Topic Emerging Risks
Hot spell hikes risks of flooding, avalanches and fire across British Columbia
April 27, 2023 by The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – As British Columbia heads into its first warm spell of the year, forecasters are warning the heat could raise avalanche and flood risks, while the danger of wildfires has already nudged up to a “moderate” rating in some…
The case for encrypting your clients’ cyber policies
April 26, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoTo balance out loss ratios, cyber insurers have been rolling out new security requirements and best practices for policyholders, and one managing general agent (MGA) says the next logical step for consumer protection is encrypted cyber policies. If a cybercriminal…
Bank of Canada considered raising interest rates at its last meeting
April 26, 2023 by Nojoud Al Mallees - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The Bank of Canada considered raising interest rates earlier this month, as it feared being too slow to react to sticky inflation. In its summary of deliberations released Wednesday, the central bank says its governing council contemplated another…
How brokers can help curb distracted driving
April 26, 2023 by David GambrillEditor’s Note: This article has been updated show 83% would be motivated to stop distracted driving behaviours if offered an insurance discount, and has updated Paul Stone’s title. Brokers can help put a stop to distracted driving by making…
Auto insurers take note: Why this economic downturn is so unusual
April 25, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada’s sluggish economy might be headed for a ‘shallow downturn,’ but it’s unique in the sense there’s also pent-up demand for motor vehicles, said BMO Financial Group chief economist Douglas Porter during an industry event last week. “Anybody here who…
Oilsands emissions could be underestimated by current measuring methods, study says
April 24, 2023 by Bob Weber - THE CANADIAN PRESSNew federal research suggests greenhouse gas emissions from the Alberta oilsands may be significantly underestimated, adding to a growing pile of studies that say our understanding of what is going into the atmosphere is incomplete. In a paper published last…
Is Canada still heading toward a recession?
April 21, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada will likely not experience a recession in the traditional sense but rather a ‘shallow downturn,’ BMO Financial Group’s chief economist Douglas Porter said at an industry event Thursday. “I’m reluctant to call what we’re looking at in Canada a…
Flood backstop, check. Now, what’s the industry’s next agenda item?
April 21, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoNow that Canada has introduced a commitment to a backstop for high-risk flood insurance, the next item for change should be an government earthquake backstop, a panellist noted at the the Insurance Institute of Canada’s Symposium in Toronto Wednesday. Arguably,…
Can risk management companies close the talent gap?
April 20, 2023 by Jason ContantA high percentage of today’s pool of risk managers has been working in the industry a long time, and the next largest group are fairly new to the business. Those in the younger group “are excited about what they’ve done…
How brokers should approach a client who wants to drop DCPD coverage
April 19, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoBrokers with clients looking to save money would be better off helping them understand how affordable a coverage is, rather than opting out of OPCF-49, or Direct Compensation-Property Damage (DCPD) coverage, one expert told Canadian Underwriter. Starting on Jan. 1,…
2 reasons why Canadian P&C industry’s hard market may linger
April 18, 2023 by David GambrillComing out of the pandemic, the global economic environment still contains two ingredients for ongoing hard market conditions in Canada’s P&C insurance sector — high inflation, and a lack of global reinsurance capacity. “If you look at the picture behind…
Why DEI plays into broker employee satisfaction — and turnover
April 17, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoAmid a shortage of P&C industry talent, brokerages should heed the fact there may be a subtle risk to failing to address diversity — employee attrition. Brokers working in organizations without diversity in senior leadership are three times more likely to…