News

Trucking insurer Markel Insurance Co. of Canada has devised a new product to hedge against volatile fuel prices.“FUELogic” allows long-haul truckers to lock in the “maximum” price they choose to pay for fuel from a number of options, to be…

CIBC Insurance is providing quotes on p&c insurance from various other insurers, to clients in Ontario and Alberta, via the bank’s website. The site provides a link to online insurance marketplace Kanetix as a service to clients, although CIBC no…

The world’s megacities face a host of unique risks which have not yet been fully understood, according to a study by Munich Re.In its report to the United Nation’s World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Munich Re presented new research which…

The amalgamation of EGI Financial Holdings Inc. (EGI), parent company of Echelon General Insurance Co., with Canadian Insurance Marketing Inc. CIMI) is now complete. With the merger, The Co-operators Group has also reduced its stake in EGI to 43% –…

In its annual report on reinsurance renewals for January 1, broker Guy Carpenter says pricing is generally flat to slightly down for 2005. The report also notes that pricing seems to be more directly tied to risk modeling, leaving little…

U.S. tort costs continued their upward trend, although at a far less dramatic rate in 2003, according to a new study by Tillinghast.In its annual review, the research firm finds tort costs rose 5.4% in 2003, exceeding overall economic growth…

U.S. insurer failures declined 48% in 2004, with 13 companies failing last year, compared to 25 in 2003, according to Weiss Ratings Inc. The majority of these were property & casualty insurers, with 10 failures last year, compared to 21…

While insurers were pleased to see U.S. President George W. Bush pushing for asbestos reform last week, the details of the plan he supports are leaving them less than impressed. In several speeches last week, Bush touted the need for…

A.M. Best has affirmed the “A” (excellent) rating of The Guarantee Co. of North America, and the “A-” rating of its U.S. subsidiary, with a stable outlook. The ratings reflect excellent capitalization, strong operating results and a prominent market profile,…

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and insurer representatives each had their chance to speak on the issue of broker compensation at hearings before the New York Assembly on Friday.In his address, Spitzer outlined his investigation into allegations of bid-rigging…

The number of U.S. federal securities fraud class action lawsuits filed in 2004 rose 17%, but the loss in stock market capitalization for defendant firms shot up almost triple 2003 levels, according to a new study by the Stanford Law…

The U.S. Coalition Against Insurance Fraud has released its list of “frauds to watch out for” in 2005.Among the top scams consumers should be on the lookout for are bogus airbags the CAIF says there have been instances where insurance…