Why clients need advice on ‘litigation hot spots’
October 21, 2018 by Greg MeckbachCommercial brokers advising Canadian clients with operations in foreign countries need to understand consumer protection and pollution laws in those countries. “It’s up to a broker to make sure that he or she is well versed in what those countries’…
Crawford’s Top 3 claim loss predictions from marijuana legalization
October 18, 2018 by Jason ContantClaims adjuster Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. sees auto, commercial and workplace-related losses as the Top 3 claims arising from the legalization of marijuana. Auto losses related to cannabis usage; commercial losses to cannabis producers, retailers and distributors; and employee…
Supreme Court to decide limits of pollution liability indemnification
October 18, 2018 by Greg MeckbachDoes a pollution liability indemnification agreement made in 1985 by a provincial government apply when the same government tries to force companies to pay environmental remediation costs 26 years later? Ontario judges disagree, so the question is now before the…
How Canada Post disruption could help the insurance industry
October 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachThe threat of a work stoppage at Canada Post may lead to a positive outcome in a back-handed way, by potentially raising awareness among regulators and consumers about the value of electronic documents, an Insurance Bureau of Canada official suggests.…
The industry that’s shopping for cyber insurance
October 11, 2018 by Greg MeckbachBrokers looking for new large cyber accounts might want to knock on doors of companies who look after other people’s money. More than half (55%) of Canadian asset managers surveyed said they intend to purchase insurance to protect themselves against…
Hurricane Michael on course toward Nova Scotia
October 11, 2018 The Canadian PressMichael roared toward the Florida panhandle as a Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, with long-range forecasts predicting its remnants could dump heavy rains on Nova Scotia if it passes south of the province as expected. The brutish storm has grown swiftly…
What’s the likelihood of an EF5 tornado in Canada?
October 10, 2018 by Jason ContantFollowing the EF3 tornado that struck Dunrobin, Ont. on Sept. 21, should insurers worry about the potential for a powerful EF5 strike on a major population centre in Canada? Probably not. But they should be concerned about tornadic storms in…
Five pillars of brokerage digital transformation
October 9, 2018 by Jason ContantMore Canadian brokerages are moving towards a fully digital experience as consumer expectations are driving demand for faster, more efficient service, a broker management system (BMS) provider said Monday. “More brokers are moving to a completely connected experience from internal…
Settling claims in-house was one reason this MGA got acquired
October 7, 2018 by Greg MeckbachTotten Insurance Group Inc. might start offering brokers quotes within 24 hours on certain lines, the company’s president told Canadian Underwriter Friday. Totten, a Toronto-based managing general agent, recently acquired Saint John, N.B.-based MGA Anderson McTague & Associates Ltd., a…
The ‘wake-up call’ for brokers placing D&O liability
October 2, 2018 by Greg MeckbachA multi-million-dollar pollution clean-up order that spooked the Canadian insurance industry has some commercial brokers taking a good hard look at the exact wording of mid- to large-sized clients’ directors and officers (D&O) liability policies. The Ontario Ministry of the…
Will higher interest rates kick-start M&A?
September 26, 2018 by Jason ContantWhat impact do rising interest rates have on P&C companies conducting mergers and acquisitions? We’re about to find out, as the Bank of Canada is widely expected to raise the interest rate target at an Oct. 24 rate announcement. “The…
Maybe men aren’t such bad multi-taskers after all
September 26, 2018 by Jason ContantDespite popular stereotypes, women are not better multi-taskers than men, suggests a new blog from Harvard Business Review. “We cannot exclude the possibility that there are no sex differences in serial multitasking abilities, but if they exist, such differences are…