HR Department: October moves in the industry
October 24, 2018 by Jason ContantJeff Goy elected chairman of Insurance Institute’s board of governors The Insurance Institute of Canada has elected S.J. (Jeff) Goy, president and CEO of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, as chairman of its board of governors. Goy was elected chairman at…
Were the Ottawa-Gatineau tornadoes the costliest in Canadian history?
October 17, 2018 by Jason ContantThe tornadoes that struck the Ottawa-Gatineau area on Sept. 21 cost the industry $300 million in insured damage, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said Wednesday. Of that, $200 million was for insured damage on the Ontario side, and $100…
Will Ottawa-Gatineau insured losses set a record for tornado damage?
September 28, 2018 by Jason ContantOfficial catastrophe estimates will not be ready for awhile following the tornadoes that struck the Ottawa and Gatineau areas Sept. 21, but it will definitely be a cat event, industry observers say. Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) defines a…
Why your clients are increasingly exposed to wildfire losses
September 28, 2018 by Greg MeckbachClimate change has turned the risk of wildfire into a year-round peril in Western Canada, a geography expert says. In the past, wildfire season started in April or May and ended some time in October, said Dominic Ford, senior geospatial…
Claims whack-a-mole: what’s going on in property lines?
September 25, 2018 by David GambrillAs if mounting auto insurance losses aren’t enough, the industry now has a new emerging issue to worry about this year – an alarming spike in home and commercial property claims. Catastrophe losses and fire are among the chief culprits…
How blockchain can help fight insurance fraud
September 24, 2018 by Jason ContantBlockchain for insurance has various oft-touted benefits – reduced costs and simpler and faster transactions, among them – but it can also be used to combat fraud, said David Verbeeten, a domain expert in insurance at software company ConsenSys. Verbeeten…
Is Toronto’s latest storm a cat event?
September 12, 2018 by Jason ContantAlthough heavy rain soaked Torontonians during Monday’s morning rush hour, the storm won’t be a catastrophe event, insurance professionals told Canadian Underwriter. “As far as I’m concerned, the rainfall yesterday was a non-event from an insurance perspective,” Glenn McGillivray, managing…
This reinsurer says rates need to go up
September 10, 2018 by Jason ContantUnderwriting margins will need to improve by at least six to nine points in major western markets to deliver sustainable returns, according to the latest sigma report from global reinsurer Swiss Re. The report Profitability in non-life insurance: mind the…
Ontario already near $1 billion in insured damage in 2018
September 8, 2018 by Jason ContantWith almost three months left in the year, severe weather in Ontario alone has already caused almost $1 billion in insured damage, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reported Friday. One of the most recent events occurred Aug. 7, when a…
Summer storms in this Canadian region cost over $200 million in insured damage
September 6, 2018 by Jason ContantSummer storms across the Prairies have caused more than $200 million in insured damage so far this year. This brings total weather-related insured damage on the Prairies to $464 million since May 2017. The numbers from Catastrophe Indices and Quantification…
How carriers envision the future of independent claims adjusters
September 4, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDespite increased costs of outsourcing claims adjustment, an extreme wind event this past May serves as a reminder that insurers will continue to need independent claims adjusters and brokers should be prepared to field calls from claimants. The future of…
The absurd effect of commerce law on claims adjusting
September 1, 2018 by Greg MeckbachIt is easier for Canadian insurance companies to bring in adjusters from the United States than to move Canadian adjusters from one province to another, due in part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), speakers said at the…