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Topic Brokers

News AlbertaB.C.BrokersManagementMergers and AqcuisitionsOperations

Brokerage M&A roundup: Westland and BrokerTeam announce deals

October 2, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Westland Insurance Group and BrokerTeam Group have both announced separate deals this past week. Westland Insurance Group Ltd. acquired two Alberta brokerages, effective Oct. 1. Surrey, B.C.-based Westland announced Friday it closed the acquisition of Carstairs, Alta.-based Ironside Insurance Brokers

Feature BrokersCommercialRisk ManagersTrusted Advisor

The rise (and fall?) of specialization

October 1, 2020 by David Gambrill, Editor in Chief

Specialization continues to be a major growth strategy for brokers, as our third annual National Broker Survey shows. But has the pandemic exposed the limits to specialization…?

News BrokersClaimsClaims ProfessionalsCommercial AutoInsurersOntarioPersonal Auto

One certifiable way to improve the driver’s claims journey

October 1, 2020 by Adam Malik

Drivers in Ontario can anticipate a smoother claims journey if collision repair shops in the province are certified in the future as expected, according to a pair of experts. Currently, the national trade association that represents collision repairers is in

News BrokersClaimsClaims ProfessionalsCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersRisk Managers

Expectations and relevancy: What’s at risk for the P&C industry

September 30, 2020 by Adam Malik

If the property and casualty insurance industry doesn’t “come to grips” with meeting client needs, the industry is at risk of losing relevancy in the marketplace, warned an industry consultant. Phil Cook, who is also chairman of Omega Insurance Holdings,

News BrokersClaimsInsurersOntario

The collision industry is looking to certify shops. Will that impact auto premiums?

September 29, 2020 by Adam Malik

A push to certify Ontario collision repair shops could impact insurance rates and see premiums come down, says one automotive expert. Whether or not it does, such a move will still positively affect the insurance industry, adds an Insurance Bureau

News B.C.BrokersPersonal Auto

Broker lands in hot water after a man receives a surprise gift from his father-in-law

September 29, 2020 by David Gambrill

A B.C. broker received a $1,000 fine and was ordered to complete a course in auto insurance for her role in trying to help a man purchase a car for his son-in-law. The provincial broker regulator found that the broker,

News AlbertaB.C.BrokersTechnologyTrusted Advisor

What this insurtech says are two ways of being better than the average broker

September 28, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

If you want to be better than the average brokerage, try explaining coverages through the use of examples and try not making consumers wait for days for answers, the co-founder of an insurtech advises. “Insurance can be somewhat stuffy and

News BrokersInsurersLoss TrendsOperations

How long will it take to get out of this hard market?

September 28, 2020 by Adam Malik

After setting aside as to whether or not we’re in a hard market, industry consultant Phil Cook said he expects the hard market to last into 2022. Cook, who is also chairman of Omega Insurance Holdings, typically gives his Industry

News BrokersCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersLiability

‘Bold and underline that’ — What this Aon exec says is the top reinsurance issue

September 25, 2020 by Adam Malik

Social inflation is the top item of concern for an Aon reinsurance executive, even if it’s an issue being exacerbated in the United States rather than in Canada. “I would bold and underline that — that is, I think, the

News BrokersCyberEmerging RisksInsurersLiabilityLicensingTechnology

The insurance implications of virtual healthcare in the COVID era

September 24, 2020 by Jason Contant

As more and more Canadians take advantage of virtual healthcare options during the COVID-19 pandemic, brokers and insurers need to make sure their clients have adequate insurance protection for this emerging risk. The move to medical consultations by video or

News BrokersCommercialInsurers

What you need to do to get your client’s submission approved by underwriters

September 24, 2020 by Adam Malik

Brokers need to pay close attention to the quality of submissions they make on behalf of clients to underwriters because the smallest missing detail can be the difference in whether or not the application is approved. Underwriters are swamped these

News BrokersInsurers

Commercial clients that may take the longest to recover from the pandemic

September 23, 2020 by Adam Malik

After early hopes that brokers and insurers might be able to sell more commercial premium early next year as small businesses activity normalizes, a new report finds that it may be upwards of a year-and-a-half on average for a return