Topic Loss Control
What Canadian insurers can learn from a New Zealand earthquake
June 30, 2023 by Philip PoradoPrivate property and casualty (P&C) insurers can’t be the sole providers of coverage for peak peril because they cannot efficiently assume extreme tail risk. That’s a key takeaway for Canada’s P&C insurers from a catastrophic 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New…
Who’s at fault when AI’s driving a cargo ship?
June 29, 2023 by Philip PoradoIt’s 2035 and a maritime court has convened to determine who’s at fault when a seagoing vessel made an error in passage planning – a safety exercise that maps a voyage from start to finish, including harbour navigation and docking.…
What’s changing the way commercial brokers view loss control?
June 26, 2023 by David GambrillIt’s possible the pandemic, combined with the P&C industry’s ongoing hard market, may have permanently altered how insurers assess their risk appetites. And brokers wise to this shift have adjusted their approach to advising clients accordingly. Given that insurers are…
How trade agreements could change claims adjusting in Canada
June 20, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoWhen a NatCat occurs in Canada, it’s common for U.S. adjusters to be on the scene — sometimes before Canadian adjusters, who are bound by provincial licensing restrictions. And while processes for getting either country’s adjusters on the scene are…
How commercial brokers have evolved into holistic risk advisors
June 20, 2023 by David GambrillWith insurance underwriters now voicing preference for ‘best-in-class’ commercial risks, it’s fallen to brokers to educate their clients about how to reduce their losses. And that means commercial brokers are becoming more like holistic risk advisors, making recommendations to their…
Insurer requests no change in overall auto rates
June 19, 2023 by Jason ContantDespite cost overruns related to a new digital platform, Manitoba’s public auto insurer is requesting no change in the overall rates for the 2024/25 insurance year. If the province’s Public Utilities Board approves Manitoba Public Insurance’s (MPI) general rate application,…
How inflation is affecting small business owners and carriers
June 16, 2023 by Jason ContantAlthough inflation cooled to 4.4% in April from its high of 8.1% in June 2022, it’s still affecting small business owners and insurers, an executive at Hartford Steam Boiler told Canadian Underwriter. From a carrier perspective, claims costs are increasing…
How carriers get real-time info on property (and other) risk exposures
June 15, 2023 by Jason ContantCarriers in the small business space are increasingly turning to technology to understand exposure changes and help insureds manage their own risk, an expert said recently. By relying on things like sensor technology, carriers can get real-time information on changes…
Is market segmentation helping to soften pricing?
June 14, 2023 by David GambrillA softening, but segmented, insurance market is allowing commercial lines brokers to leave some aspects of the years-long hard market behind. Improved pricing models are one key ingredient in the ‘stability’ now seen in commercial lines, brokers observed. Carriers are…
How Pride Toronto got swept up in entertainment line’s hard market
June 13, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatinoPride Toronto’s executive director says the organization has seen a 300% increase in its insurance premiums ahead of this month’s parade and festival programming. This trend of higher premiums for public events is not unique to Pride Toronto; organizers of large…
Why the hard market and COVID-19 shifted brokers’ focus
June 9, 2023 by David GambrillCommercial lines in Canada have changed in the aftermath of the pandemic. These days the monolithic ‘hard market’ has evolved into multiple markets differentiated by segmented pricing and best-in-class loss-control measures. And the commercial broker’s role has changed accordingly. After…
More evacuations in Quebec as record breaking fires continue to burn
June 8, 2023 by Sidhartha Banerjee and Jacob SerebrinMONTREAL — Quebec’s wildfire season, which has forced thousands from their homes and left other communities on high alert, is the worst on record, officials said Wednesday. Premier Francois Legault told reporters in Quebec City that the areas in the…