How Canada’s banks are tackling identity theft risk
May 1, 2019 By David Paddon - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Canada’s biggest banks marked the official launch of the Verified.Me digital identity network on Wednesday, following years of development and testing with their partner SecureKey Technologies Inc. The banks see Verified.Me as the beginning of a more secure…
Ontario’s ‘most encouraging statement about auto insurance’ in 35 years
April 30, 2019 by Greg MeckbachThe recent Ontario budget document is giving some insurers hope that the government will actually fix the province’s auto insurance system. “Many people have said that the comprehensive package contained in the budget is frankly the most encouraging statement about…
Why the court says this auto insurer did not properly terminate policy
April 30, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAn auto insurance company cannot necessarily treat a policy as invalid under common law if it discovers the client made a material misrepresentation on the application, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled. In Merino v. ING Insurance Company…
Why more companies aren’t using alternative risk transfer solutions
April 30, 2019 by Jason ContantA lack of understanding about alternative risk transfer (ART) solutions, particularly among C-suite executives, remains a major obstacle to their expanded use, according a new report from Marsh and RIMS. Nearly half of C-suite respondents said they don’t understand how…
How much of the Quebec flooding is insurable?
April 29, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAbout one in three Quebec homeowners have overland flood coverage, but that number could be much lower in areas affected by recent floods. In the Montreal suburb of Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., waters from Lake of Two Mountains breached a dike at about…
Why your travelling clients shouldn’t rely on public health insurance
April 26, 2019 by David GambrillOntario residents who purchase private travel health insurance coverage before traveling outside of Canada will likely not notice the impact of the province’s new proposal to stop OHIP coverage for residents travelling abroad, one executive in the travel insurance business…
Supreme Court to consider insurer’s medical examiner defamation suit against lawyer
April 26, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA $15-million defamation lawsuit by a doctor who examines accident benefits claims on behalf of auto insurers is headed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The top court announced Thursday it will hear an appeal of Platnick v. Bent, released Aug.…
How AI can connect the dots between your systems
April 26, 2019 by Jason ContantArtificial intelligence (AI) should be used to “connect the dots” between different data silos and decisions made within an insurance company, Charles Dugas, head of insurance at Element AI, said last week. The goal is to develop a system that…
Alberta election leaves IBC ‘cautiously hopeful’ on auto file
April 26, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAlberta brokers should touch base with the new provincial government and explain how auto insurance rules needs to change, suggests the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. “Our campaign for change moves into a new phase with the recent election of…
Proposed auto reforms in Newfoundland ‘don’t go far enough’: IBC
April 25, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf the Newfoundland and Labrador government increases the deductible for pain and suffering awards in auto accident lawsuits, a reduction in claims costs will not necessarily follow, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. Newfoundland and Labrador has had a…
Is wind “the new water” for Canada’s insurers?
April 25, 2019 by Jason ContantHigh winds contributed in part to most catastrophes in Canada over the past few decades, prompting the need for a new national standard on wind resilience, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) said Thursday. A report released by ICLR…
How tech will change the way you price risk
April 25, 2019 by Jason ContantInsurance risk categories in the future will become so small they will become very difficult to price properly, a speaker predicted earlier this month at the CIP Society Symposium in Toronto. The number of distinct risk transfer categories appears to…