Canadian Underwriter

Topic Emerging Risks

Smoke and fire burns through a dense evergreen forest
News AlbertaB.C.Emerging RisksEnvironmentalInsurersNWTSaskatchewan

Why B.C’s heat dome puts the industry on alert for wildfires

August 18, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatino

A heat wave building across western Canada and the Prairies could worsen wildfires, which have already burned more hectares this year over last despite fewer fires to date, one industry expert observes. This week, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan will

A person wearing goggles and controlling a drone in the sky
News Business InterruptionClaimsCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersLoss ControlTechnology

How tech is helping insurers mitigate equipment breakdown losses

August 17, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatino

The use of drones has accelerated some loss control operations in equipment breakdown insurance, but there are pros and cons to using these technology advancements says Doug Laurin, Director, National Energy & Equipment Breakdown at Intact. A benefit is that

High cost of housing repairs are fueling rising insurance claims costs
News Business InterruptionClaimsClaims ProfessionalsClaims TechnologyCommercialCommercial AutoConstructionEmerging RisksInsurersLoss ControlLoss TrendsPersonal AutoPersonal Home

Deloitte report: How microeconomic factors will impact claims costs

August 17, 2022 by Philip Porado

Yes, overall inflation is high. One trip to the grocery store demonstrates that faster than a macroeconomics refresher lecture. So will a glance at Canada’s June 2022 Consumer Price Index, which jumped 8.1% over the prior year to mark its

little boy in high grass searching for something...
News B.C.BrokersCatastrophesClaimsCommercialEmerging RisksInsurersTechnologyTrending

Why Deloitte doesn’t anticipate a soft market ‘for the next few years’

August 15, 2022 by David Gambrill

Canada’s commercial P&C insurance market may not soften “for the next few years,” said a report on the industry published by Deloitte. “While there may be products where the market becomes more competitive on new business with good claims experience,

Taiwan military conducting live-fire drills
News Business InterruptionEmerging RisksLoss ControlLoss TrendsSupply ChainTrending

How China-Taiwan tensions are affecting Canada’s supply chain

August 15, 2022 by Jason Contant

Although there has been some easing in supply chain issues around the world, other disruptions are coming into play, a marine expert from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) told Canadian Underwriter in an interview. One major disruption is escalating

Electric vehicle at a charging station
News Emerging RisksPersonal AutoTechnology

Unifor calls for national auto strategy, dedicated ministry to capture EV potential

August 12, 2022 by Ian Bickis - THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO – Unifor is calling for a national auto strategy, and a dedicated federal government ministry to lead it, at a time of “significant and uncertain change” in the industry amid the transition to electric vehicles. The recommendations are contained

Surprised African-American man in denim jacket looks at receipt total in sales check holding paper bag with products in mall
News BrokersClaimsEmerging RisksInsurersLoss TrendsSupply Chain

Why extended hard market should be easier to explain to consumers

August 11, 2022 by David Gambrill

Consumers should be able to relate to inflation’s impact on goods and services — and hence, the impact on insurers’ claims costs — making it easier for brokers to explain the continuation of the P&C industry’s hard market cycle after

A young businesswoman using a laptop and looking stressed out
News BrokersEmerging RisksHROperations

‘Quiet quitting.’ Are your brokers at risk?

August 9, 2022 by Jason Contant

High stress is one reason a broker might choose to leave the industry, but employers should be aware of another phenomenon affecting the broader working community today – ‘quiet quitting.’ Quiet quitting is silent withdrawal from the overbearing pressure of

Construction hoarding and danger sign to keep people off a building site
News Business InterruptionClaimsCommercialConstructionEmerging RisksLiabilityPropertyRisk Managers

Why the basics count in construction loss prevention

August 9, 2022 by Philip Porado

Inflated materials costs, and a need for brokers and insurers to see to it that valuations for commercial structures closely track replacement costs, are frequently mentioned in conversations about risks for the building sector these days. But site safety is

Dangerous staircase at a business to represent insurer risk
News BrokersClaimsCommercialCommercial AutoConstructionCyberEmerging RisksInsurersLoss ControlLoss TrendsPersonal AutoPersonal HomeProperty

Inflation creates opportunities for brokers to revisit risks with clients

August 8, 2022 by Philip Porado

Recent inflation trends notwithstanding, data from the past few quarters indicate premiums are stabilizing as the P&C industry eases out of the hard market, said Celyeste Power, executive vice president, strategic initiatives and advocacy at the Insurance Bureau of Canada

Group portrait of multiracial business persons with protective face masks standing together in the office.
News AdjustersBrokersClaims ProfessionalsEmerging RisksInsurersRisk Managers

Where Canada’s P&C insurance professionals are at with COVID

August 2, 2022 by David Gambrill

When deciding whether to attend industry events in-person, just over half of Canada’s risk professionals are casting a wary eye on COVID-19, while about one in three are ready to move on, according to responses received in a Canadian Underwriter

Balloon about to burst
News ClaimsEmerging RisksInsurers

Inflation and higher interest rates may alter P&C market

August 2, 2022 by Glenn McGillivray

A one-two punch delivered by inflation and the resulting interest-rate increases could have several impacts on Canada’s P&C sector, including on claims costs, expense ratios, investment returns and the continued viability of the current hard market. Nearly all major industrialized