Segment
Brokers
2024 Executive Outlook | Joe D’Annunzio, BrokerLink
December 19, 2023 Canadian Underwriter StaffJoe D’Annunzio, president, BrokerLink Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry must be all about the customer in 2024. Many people are struggling to pay their bills due to inflation and they have tough choices to make. Customer service will become…
2024 Executive Outlook | David Bowcott, NFP
December 19, 2023 Canadian Underwriter StaffDavid Bowcott, co-leader, NFP Construction & Infrastructure Group As we enter 2024, signs exist the Canadian P&C insurance hard market is abating. But clients are nevertheless putting in place measures they hope will sustain them through future hardening. We are beginning…
Do auto clients ask for trouble by hiking deductibles?
December 15, 2023 Philip PoradoDuring the recent renewal cycle, many personal auto customers opted to increase their deductibles to reduce their annual premiums. Now, those decisions are leading customers who’ve been in accidents to delay pursuing claims because they don’t have enough cash on…
Can Canada’s P&C industry catch up to NatCats?
December 14, 2023 Philip PoradoIn much of Nova Scotia, last summer was hell. The Tantallon wildfire in May and June generated $165 million in insured damage, mostly for personal property, by the time the flames went out July 4. In a normal year, residents…
How insurance premium financing enhances client relationships
December 13, 2023 Jeffrey PsiukCanadian brokerages aren’t taking full advantage of an opportunity to arrange premium financing for their clients, particularly for commercial policies covering broad-based risks. In Canada, only 15% of brokered premiums are financed. By comparison, the U.K. rate is 20%, and…
How COVID-19’s wane could change commercial real estate coverage
December 13, 2023 Philip PoradoReal estate pundits, including panellists at a Columbia University School of Business discussion early this year, are sounding the alarm about North America’s downtown cores. They’re predicting employees will shun return-to-office mandates, sparking tenancy death spirals for commercial lessors that…
How economic woes hike minor accident claims
December 13, 2023 Philip PoradoCurrent economic conditions have people stressed, and it’s showing up in personal auto claims, said Jesica Ryzynski, a claims specialist with Mitch Insurance. Minor at-fault accidents among insureds are taking place more frequently, she told CU, with many taking place…
Why most of your commercial clients are underinsured by at least 30%
December 12, 2023 by Jason ContantAccurate valuation and occupancy data points remain top challenges for commercial broker submissions, according to Greg McCutcheon, president of Canada’s largest property data provider, Opta Information Intelligence. In this inflationary environment, keeping up with valuations and ensuring commercial property brokers…
How new vehicle tech is changing the auto theft equation
December 11, 2023 Philip PoradoThere’s a small upside to Canada’s current auto theft wave, industry sources have told Canadian Underwriter. Thieves’ adoption of technologies that can capture vehicle key fob signals means criminals no longer need to resort to violent methods like carjacking to…
Private equity firm acquires digital brokerage
December 8, 2023 by Jason ContantPrivate equity firm Southampton Financial Inc. has announced its acquisition of Ontario-based digital insurance brokerage aha insurance. Launched in 2017, Waterloo, Ont.-based aha insurance offers consumers the ability to quote, purchase and manage car and home insurance policies entirely online.…
What a buyers’ market means for brokerage M&A
December 1, 2023 David GambrillHow can consolidators afford to buy brokerages when interest rates on bank loans to finance deals have steeply increased? Firms that are actively engaged in brokerage buying and selling told CU they have become more selective. “We are getting a…
Can car dealerships manage insurance risks from vehicle thefts?
November 27, 2023 Philip PoradoCar thefts began rising across Canada in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been climbing ever since – fuelled by organized crime rings using new technologies to steal key fob codes and take vehicles while their owners are asleep.…