Strong Winds are Blowing
January 1, 2000 Paul Kovacs, executive director of the Institute for CatastrophiWith the 1999 hurricane season recently closing with the last minute arrival of Hurricane Lenny causing considerably and unexpected damage in the Caribbean, the timing of the recently jointly held Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and Insurance Bureau of…
Alternative Dispute Resolution: “Virtual Settlement” online
January 1, 2000 Gary Winston, Director and General Manager of Canadian OperationPressed with rising claim costs and cutthroat pricing, insurers are having to look for cost-effective ways to reduce operating costs. Technology is expected to play a significant role in this respect in coming years, however an area offering enormous short-term scope is electronic settlement of casualty losses. Virtual settlement has finally come to Canada.
The Edge of Claims Handling
January 1, 2000 AxiomAs the company’s senior marketing representative, this occasion was a command performance for me. My company was unveiling its new and improved 24-hour claims service, which included a fleet of modern cell phone, fax and computer-equipped cars to take our…
Scrambling for loose business
December 1, 1999 Lowell ConnSports insurance is a specialty-lines oddity. It is unprofitable business marred by rising loss payouts not accurately balanced by the premiums generated. It is a competitive market where premium prices should be two or three times their current rate, insiders…
Kingsway hosts Analysts & Investors Day
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterPrices will firm up and standard insurers will tighten underwriting rules, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. president Bill Star says, addressing media and stakeholders at the company’s first annual Analyst & Investor Day. “The result could see more business bypassing standard…
NOT ALL SPORT UNPROFITABLE
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterNot all of the specialty sports lines are unprofitable it appears. General liability coverage has been good business for Canadian managing general underwriters K&K Insurance, who write $50 to $70 million in premiums annually safeguarding teams against litigation surrounding spectator…
Thinking Big From Small
December 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorMost people in the industry think he has lost his marbles, launching a new property and casualty insurance company in Canada from the ground up in what is widely seen as an overcrowded and cutthroat market. To say that Brian…
COUNTDOWN to a new era
December 1, 1999 Lowell Conn and Sean van ZylThe 1990s will likely go down as the most momentous period in the modern history of the property and casualty insurance industry, a senior executive with experience dating back to the post WWII era recently stated. From “riches to rags,”…
OSFI’s tough stand on earthquake reserves
December 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), the federal government’s financial services watchdog, is unhappy with the current level of voluntary earthquake reserving committed by property and casualty insurers. OSFI special adviser Julie Dickson indicated at the recently…
Identifying and Managing Risk
November 1, 1999 Jane Voll, director of policy and research, and Andrew Keppen, rThe Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) recently completed a survey in conjunction with management consultants Deloitte & Touche to identify what internal risk control procedures property and casualty insurers have or should be applying in evaluating strategic, operational and capital…
Irene bookends expensive cat quarter
November 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterHurricane Irene, which moved from the Caribbean into southwest Florida with winds gusting at 75 miles an hour, dumped more than 18 inches of rain and caused widespread flooding in mid-October. The damage inflicted by Irene to the U.S. eastern…
Provincial Regulatory Harmonization: Cutting the RED TAPE of classes
October 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterIs a new subsidiary, new product or policy form on the horizon for your company? If so, better be prepared for slippery target dates. Lengthy delays in licensing can occur when companies or their brokers develop new products which don’t…