ICLR offers damage mitigation tips in wait of Isabel
September 19, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) has called on Ontarians to take appropriate damage mitigation actions as southern Ontario awaits the arrival of Hurricane Isabel which is expected to move into the region by midday Friday. Although the hurricane…
RMS predicts US$500 million or more in losses from Isabel
September 17, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterRisk modeling firm Risk Management Solutions (RMS) is predicting that Hurricane Isabel, which has not yet hit the U.S. coast, could cause as much as US$500 million in insured damage. This depends on the storm maintaining its current tracked, headed…
Personal lines rates up in U.S.
September 11, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterBoth homeowners’ and auto insurance premiums are on the rise in the U.S., says the Insurance Information Institute (III). The III says that rising construction costs and natural disaster losses are pushing homeowners’ rates up, with an 8% increase expected…
Hurricane Fabian could take US$350 million toll on insurers
September 8, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterHurricane Fabian, which bashed the island of Bermuda on Friday with sustained winds of 120 mph, could cost insurers US$300-$350 million, according to risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide Inc.AIR Worldwide senior vice president, Pat Donahue, says the figure is based…
Black Summer…
September 1, 2003 Sean van Zyl, EditorThose in the industry who had been looking forward to an easy-going summer would have been jolted by the series of adverse events that seemed to cascade one after the other in the final stages of the season. Basically, short…
Slow Burn
September 1, 2003 Glenn McGillivrayAs this is being read, hundreds of wildfires are burning in the interior of British Columbia, and they could very well make Canadian insurance history.
Louisiana insurers to pay US$22 million for Tropical Storm Bill
August 20, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterThe price tag for insurers in Louisiana as a result of Tropical Storm Bill is estimated at US$22 million, says the state’s Department of Insurance (LDOI).Insurance commissioner Robert Wooley says the latest figure includes claims under the federal flood insurance…
Storm Costs Hit Canadian and U.S. Insurers
August 1, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterDamage to vehicles as a result of hailstorms that struck Manitoba in mid-July has reached $2.5 million, the province’s public insurer reports. Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has received about 1,400 claims to date. Generally vehicle damage claims from the hail…
Reinsurance Outlook: 2003 CAT Rates
August 1, 2003 Catherine Fagan, assistant vice president atSwiss Reinsurance Co. CanadaAlthough pricing of catastrophe covers began rising in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack, it is important to note that these rate increases only brought premium levels to a point last seen almost a decade ago. Should the Canadian insurance industry see a normal “cat burden” for 2003, then the combination of primary and reinsurance rate increases should be enough to allow reinsurers to see improved combined ratios at yearend. But, whether the market’s result will be good enough remains to be seen. Swiss Re’s annual cat study highlights the major factors likely to come into play in evaluating and pricing exposures.
Claudette insured losses rise to cat level
July 21, 2003 by Canadian UnderwriterEarly damage estimates from Hurricane Claudette which made landfall in Texas last week and resulted in at least two deaths and property losses across 15 counties has thus far produced insured losses of around US$17 million, according to Texas-based Southwestern…
2003 Hurricane Season: La Nina’s Revenge
July 1, 2003 Vikki SpencerInsurers and reinsurers may soon find themselves caught in the “eye of the storm”, as La Nina rears its head once more, bringing in her wake predictions of increased hurricane activity. Should the Atlantic coast be hard hit this year by tropical cyclones, it would be a difficult blow for an industry trying to regain profitability. And, with even more meteorological mayhem expected for the winter season, La Nina may be a very unwelcome visitor indeed.
Reinsurance Perspective: 2004 Treaty Outlook
July 1, 2003 Donald Callahan, president of Guy Carpenter & Co. Ltd.As the 2004 reinsurance treaty season draws nearer, the Canadian marketplace appears to be in a state of turmoil as global reinsurers evaluate their capital positions and effective capital use. The result has seen withdrawal of several known names from…