An Unexpected Turn… or maybe not
June 1, 2001 Sean van Zyl, EditorAdecision handed down by an international “arbitration panel” in late April of this year which upholds Hydro-Quebec’s (HQ) position in a multi-billion dollar contract dispute with a group of Vermont electricity companies could bode poorly for several Canadian insurers who…
Seattle quake estimates high
May 1, 2001 by Canadian UnderwriterAn earthquake that shook Seattle and nearby areas in Washington and Oregon will cost insurers about $330 million, says a press release from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The quake, which struck on February 28 and measured 6.8 on the…
U.S. not out of woods
May 1, 2001 by Canadian UnderwriterWhile rates are on the rise, the price correction may not be enough to counter the U.S. industry’s expense problems, says a new report by A.M. Best. Figures from the last quarter of 2000, as well as yearend results, show…
BIRTH OF THE CAT BOND
May 1, 2001 Andrew RickardTHE FUTURE OF REINSUR ANCE FINANCING
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
May 1, 2001 Vikki SpencerA recent decision by the Newfoundland Public Utilities Board has created the platform for a “sure victory” for the property and casualty insurance industry’s Facility Association (FA). This development has also produced a heady start for Stan Griffin, the current…
THE CYBER RISK: protecting non-property losses
April 1, 2001 Fred Shurbaji, underwriting manager of Chubb & Son's departmentIn a relatively short period in the historical record of mankind’s social development and exploration, technology advancements over recent decades have thrust us beyond what anyone three generations past could possibly have envisaged. But, with the rewards of advancement also comes risk, and similar to the charting of hidden reefs by early sea trade merchants, modern-day businesses need to identify and defend against their online technology risks – both tangible and non-tangible property.
Quake reminder
April 1, 2001 by Canadian UnderwriterFollowing a fairly mild earthquake which shook the Queen Charlotte Islands and surrounding areas in British Columbia in early February, a second quake of a much greater magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter Scale occurred in the northern part of…
Defining the Cost of Risk
April 1, 2001 Vikki SpencerThe cost of risk in Canada rose in 1999, according to a survey from the Risk and Insurance Management Society. At the same time, administration costs for risk management departments fell, giving rise to the observation that risk managers are having to do more with less. And, with the hardening of the insurance market, already evident in the 1999 results, there promises to more pressure than ever on risk mangers to stretch their resources and find creative ways to finance risk.
DEVELOPING A PROFESSION
April 1, 2001 Vikki SpencerAt the recent Ontario Risk Management and Insurance Society (ORIMS) professional development day, a host of speakers expressed the need for expanding the knowledge and influence of risk managers in the corporate structure. With new approaches to risk financing and…
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
April 1, 2001 Glenn McGillivray, assistant vice president & head of corporateThe prospect of a growing tornado loss potential due to underlying increases in exposed insurable equity coupled with the historical frequency associated with tornadoes do not bode well for the insurance industry’s future.
DARWINISM: a new philosophy driving consolidation
April 1, 2001 Sean van Zyl, EditorIs big really better? Can companies operating in the new global order that would seem to be defining the rules of business governing the property and casualty insurance industry afford not to buy up or get out? These were pivotal issues debated by senior leaders of North American insurance companies at a “national leadership symposium” held in San Francisco and jointly sponsored by The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers and investment banker Russell Miller Inc.
VANCOUVER’S REAL EARTHQUAKE RISK: FIRE
April 1, 2001 Sean van Zyl, EditorThe recent earthquake which shook residents of Seattle and Olympia in north Washington state has given risk managers with exposures in southwestern British Columbia more than a mild shudder. It has long been known that the highly urbanized cities of…