Tsunami impact not expected to hurt reinsurer earnings
January 2, 2005 by Canadian UnderwriterDespite the overwhelming human and economic losses associated with the tsunami which devastated multiple South Asian countries on December 26, the world’s largest reinsurers say the insurance impact will not be severe.As of Sunday, the death toll is expected to…
What’s new: In brief (October 25, 2004)
October 25, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterInsurance Search Bureau of Canada (ISB) and CGI Group have signed an agreement for the reciprocal distribution of accident and occurrence police reports to create a North American-wide network for p&c insurers to retrieve these reports. The agreement allows insurers…
Hurricanes put property catastrophe reinsurance in the spotlight
September 15, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterTwo new reports look at emerging trends in property catastrophe reinsurance, just as the U.S. awaits the arrival of Ivan, the third major hurricane of the year.Rating agency Standard & Poor’s notes that the onslaught of new property catastrophe reinsurance…
Hurricanes may force reinsurers to readdress frequency issue
September 7, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterWhile the relative severity of losses from the recent hurricanes Frances and Charley is well below that of Hurricane Andrew, their coming in the same season may cause reinsurers to give more credence to frequency in predictive models, notes a…
Moments in Time (September 01, 2004)
September 1, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterEach month of this special 70th anniversary year, Canadian Underwriter will look back at a pivotal period in the industry’s history. These are the people, events and issues that have shaped Canadian Underwriter and the insurance industry for seven decades.
B.C. earthquakes a “wake up call”
July 21, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterEarthquakes which shook British Columbia this week point to the need for homeowners to ensure they have adequate coverage in place to deal with the earthquake risk, and to the need for disaster preparation to be in place in homes.The…
New Canadian earthquake zones devised: ICLR
July 7, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterA recently released study published by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) has devised new earthquake zones on which insurers can base coverage rating. The hazard zones, the result of analysis by ICLR’s executive director Paul Kovacs and research…
The “Exclusion Monster”
July 1, 2004 Rob FinnieMost people who work in insurance are also purchasers of insurance. We see insurance as something that has a value to us, providing protection for ourselves and our families. But, I would like to speak as a consumer about coverages and exclusions, and offer a few thoughts about how we can improve this industry’s image by giving consumers what they want.
What’s new: In brief (June 16, 2004)
June 16, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterA.M. Best has affirmed the “A++” (superior) financial strength rating of General Re Group, as well as the “a++” senior debt rating of parent General Re Corp. All ratings have a stable outlook. The rating agency says the rating reflects…
What’s new: In brief (June 15, 2004)
June 15, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterConverium Ltd. has launched a five-year, US$100 million catastrophe bond to cover losses from European windstorm, U.S. and Japanese earthquake, and U.S. and Caribbean hurricane. The transaction was underwritten by Aon Capital Markets with risk modeling provided by AIR Worldwide.…
No stability in commercial insurance market: panel
June 8, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterRisk managers and brokers have been shocked by the rapid return of soft market conditions, a panel of speakers told the World Insurance Forum in Bermuda yesterday.“We’re not seeing any sort of rate stability in the marketplace today,” admits Peter…
Cat bond market grows 42% in 2003
April 27, 2004 by Canadian UnderwriterThe global catastrophe bond market was up 42% in 2003, with total bond issuance hitting US$1.73, according to research by Guy Carpenter & Co. and MMC Securities Corp. 2002 saw total bond issuance of US$1.22 billion.The average size of transactions…