Updated: What emergency relief will insurers offer customers? Here’s what they told us
May 31, 2021 by Adam MalikEditor’s notes: This story has been updated to include additional information from Allstate. Insurance Bureau of Canada announced in 2020 that its members are offering reductions in auto insurance premiums for consumers whose driving habits have changed significantly. You can…
When Economical plans to hold final demutualization vote
February 25, 2021 by Greg MeckbachAn all-policyholders’ vote on demutualization is scheduled this spring, Economical Insurance announced this week. “The process for getting this meeting on the calendar is on track,” said John Bowey, chairman of Waterloo, Ont.-based Economical, in an update posted Feb. 22…
How Economical could demutualize in 2021
December 22, 2020 by Greg MeckbachEconomical Insurance is aiming to have an initial public offering (IPO) of stock in 2021, making it the first ever property and casualty mutual in Canada to demutualize. “If we receive required approvals from the [federal] Minister of Finance on…
Why Uber Canada dropped Intact as its insurance provider
September 16, 2020 by Greg MeckbachRide sharing firm Uber Canada chose Economical as its insurance provider because Uber would not agree to Intact’s pricing, a senior Intact executive said Tuesday. “We had a very good relationship, we just couldn’t agree on the price,” Intact CFO…
What’s next for Economical’s demutualization
June 29, 2020 by Greg MeckbachEditor’s note: This story was updated to reflect a June 30 announcement by Economical Insurance Economical Insurance is still in the process of demutualizing but the next policyholders’ vote is not going to happen this year, the Waterloo, Ont. based…
Will COVID-19 affect the timing of Economical’s IPO?
April 2, 2020 by Greg MeckbachEconomical Insurance continues to work on converting from a mutual to a publicly traded firm, but officials with the Waterloo, Ont. carrier are keeping a close eye on the stock markets. “The outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely affected economic and…
What’s coming to the forefront of commercial insurance
November 27, 2019 by Greg MeckbachHow do you insure intangible assets like intellectual property or data on the cloud? If you are not thinking about this now, you could be in a few years, insurance company executives told brokers attending Canadian Underwriter‘s Top Broker Summit…
Two-year window to dispute auto claim denial not a ‘hard limitation,’ court rules
November 13, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe two-year time limit to take auto accident benefits disputes to Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) is not a “hard limitation” period, the province’s appeal court has ruled. In Tomec v. Economical Mutual Insurance Company, released Nov. 8, the Court…
You don’t always have to be first in innovation
May 29, 2019 by Adam MalikIf you ain’t first, you’re last. That’s the mantra Ricky Bobby lives by in the movie Talladega Nights as a race car driver. But when it comes to innovation, if you ain’t first, you’re probably better off. It can be…
What you will be insuring in 10 years (hint: not so much auto)
May 27, 2019 by Adam MalikExpect to write less auto coverage with the rise of autonomous vehicles in 10 years’ time, and more coverage related to climate change, property lines, and emerging risks. Thanks to the progress expected of autonomous vehicles, auto insurance will plateau,…
How clients can cash in on demutualization
February 5, 2019 by Greg MeckbachEconomical Insurance clients looking forward to cashing in on demutualization might have to hold on to their shares in the company for nearly six months. In Economical’s demutualization proposal, one restriction on common shares (issued as a benefit to demutualization)…
Estimated value of Economical’s demutualization for mutual policyholders
February 1, 2019 by Greg MeckbachMutual policyholders of Economical Insurance could get more than $300,000 each if the Waterloo-based insurer demutualizes. A conversion proposal that Economical submitted to the regulator last year calls for 20% of benefits going first to eligible mutual policyholders, of which…