Sale of Echelon Insurance to CAA gets shareholder approval
January 23, 2019 by Greg MeckbachNon-standard auto insurer Echelon Insurance is a step closer to being acquired by The CAA Club Group of Companies. Shareholders of Echelon Financial Holdings Inc. voted Wednesday in favour of the $175 million deal, Echelon said in a release. In…
Where the claims industry stands on flexible workplace conditions
January 22, 2019 by Canadian UnderwriterEditor’s Note: This version of the story clarifies that previous remarks attributed to Glen Hopkinson were not intended in any way to be interpreted as connected to the merger of AXA and XL Catlin. His remarks were intended to refer…
How Intact is promoting Big Data and actuarial training
January 21, 2019 by Jason ContantCanada’s largest insurer has teamed up with a Quebec university to establish two new chairs in artificial intelligence (AI) and actuarial science. Intact Financial Corporation and Université Laval announced Friday: The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)/Intact Financial Corporation…
What will insurance look like in 30 years?
January 21, 2019 by Jason ContantInsurance company survival and relevancy will be big issues for the industry in the coming decade, predicts a P&C industry consultant. “We are facing somewhat of a crisis in that our industry is only picking up 32% of catastrophic losses…
Major insurer ‘actively’ looking at insurance risk linked to M&A in Canada
January 21, 2019 by Greg MeckbachCommercial brokers advising Canadian clients involved in mergers and acquisitions could soon have another market to which they could place transactional risk. The Travelers Companies Inc. announced Jan. 15 it plans to offer transactional risk insurance in the United States.…
Why it’s not so easy for an insurer to go direct
January 21, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWawanesa’s decision to write insurance in Canada through brokers only came as a shock to some consultants. “If you talk to the consultants down on Adelaide Street [in Toronto] in their big offices, what are they going to tell an…
Why Canada’s largest mutual insurer is not demutualizing
January 18, 2019 by Greg MeckbachUnlike Economical Insurance, Canada’s largest mutual insurer plans to stay that way. “Everybody says, ‘Because of what Economical is doing, are you going to demutualize?’ No,” Carol Jardine, president of the Canadian property and casualty operations of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance…
Can’t hear the ambulance? Turn down your radio
January 17, 2019 by David GambrillA B.C. driver has failed in his bid to receive a refund for his insurance premium increase and deductible after B.C.’s public auto insurer found him 100% responsible for failing to clear an intersection for an ambulance. A B.C. ambulance…
Hard market? Not so fast.
January 16, 2019 by Jason ContantThe Canadian insurance industry is not at the beginning of a hard market, says Phil Cook, a P&C industry consultant and CEO of Omega Insurance Holdings. “There are some commentators out there that will say we are at the beginning…
Alberta auto cap leading to broker-carrier contract cancellations
January 14, 2019 by Greg MeckbachAlberta’s ceiling on auto rate increases is causing some brokers to lose their contracts with carriers. In Alberta, as a general rule carriers may not hike rates by more than 5% across their book of business. “It has resulted in…
B.C. broker banned for misapplying premium funds “for years”
January 11, 2019 by David GambrillA B.C. broker repeatedly in hot water for misapplying thousands of dollars worth of insurance premium funds over several years has had his Level 3 licence permanently revoked. In addition, Insurance Council of B.C. fined Antony Ronald Fransen $7,500 personally…
How boating accident sparked dispute between insurers
January 11, 2019 by Greg MeckbachA court decision released this past Wednesday clarifies what should happen if your client is sued and covered by more than one insurance company. Melissa Shawbonquit filed a lawsuit after she was injured in a boating accident in July 2016.…