Canadian Underwriter

Topic
Technology


Cloud file folder being accessed by an insurance broker
News BrokersInsuranceMergers and AqcuisitionsProfessional DevelopmentTechnology

Do digitally efficient brokerages make better acquisition targets?

December 2, 2022 Alyssa DiSabatino

Brokerage owners shouldn’t just invest in digitization for its own sake, says one financial advisor. They should do it to make a purchase and integration easier for consolidators. Consolidators don’t necessarily expect small brokerages to digitize before acquisition, said Alex

Mechanic spot welding a car part at auto garage
News BrokersClaimsInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

Why ‘claims holiday’ is coming to an end for auto insurers

December 1, 2022 by Jason Contant

The ‘claims holiday’ auto insurers enjoyed the last couple of years is coming to an end. Auto physical damage losses in some provinces are elevated despite fewer collisions, according to a new report from Navacord brokerage Lloyd Sadd. Insurers’ auto

Discussing cyber insurance while using a laptop
News Commercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesRiskTechnology

Is cyber insurance underwriting headed in the right direction?

November 29, 2022 by Jason Contant

New exclusions and strict requirements to obtain cyber insurance have dramatically improved the sophistication of underwriting processes, but one large consulting and advisory firm is questioning whether this is the right approach for the market to take. “[Chief information security

Unsafe computer network
News ClaimsCommercial LinesInsuranceTechnology

Cyber incident cancels online classes, knocks out email, phones at school board  

November 28, 2022 The Canadian Press

WHITBY, Ont. – The Durham District School Board says online classes have been cancelled after it was subject to what it’s calling a “cyber incident.”   The board, which serves Oshawa and the surrounding region east of Toronto, says it learned

Laptop with ransomware attack
News Commercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

Ontario union victim of ransomware attack, notifies members of personal data compromised

November 24, 2022 The Canadian Press

TORONTO – The union representing public high school teachers in Ontario says it was the victim of a ransomware attack earlier this year that compromised members’ personal information. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation says it discovered in late May

A giant fireball is seen as a wild fire rips through the forest 16 km south of Fort McMurray, Alberta on highway 63 on May 7, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
News CatastrophesClaimsInsuranceProductsRiskTechnology

Why insurers should invest in genetically modified trees

November 22, 2022 by David Gambrill

Insurance companies should consider investing in genetically-modified, slow-burning trees to mitigate wildfire damage, according to a first-prize pitch at the WinterHack 2022: Design Thinking Ideathon. “We will be taking advantage of state-of-the-art biotechnology and building upon it to create a

A man wearing a blue shirt sits with a laptop on his lap. On the screen is a padlock icon.
News BrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesRiskTechnology

Cyber insurers’ appetites are shifting. Here’s what to expect…

November 21, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Canada’s ongoing hard market in cyber has seen most insurers capping their coverage at somewhere between $3-million and $5-million, experts observed in a Gallagher Talks session.   “We’re seeing exclusions for known [software] vulnerabilities [and] capacity restrictions as well,” said

Truck on the highway
News BrokersCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesRiskTechnology

Insurers urge trucking fleets to use telematics data more proactively

November 17, 2022 by David Gambrill

Insurance companies are looking for truck fleets to manage their telematics data more proactively through the development of individual driver scorecard programs. “Insurance companies expect that [trucking fleets] don’t just have the [telematics] technology, but they’re doing something with the

Woman packing her office belongings in a box
News BrokersInsuranceTechnology

Canadian insurtech announces layoffs

November 16, 2022 by David Gambrill

Vancouver-based insurtech Apollo Insurance has laid off approximately 25% of its workforce of about 125 people across Canada, according to one source familiar with the matter. Employees were told during a 9 a.m. meeting, Pacific Time, according to the source,

Blocks in a pyramid shape with silhouettes of executives
News Commercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

How Canada’s D&O and cyber insurance markets are shifting

November 14, 2022 by David Gambrill

Softer market conditions in Canada’s D&O insurance market have arrived, with ample capacity and decreased pricing in this class of business in 2023 Q3, according to Aon. “The [Canadian D&O] market transition further accelerated in Q3, especially for public companies

Woman using a mobile phone while charging an electric car
News Climate ChangeInsuranceTechnology

Delays for new hybrid, electric cars reach years – not months – amid supply crunch

November 14, 2022 Brett Bundale - THE CANADIAN PRESS

When Jesse Chiasson called a car dealership last month to buy a new vehicle, he ended up paying $1,000 to be put on a waitlist instead. “The salesman was pretty vague but hinted it could be 2024 by the time

Car bodies on an assembly line factory
News InsuranceTechnology

Auto parts producers see supply chains improving but shutdowns still weigh

November 8, 2022 Ian Bickis - THE CANADIAN PRESS

Canadian auto parts makers say the supply picture is improving and helping boost their bottom line, but disruptions continue to weigh on operations and profits. Magna International Inc. said Friday the picture has improved significantly from last year as global