Topic Property
Brokers still worry about the hard market, but what’s next?
May 1, 2023 by Philip PoradoAlthough Canadian property and casualty (P&C) insurance brokers still call the hard market their greatest challenge, their overall level of concern is gradually waning. So found Canadian Underwriter’s 2023 National Broker Survey, in which more than 150 brokers nationwide expressed…
Insurer successfully defends city’s appeal over fire response times
April 28, 2023 by David GambrillCanada’s top court Thursday refused to hear an appeal in a case in which a Quebec municipality was found 25% liable for a fire that destroyed a commercial building when not enough firefighters were present after 10 minutes to fight…
Why condo corporations need an extra ‘financial cushion’
April 27, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada’s national actuarial organization is recommending legislation that would require condo corporations to hold in their reserve funds a “financial cushion” above what’s required by a reserve fund study. “That cushion protects corporations from adverse deviations from increased expenditures (among…
How the industry’s ROE is trending
April 26, 2023 by Jason ContantThe Canadian property and casualty insurance industry’s return on equity (ROE) last year dropped a few percentage points from the 17% to 18% level it was in 2021, but it’s still above the long-run average of 10.1%, a new industry…
Insurer successfully defends flood exclusion in water damage endorsement
April 21, 2023 by David GambrillA Quebec home insurer successfully defended a flood exclusion to its policy’s water damage endorsement, on the basis that the insurer would not cover water damage that “occurs when a flood reaches the surface of the ground on the premises.”…
PACICC urges feds to move on quake backstop
April 20, 2023 by David GambrillCanada’s insurance industry compensation fund for policyholders hopes the federal government’s 2023 budget commitment to a flood insurance program for high-risk properties will expedite discussions about the urgent need for a similar backstop for earthquake losses. “We will continue to…
Will Canada’s 2023 underwriting results track U.S. improvements?
April 19, 2023 by Philip PoradoCanadian insurers, like their U.S. counterparts, may see some better underwriting results this year. In the U.S., property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry underwriting results are likely to improve during 2023, in response to significant premium increases in underperforming automobile…
Why brokers still need to protect clients from inflation
April 18, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoCanada’s inflation rate eased to 4.3% in March, Statistics Canada reported on April 18. That’s down nearly a percentage point from February’s 5.2% and solidly below inflation’s 8.1% peak in summer 2022. And, with inflation beginning to cool, P&C insurance…
Brokers braced for tough conversations when the economy slips
April 14, 2023 by Alyssa Di SabatinoMost economists are still calling for some degree of economic downturn later in 2023. That makes the road ahead uncertain for commercial companies, and many can be expected to seek ways to tighten their belts. For some, cost-cutting measures may…
McDougall merges with 100-year-old brokerage
April 5, 2023 by Jason ContantMcDougall Insurance has merged with 100-year-old brokerage Rayburn Insurance Brokers Ltd., a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Tweed, Ont. Rayburn Insurance has been in business since 1922. The brokerage serves Tweed, Northbrook and surrounding areas, offering home, auto, commercial, farm,…
Intact policyholder conflates ACV with replacement cost value
April 4, 2023 by David GambrillIntact recently won an appraisal dispute with an insured who originally claimed more than four times the market value of his business property after a fire, prompting the court to find the insured was conflating actual cash value (ACV) of…
What Canada’s national flood insurance program could look like
March 31, 2023 by Jason ContantCanada’s upcoming national flood insurance program will likely take characteristics from flood models in both France and Britain, Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) CEO Peter Braid told Canadian Underwriter in an interview. In its 2023 budget, the federal government…