This Canadian insurer may want to cover your hospitality clients
November 17, 2020 by Greg MeckbachBrokers struggling to find coverage for small and mid-sized restaurant and hotel clients may now have a new option available, and it’s already getting a response. CAA Club Group’s Echelon subsidiary announced Monday it is offering up to $5 million…
What carriers told us: The latest on pandemic relief measures
October 21, 2020 by Adam MalikWith $1 billion in auto premium relief made available for Ontario drivers alone, drivers across Canada shouldn’t expect more premium relief coming from their carrier, at least in the near future. Canadian Underwriter reached out to a number of insurers…
Why insurers joined Facebook ad boycott
July 13, 2020 by Adam MalikCanadian insurers are taking part in a month-long campaign to halt advertising on Facebook and its companies to send a message to the social media giant about its practices in allowing hateful content and misinformation to be spread on its…
How Travelers won appeal over Ontario accident benefits dispute
June 17, 2020 by Greg MeckbachWhen an Ontario woman was catastrophically injured in an accident in a Nunavut-plated vehicle in Nunavut, that vehicle’s insurer was initially told it had to pay Ontario accident benefits to the claimant. But in Travelers Insurance Company of Canada v.…
How these two insurers are serving customers during the pandemic
March 23, 2020 by Greg MeckbachMost Desjardins agency offices are now dealing with customers over the phone and Internet, while CAA Club Group has closed its Ontario stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Desjardins agents are continuing to focus on servicing our clients,” a spokesperson…
Regulator greenlights Echelon Insurance acquisition
May 31, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA $166-million deal aimed at getting CAA Insurance some new non-standard auto customers is a done deal. CAA Club Group’s acquisition of Echelon Insurance got final regulatory approval, Echelon Financial Holdings Inc. announced Thursday. The deal officially closed on May…
Don’t count on self-driving cars being just around the corner
May 29, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf you are led to believe most of your clients will get around in self-driving cars within a decade, you might want to think again. “Autonomous vehicles will likely not be on our roads for at least another 25-30 years,…
This aspect of automated vehicle technology is confusing your clients
May 28, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIs it your client’s fault if they got into an accident in a partly-automated vehicle because they failed to understand exactly what the car’s computer could and could not do? “I’m sure it will be fought in court battles over…
Why this insurer is spending $20 million on bricks-and-mortar stores
April 4, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWhen CAA Insurance clients want to visit an agent in person, company officials want those clients to feel as if they are in a home rather than an office. This is one reason CAA Club Group has spent $8 million…
Insurer reacts to new distracted driving penalties
January 7, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe new licence suspensions and $500 minimum fines for distracted driving should remind Ontario motorists not to text and drive, a spokesperson for CAA South Central Ontario predicts. “We hope this is going to serve as a deterrent,” CAA SCO…
Company calls for tow truck operator training standards
November 14, 2018 by Greg MeckbachTow truck drivers should not be allowed to hook up and haul vehicles damaged in collisions without some sort of certification above and beyond a driver’s licence, says CAA South Central Ontario. “If you have a Class G driver’s licence,…
CAA Insurance parent agrees to buy Echelon Insurance
November 9, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCAA Club Group has agreed to buy non-standard auto insurer Echelon Insurance for $175 million, the companies said Friday. The deal will allow CAA Insurance to reach new markets and customers, CAA Club Group president Jay Woo wrote in an…