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News BrokersInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesMGAs

Why some brokers may shy away from using an MGA

November 28, 2018 by Jason Contant

The risk of a greater errors and omissions (E&O) exposure is a major reason why some brokers choose not to place business with a managing general agent (MGA), speakers said Tuesday at Insurance-Canada.ca’s MGA Technology Symposium in Toronto. “We don’t

News Technology

The ‘biggest hurdle’ to making artificial intelligence useful

November 28, 2018 by Greg Meckbach

Figuring out what products your customers might buy next or what they are complaining about are two ways you could be using artificial intelligence now, the founder of a big data vendor suggests. “In the future you are going to

News ClaimsLegalLegislation / Regulation

Why this commercial line is unprofitable

November 27, 2018 by Greg Meckbach

Commercial brokers could see fewer carriers offering directors and officers (D&O) liability in the future. That’s because “market consolidation is something that you might see on the carrier side,” said Ian Fraser, assistant vice president of technology, cyber and professional

News InsuranceTechnology

How future technology will help brokers, not replace them

November 27, 2018 by David Gambrill

In a future characterized by “the trillion-sensor economy,” data will become the foundation of broker innovation, an insurtech innovator said Monday at the 2018 Top Broker Summit, hosted by Canadian Underwriter in Toronto. To prepare, brokers need to build strategies

News InsuranceMGAs

How consolidation can “regenerate” MGAs

November 27, 2018 by David Gambrill

Consolidation could potentially wind up regenerating Canada’s broker channel generally and managing general agents (MGA) specifically, a senior executive told delegates attending the 2018 MGA Symposium in Toronto on Tuesday. Organized by insurance-canada.ca, the event featured a panel of MGA

News Legislation / Regulation

Why Canada’s constitution is driving D&O losses

November 26, 2018 by Greg Meckbach

Would directors’ and officers’ liability costs be lower if Canada had a national securities regulator? D&O liability insurance kicks in when shareholders go to court alleging a company misrepresented the true state of its financial affairs at the time they

News InsuranceTechnology

Why brokers shouldn’t focus on breach notification law when selling cyber

November 26, 2018 by Jason Contant

The nation-wide mandatory data breach law that came into effect Nov. 1 is “a good way and a reminder to start the conversation with their clients,” but brokers should ultimately focus selling efforts on the crime and business interruption aspects

News Earnings / RatingsInsurance

Public insurer’s six-month loss over $500 million

November 26, 2018 by Jason Contant

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has posted a net loss of $582 million for the first six months of the current fiscal year. It’s also projecting a year-end financial loss of $890 million for 2018/19. This significant loss

News RiskTechnology

The single most important factor to successful AI adoption

November 24, 2018 by Jason Contant

The key to rebranding as an artificial intelligence (AI) company is tapping into an “ultra-specialized talent pool” with a deep understanding of the field, says the chief science officer at Royal Bank of Canada. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance

News BrokersEmploymentProfessional Development

The science behind motivating your brokerage’s employees

November 22, 2018 by Jason Contant

Looking to truly motivate the employees at your brokerage? Don’t focus on financial incentives; try giving them the opportunity to be really good at their jobs, have a say in their work and do work that is meaningful, advises Bruce

News InsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

Political battle over public v. private ride-sharing insurance in B.C.

November 21, 2018 by Jason Contant

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is prepared to offer a blanket, usage-based insurance product, likely by next fall, if proposed legislation on ride-hailing passes before Christmas, as anticipated by the Premier, according to published reports. However, the leader

News Technology

This Canadian claims vendor could be bought by CoreLogic

November 20, 2018 by Greg Meckbach

Calgary claims software vendor Symbility Solutions Inc. is one step closer to being taken over by property risk data provider CoreLogic Inc. Shareholders of the publicly-traded Symbility will meet Dec. 13 to vote on a $160-million acquisition offer by CoreLogic. Symbility’s