Canadian Underwriter

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Underwriting


News InsuranceLegislation / RegulationTechnology

Insurer ups distracted driving from minor to major conviction

July 6, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Nova Scotia motorists could be out of luck when they try to renew their auto insurance if they got caught more than once using a hand-held gizmo when they should be paying attention to the road. In a ruling posted

Concept of mergers and acquisitions
News Insurance

U.K. underwriting group buys Toronto-based insurer

June 30, 2021 by Jason Contant

Accelerant Holdings has entered into the Canadian market with a share purchase agreement that includes the parent company of Toronto-based Omega General Insurance Company. Accelerant is a London, U.K.-headquartered underwriting group that works exclusively with MGAs and program administrators in

News Insurance

Happy 25th, WICC: The light that never goes out

June 28, 2021 by David Gambrill

Editor’s Note: This article is Part 1 of a two-part story honouring the 25th anniversary of the Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC). Part 2 will appear in Canadian Underwriter‘s e-Newlsetter on Wednesday, June 30.   If Women in Insurance

News InsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMGAsTechnology

MGA simplifies purchase and validation of tenant’s insurance online

June 9, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Landlords often require their tenants to have insurance coverage as a condition of the leases, but it could be quite a paper chase to keep track of thousands of tenants and their insurance status. Vancouver-based insurtech and managing general agent

Hand holding chooses wooden block cubes with risk word. Risk management concept.
News Commercial LinesInsurance

How the hard market is changing commercial underwriting

June 9, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

The ongoing hard market means underwriters are asking commercial clients more in-depth questions about their organizations’ risk management practices and culture, suggests the new CEO of the Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange. “We are very much in a hard market,”

News AdjustersBrokersInsuranceRisk

Forget data: The case for going with your gut instinct

June 8, 2021 by David Gambrill

Data analysis may be held up as the gold standard for making sound business decisions. But a recent study suggests gut instinct — when backed up by simple decision aids — may actually be better in situations of high uncertainty.

News Insurance

Where Intact sees commercial premiums heading after pandemic is over

May 26, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Many commercial clients are “hurting” because of COVID-19, but once the pandemic is over, small businesses currently under lockdown could see their insurance rates rise, Intact Financial Corp. executives suggest. “The biggest difference between the environment in which we operate

News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsurance

What’s driving auto claims costs during pandemic

May 21, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

The long-tail nature of auto bodily injury claims, in addition to insurers’ fixed claims adjustment costs, are among the reasons why insurers are not likely going to reduce auto premiums in proportion to the drop in driving observed during COVID-19.

News ClaimsInsuranceLegalLegislation / RegulationRisk

How these auto reforms could reduce liability exposure for hospitality clients

May 10, 2021 by David Gambrill

B.C.’s move towards a form of no-fault auto insurance could wind up reducing liability exposure for commercial insureds in the hospitality and other high-risk sectors, according to a recent blog by Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. The province’s no-fault amendments came

News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsuranceLegalRestoration

What courts say about vacancy exclusion when elderly homeowner client moves to a care home

April 27, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

An elderly homeowner’s health takes a turn for the worse, necessitating a move into a care home. The client still owns her original home, which suffers water damage. The insurer denies the claim on the grounds that the property is

News Insurance

5 ways brokers are playing in the online distribution space

April 21, 2021 by Jason Contant

Small and medium-sized brokerages are increasingly getting into the digital game, while larger brokerages are acquiring or partnering with insurtech-focused companies, according to an industry observer. “At Smythe Advisory, we are increasingly seeing innovative use of technology that is either

News ProductsTechnology

Can insurtechs match the financial performance of traditional carriers?

April 19, 2021 by Greg Meckbach

Lemonade, Root and Metromile have a few things in common, and it’s not just their leading-edge technology. “Their performance has been consistently worse than those of their more traditional [insurance company] peers,” writes Joel Baker, CEO of MSA Research Inc.