Is wind “the new water” for Canada’s insurers?
April 25, 2019 by Jason ContantHigh winds contributed in part to most catastrophes in Canada over the past few decades, prompting the need for a new national standard on wind resilience, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) said Thursday. A report released by ICLR…
How sales commissions can result in disputes over vacation pay
April 24, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf you employ commissioned sales people, how are you calculating their vacation pay? Calculating employees’ vacation pay can be an issue for any company whose sales staff earn both a base salary and commission, Toronto employment lawyer Andrew Monkhouse, managing…
Alberta’s new government: What next for the auto rate cap?
April 22, 2019 by David GambrillAs the newly-elected United Conservative Party (UCP) prepares to take power in Alberta, it remains an open question what the victory will mean for the province’s auto insurance companies and brokers. In his electoral victory speech, UCP Leader Jason Kenney…
Uber-style platform for expediting appraisals now in Canada
April 16, 2019 by David GambrillAn Uber-style platform to expedite home and auto claims appraisals has made its way into Canada. Offered by WeGoLook, the online and mobile sharing-economy platform provides personalized, onsite data capture for inspections and low-complexity services across the United States. Now…
Is the reserve release tank running on empty?
April 15, 2019 by David GambrillThe Canadian property and casualty industry saw its reserve releases contract in 2018 to their lowest level in seven years, according to MSA’s Q4 2018 Quarterly Outlook. Expressed as a percentage of loss development margin, reserve releases last year amounted…
The limits of artificial intelligence in insurance
April 11, 2019 by Greg MeckbachArtificial intelligence has not reached the point where it is replacing humans in the insurance industry because many processes still require human intervention, speakers said at a recent insurance conference. Artificial intelligence is used in some cases for client engagement…
Where Canada’s largest insurer sits with board diversity
April 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWomen will comprise nearly half the boardroom of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurer if shareholders vote for Intact Financial Corp.’s recently-released slate of board nominees. Jane Kinney, a former global chief risk officer for Deloitte, is a new nominee…
The liability risk from climate change
April 9, 2019 by Greg MeckbachLarge companies face liability risk if they emit greenhouse gas emissions, and shareholders are asking directors and officers what they are doing about climate-related risks, a speaker suggested at a recent insurance conference in Toronto. Panelists at the Property and…
Insurers object to characterization of Ontario auto as “profitable”
April 9, 2019 by David GambrillCanada’s home, auto and business insurers are objecting to a recent characterization of Ontario’s auto insurance regime as “profitable.” “The current trends are unsustainable for both drivers and insurance companies,” Insurance Bureau of Canada vice president of Ontario Kim Donaldson…
The downside risk of machine learning
April 8, 2019 by Greg MeckbachMachine learning and artificial intelligence can create liability risk if it makes decisions that would be inappropriate or even illegal if a real person made them, a risk expert warns. “If you train an algorithm with data that has underlying…
Some earthquake deductibles too high: IBC
April 5, 2019 by Greg MeckbachBrokers are telling the Insurance Bureau of Canada that for some homeowner clients, the deductible on earthquake coverage is so high that the clients could still end up broke after a major tremor. “Right now, the deductible on some of…
Long-range weather forecast: more flood claims for the P&C industry
April 3, 2019 by Jason ContantCoastal flooding is expected to increase in many areas of Canada, bringing with it increased risk of damage to coastal infrastructure, according to a report released Tuesday by the federal government. “Local sea level is projected to rise, and increase…