Segment
Reinsurance
Your only hope to prevent a higher reinsurance bill this year
January 16, 2018 by Greg MeckbachInsurance rates will rise in Canada this year unless catastrophe losses are lower than normal, a speaker suggested to industry professionals Tuesday. “I do expect that as this year unfolds, unless we have a very benign 2018, we do expect…
Which insurers were hit hardest by the third-quarter hurricanes?
January 15, 2018 by David GambrillWhich (re)insurers absorbed the bulk of the insured damages when Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ripped through the Caribbean and continental United States in 2017 Q3? A.M. Best compiled a list of 41 insurers and reinsurers who paid out more…
Guess how much a magnitude-5.8 earthquake in eastern Canada could cost insurers?
January 15, 2018 Peter Rakobowchuk - THE CANADIAN PRESSMONTREAL – While people in British Columbia are mindful of the fact they could eventually face some of the strongest earthquakes in the world, at least one study warns there’s a lack of awareness of the risk in Eastern Canada.…
Deal with LOGiQ3 sees U.S. firm acquire Canadian insurtech
January 10, 2018 by Jason ContantRGAx, a subsidiary of Reinsurance Group of America, has acquired a group of companies providing technology, consulting and outsourcing solutions to the North American life and reinsurance industries – including two Canadian organizations. On Jan. 8, RGAx announced the acquisition…
Was 2017 the costliest year ever for insured losses?
January 8, 2018 by Jason ContantMunich Re has confirmed what industry analysts have long speculated — the hurricane trio of Harvey, Irma and Maria made 2017 the year of the highest global insured losses ever. The final insurance bill for those three hurricanes and other…
2017 cat bond issuance reaches record levels
January 5, 2018 by Jason ContantCatastrophe bond issuance in 2017 reached record levels, including in Canada, as insurers and reinsurers sponsored approximately US$10.5 billion in cat bonds. According to data from the Artemis.bm Deal Directory, there was more than US$10.5 billion in issuance last year,…
How insurers protect their earnings against multiple catastrophes
January 4, 2018 by David GambrillWith the rise of multiple major catastrophe events in Canada, look for primary insurers to start seeking aggregate reinsurance covers as a means to adapt to climate change-related losses. “It’s the new normal that the companies are going to have…
Why Canadian insurers should feel lucky after 2017
January 3, 2018 by Greg MeckbachAfter a year of massive North Atlantic hurricane losses, Canadian P&C insurers may have dodged a bullet with this year’s renewal season. Reinsurers licensed in Canada “were the main beneficiaries of the relatively quiet Canadian CAT year,” wrote Joel Baker,…
2018 Outlook: Heidi Sevcik, President, CEO, Gore Mutual Insurance Company
January 2, 2018 Heidi SevcikThe pace of change in the property and casualty market remains faster than ever before, increasing the need for cooperation and innovation in 2018. The increasing frequency of severe weather events emphasizes the importance of the industry and governments working…
Economic losses top US$300 billion in 2017
December 20, 2017 by Canadian UnderwriterInsured losses from natural catastrophes in 2017, at more than US$130 billion, were more than double the average of the previous 10 years, and more than US$90 billion in losses is probably from three hurricanes alone, Swiss Re said Wednesday.…
Insurers, society face irreversible climate change: reinsurance board exec
December 19, 2017 Greg Meckbach, Associate EditorWildfires that hit British Columbia earlier this year and that continue to affect California are among the effects of climate change, says Karen Gavan, former CEO of Waterloo, Ont.-based Economical Insurance. “Literally California has been burning all fall,” said Gavan,…
‘Resilient, but tired:’ Mental effects of wildfire lingering in Fort McMurray
December 18, 2017 The Canadian PressFORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Firefighter Mark Stephenson says he can’t drive through Fort McMurray without being brought back to May 2016. That’s when, in the thick of battling a ferocious wildfire that destroyed 10 per cent of the northern Alberta…