insurance are among the factors driving an escalation of insured property losses, a speaker suggested at last week’s CatIQ Connect conference. “Urbanization means that we…
Four uninsurable cyber risks
November 2, 2021 by Greg MeckbachLosses caused by cyber wars – and widespread outages of electricity and telecommunications – are essentially uninsurable, Munich Re experts suggest. “Historically, in property insurance, damages caused by war have been seen as uninsurable,” said Tim Zeilman, vice president and…
A fire season like none other
October 6, 2021 Jason Contant, Online EditorEven as B.C. wildfires continue to burn, investigations begin and claims start rolling in.
A.M. Best unveils new estimate of reinsured COVID losses
September 3, 2021 by Greg MeckbachRecognized COVID-related losses are about US$40 billion for the global reinsurance industry, A.M. Best Company Inc. said in a reported released Aug. 30. Original estimates of insured COVID losses “easily exceeded” twice that US$40 billion figure, “with around half the…
How Fairfax is reserving for COVID-19 business interruption reinsurance charges
August 4, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe uncertainty around business interruption insurance coverage and the impact of a United Kingdom Supreme Court are among the reasons Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings has put aside more than US$80 million this year in COVID-19 reserves. Fairfax reported July 29…
Why insured losses from Barrie twister may be higher than you think
July 16, 2021 by Greg MeckbachThe number of Barrie, Ont. clients whose homes are damaged beyond repair by Thursday’s tornado may be more than initially reported, an industry expert predicted Friday. The tornado touched down at about 2:30 p.m. July 15, the Canadian Press reported.…
Elsa’s forecasted impact on the Maritimes
July 7, 2021 by David GambrillTropical Storm Elsa is tracking to hit the Maritimes this weekend as a post-tropical storm, potentially dumping up to 50 mm of rain in areas of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Currently hitting the Gulf Coast of…
How reinsurance prices could come down
June 29, 2021 by Greg MeckbachRecord-low interest rates are making insurance-linked securities attractive to some investors, and this could be good news for primary insurers. ILS includes but is not limited to catastrophe bonds, said Marcos Alvarez, Toronto-based senior vice president and head of insurance…
Why you can expect your reinsurance rates to go up on renewal
April 6, 2021 by David GambrillReinsurers in Canada’s P&C industry had a rough time negotiating through COVID last year, with the sector’s overall combined ratio skyrocketing from a profitable 92.6% in 2019 to an unprofitable 103.7% in 2020. Claims costs were a major force behind…
Pandemic distraction: Is Canada ready for the next big disaster?
March 30, 2021 by David GambrillFocused narrowly on responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic — and preparing for the next one — Canada may be losing sight of preparing for other, potentially more likely disaster scenarios, P&C insurance industry executives commented at the Swiss Re…