Topic Insurers
Why A.M. Best gave the global reinsurance segment a ‘stable’ outlook
December 6, 2018 by David GambrillCORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that A.M. Best had changed its outlook for the global reinsurance sector from ‘Stable’ to ‘Negative.’ In fact, the outlook changed to ‘Stable’ from ‘Negative.’ Canadian Underwriter apologizes for the error.…
Why interest rates might not rise further
December 4, 2018 by Craig Wong - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The pace of economic growth in Canada slowed in the third quarter as business investment spending fell and the growth in household spending slowed, raising questions about the future pace of interest rate hikes by the Bank of…
Public insurer’s six-month loss over $500 million
November 26, 2018 by Jason ContantThe Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has posted a net loss of $582 million for the first six months of the current fiscal year. It’s also projecting a year-end financial loss of $890 million for 2018/19. This significant loss…
What’s making wildfires more severe?
November 12, 2018 by By Seth Borenstein - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON – Both nature and humans share blame for California’s devastating wildfires, but forest management did not play a major role, despite President Donald Trump’s claims, fire scientists say. Nature provides the dangerous winds that have whipped the fires, and…
Why Intact will not chase growth by lowering rates
November 8, 2018 by Jason ContantAs both personal and commercial markets continue to show signs of hardening, Intact Financial Corporation will not pursue growth by lowering rates as 2019 approaches. “We’re not chasing growth by lowering rates as we move into 2019,” Darren Godfrey, Intact’s…
Root cause of commercial auto woes hard to pinpoint: Insurer CEO
October 25, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCommercial auto losses have been worse than expected for The Travelers Companies Inc., and company officials are not exactly sure why. “It’s a line that has been challenged from a profitability perspective for a while,” Travelers chairman and CEO Alan…
How blockchain can help fight insurance fraud
September 24, 2018 by Jason ContantBlockchain for insurance has various oft-touted benefits – reduced costs and simpler and faster transactions, among them – but it can also be used to combat fraud, said David Verbeeten, a domain expert in insurance at software company ConsenSys. Verbeeten…
Will Hurricane Florence affect reinsurance rates in Canada?
September 12, 2018 by Jason ContantAs the southeastern United States braces for Hurricane Florence – one year after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria caused widespread destruction in the country – the question of whether there is sufficient reinsurance capacity is again thrust into the spotlight.…
This reinsurer says rates need to go up
September 10, 2018 by Jason ContantUnderwriting margins will need to improve by at least six to nine points in major western markets to deliver sustainable returns, according to the latest sigma report from global reinsurer Swiss Re. The report Profitability in non-life insurance: mind the…
Aspen Insurance agrees to be taken private
September 1, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAspen Insurance Holdings Ltd., which writes risks in Canada, has tentatively agreed to be bought for US$2.6 billion. If the deal closes, Hamilton, Bermuda-based Aspen will be owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC of New York City.…
Signs of a hardening commercial market
August 20, 2018 by Greg MeckbachShopping around for the best deal for a business client may be getting more difficult as commercial lines prices start to uptick. Among commercial insurers, “it seems there is a little bit of tightening up on the risk appetite,” Raymond…
Aviva Canada’s plan to decrease its exposure in Ontario auto
August 2, 2018 by David GambrillAviva Canada is diversifying its portfolio of business to avoid exposure to deteriorating conditions in Ontario’s auto insurance market. “When you look at Aviva’s business in Canada, there’s a heavy concentration in Ontario auto,” Aviva Canada president and CEO Colm…