Canadian Underwriter

Topic Emerging Risks

raindrops falling on the street
News CatastrophesClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLoss TrendsPersonal Home

Flood policy education: What brokers are up against

November 30, 2022 by David Gambrill

Half of Canadian homeowners have not purchased additional coverage for water damage, relying on a standard homeowner policy that does not cover risk of overland flood or water seepage into the home. Endorsements are available to extend coverage for water

IFRS 17 accounting standard
News Emerging RisksInsurersLoss TrendsOperations

How ready are Canadian insurers for IFRS 17?

November 30, 2022 by Jason Contant

Canadian insurers appear to be in a ‘pretty good place’ when it comes to implementation of the upcoming IFRS 17 insurance accounting standard but Canada’s federal solvency regulator recognizes the change is complex and will be challenging. “Accounting systems are

A lake in the shape of the world's continents in the middle of untouched nature.
News ClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLoss Trends

How the P&C industry responded to Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy

November 24, 2022 by David Gambrill

Canada announced today a total of $1.6 billion in new federal funding to help communities adapt to climate change by building infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters. The investment is part of the federal government’s new National Adaptation Strategy: Building

Intellectual property concepts
News ClaimsCommercialEmerging RisksLegalLiabilityMGAs

Why your SME client needs intellectual property ‘pursuit’ coverage

November 24, 2022 by Jason Contant

Your small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clients need to consider intellectual property (IP) ‘pursuit’ coverage to allow them to take on large corporations to protect their products and market share, a specialist insurance provider told Canadian Underwriter. A business’s ability

Hurricane Ian
News ClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLoss TrendsNew BrunswickNewfoundland & LabradorNova ScotiaOntarioP.E.I.Quebec

What reinsurance renewals could look like on Jan. 1

November 23, 2022 by David Gambrill

Global reinsurers are expected to raise property catastrophe rates “by well over 10%” in exposed areas during January 2023 renewals, a Fitch Ratings report stated. “We expect double-digit percentage premium rate rises for property catastrophe cover in 2023 driven by

Aerial view of harbour in Hamilton, Ont.
News ClaimsEmerging RisksEnvironmentalLiabilityOntario

Hamilton, Ont. mayor calls for investigation after sewer leak went undetected for 26 years

November 23, 2022 by The Canadian Press

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath is calling for an investigation after city staff discovered a pipe has been dumping sewage into the local harbour undetected for 26 years. Horwath says she has asked the city auditor to be brought in after

Man with a neck injury
News ClaimsClaims Canada ArchiveClaims ProfessionalsEmerging RisksInsurersLegalLoss ControlLoss TrendsOntarioPersonal Auto

The spreading tentacles of staged collision operations

November 22, 2022 by Jason Contant

Staged collisions in Canada remain a significant concern for auto insurers, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, where many interconnected players can make these operations difficult to infiltrate, an industry expert said at KPMG’s 2022 Insurance Conference last week. Violent

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 AlbertaClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLoss ControlPersonal AutoPersonal HomeTechnology

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 BrokersCyberEmerging RisksInsurersTechnology

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

Rollercoaster of interest rates and inflation
News Emerging RisksInsurersLoss ControlLoss TrendsOperationsSupply Chain

How OSFI expects insurers to react to market volatility

November 18, 2022 by Jason Contant

Canada’s solvency regulator is acutely focused on the current macroeconomic environment and expects insurers to practice ‘capital conservation’ due to market volatility, a senior executive said at an industry event Thursday. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI)

Car thief shining flashlight into the interior of a car
News ClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLegalPersonal Auto

Canada’s top-10 stolen cars

November 15, 2022 by David Gambrill

If there’s one supply chain Canada’s insurers would like to see disrupted, it’s the national, $1 billion business of auto theft rings supplying clients, unscrupulous dealers and chop shops with cars and auto parts. Of the $1 billion auto theft

Businessperson holding a pen on an interactive bar graph, showing upwardly trending results year over year
News CatastrophesClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersTrending

Why the hard market may be here to stay

November 15, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Despite 17 quarters of rate increases, insurers return on equity (ROE) is still below target, and these hard market conditions may not be going anywhere for awhile, a Gallagher executive said during an industry webinar.  Broker’s clients may be able