STANDARDIZING CARRIER RISK
February 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterProperty and casualty insurance companies — by the nature of their business — face many risks. When does a particular exposure become grave enough to pose a material risk and a threat to a company’s solvency? At the recently held 8th Annual KPMG Insurance Issues Conference, in Toronto, KPMG’s Wendy Mills and Tracy Capstick examined emerging standards for p&c insurers.
The Face of REGULATION
February 1, 2000 David CarrTechnology, globalization, deregulation, consolidation and demutualization. These are the forces of change shifting the ground beneath the world’s financial services industry. Such change is drawing into question the effectiveness of regulators such as Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to remain relevant to its role, particularly in light of the new non-traditional players such as technology companies in financial services.
CIBC cuts back on insurance
January 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterIn a move towards cutting $500 million out of its operating expenses, CIBC recently announced it was cutting 4200 jobs, roughly 10% of its entire workforce. While the bank will not release figures on the jobs being cut — maintaining…
The Trials of Industry Mergers Acquisitions
January 1, 2000 David Carr1998 proved to be a record year for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the insurance industry, with total transactions exceeding US$150 billion. But the pace of insurance M&As sputtered in the second half of 1998, failing to pick up any real momentum in 1999. What lies ahead for 2000?
News (November 01, 1999)
November 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterConsumers need better information when they buy insurance, provincial and territorial insurance regulators agree. “Consumers should get plain-language ‘disclosure’ documents when they buy life insurance,” the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR) agreed at its two-day meeting in Charlottetown, Prince…
The Future of Financial Services Regulation
October 1, 1999 Michael HlinkaLast June the federal government released its white paper on financial services regulation. While the gist of the paper was very much in favor of protecting the existing rights of members of the property and casualty insurance industry, contained within…
U.S. Reinsurance Market PRICING STABILIZES
September 1, 1999 Sean Mooney, senior vice president at Guy Carpenter & Company InFollowing a lengthy period of stagnation, pricing within the U.S. reinsurance market seems to have stabilized, with even some evidence in the market of rate increases. However, until the market’s excess capacity is depleted, buyers of reinsurance will continue to enjoy the benefits of highly competitive pricing.
Insurers offshore BOUND
August 1, 1999 Michael HlinkaSeveral months ago Northern Telecom shook the Canadian business community when it announced plans to relocate to the U.S., mainly due to the high personal income tax structures in Canada which make it difficult if not impossible to compete against…
International trade body turns to financial services COMPETITION
August 1, 1999 Glenn McGillivray, head of corporate communication at Swiss ReinIt is becoming increasingly clear the importance of the financial services sector on the global stage. The recent drive toward globalization of business — coupled with new information technology and the formation of geo-economic and political alliances — have allowed…
Developing Financial Supervision The Canadian Solution
July 1, 1999 Lawrie Savage of Lawrie Savage & Associates Inc.The 1990s saw considerable attention drawn to the global benefits of the so-called “hot” developing economies such as South America, Asia and the former Eastern Bloc countries. Most recently, we have seen plunging stock markets and economic uncertainty resulting in these same areas. Strangely, these have a link with trends in Canadian financial supervision.
Why CEOs are stuck on GLOBALIZATION
July 1, 1999 Robert Gunn, president of Royal & SunAlliance CanadaCecil Rhodes, the 19th-century British financier, colonial administrator and sponsor of Oxford’s prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, once said, “I would annex planets if I could.” A read through the financial pages of any newspaper would suggest that many corporate presidents and CEOs feel the same way.
Letters (June 01, 1999)
June 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterDear Editor, You are to be complimented on an excellent feature article, in the April Underwriter, on the threat posed by the big banks. The Independent Life Insurance Brokers of Canada have many members who also hold a p&c license.…