Topic Property
Ukraine war insured losses could outstrip 9-11
April 20, 2022 by Philip PoradoWhen adjusters are finally able to assess the damage stemming from the war in Ukraine, costs may exceed the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks as the largest industry-wide insured loss, across all classes of business, in history, said a specialty…
Proposal to end real estate bidding wars could affect P&C insurers
April 19, 2022 by Philip PoradoCracking down on factors contributing to home-price escalation is a major component of the Apr. 7 federal budget document. If successful, they could affect insurers’ ability to control reconstruction costs and other claims impacts for their insureds. Proposed budget actions…
A car crashes in Ontario: Why Canadian auto insurers pay attention
April 13, 2022 by Daniel StrigbergerPeople love to visit Ontario. Unfortunately, some of them get into car accidents. Why should a visitor’s auto insurer care about accidents in Ontario? Because when a non-resident is involved in an auto accident in the province, their insurers will…
‘Professional activities’ exclusions: Why insurers must almost always defend
April 13, 2022 by David GambrillQuebec’s Superior Court notes an insurer will almost always have a duty to defend an insured in disputes over policy exclusions for “professional activities.” “A review of the case law dealing with exclusion for ‘professional activities’ reveals that, in almost…
Does federal budget create new tax liability for P&C industry?
April 12, 2022 by Greg MeckbachA federal budget proposal to forbid insurers from using a contractual service margin as a deductible reserve for tax purposes could impose a one-time tax liability on the industry. International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (IFRS 17) will “substantially change the…
How the federal budget impacts P&C insurers
April 8, 2022 by Philip Porado, with files from Melissa Shin and Rudy MezzettaAs expected, 2022’s federal budget included a 1.5% bank and insurer surtax for taxable income over $100 million for taxation years that end after April 7. That means those companies will pay 16.5% on income above that threshold going forward.…
What Canadians can expect of future hurricane seasons
April 7, 2022 by David GambrillAtlantic Canadians can expect to see more and increasingly intense hurricanes, as sea surface temperatures continue to warm up as a result of climate change. “Warmer sea surface temperatures fuel stronger hurricanes,” Swiss Re Canada CEO Monica Ningen observed during…
Will faster highway speeds lead to more claims?
April 7, 2022 by Philip Porado and Alyssa DiSabatinoStarting Apr. 22, Ontario drivers will be able to take six sections of highway, primarily in the southern part of the province, at 110 km/h. Highway segments where speeds will permanently rise from 100 km/h to 110 km/h are: Queen…
How profitable was Canada’s P&C industry last year?
April 7, 2022 by Jason ContantLast year saw the lowest-ever combined ratio in the Canadian P&C insurance industry, making it the third most profitable year for Canada’s P&C insurance industry since 1975, according to the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC). “The 2021 industry…
Why these four P&C rating factors may be racially biased
April 5, 2022 by Alyssa DiSabatinoFour commonly used rating factors in personal lines insurance — credit-based insurance scores, geographic location, homeownership, and motor vehicle records — may be affected by racially biased policies and practices, a new research paper finds. Research by the Casualty Actuarial…
CSIO calls APIs for policy inquiries ‘foundational’
April 4, 2022 by Canadian Underwriter StaffRecent publication of API standards for policy inquiries for personal auto, habitational, individually rated commercial automobile (IRCA) and commercial general liability (CGL) are the foundational use cases to begin improving carrier and broker connectivity communications. “These 24 policy inquiry use…
What companies prioritize over cybersecurity
April 1, 2022 by Philip PoradoEven as instances of cyberattacks grow in North America and worldwide, business leaders in charge of cybersecurity appear to be putting other priorities first, according to a recent study from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro. It found that if push came…