Why a hard market calls for soft skills
June 10, 2019 by Adam MalikWith a hard market tightening its grip on the insurance industry, brokers will need to be on their toes. They’ll be facing pushback from customers as premiums increase with little relief in sight as there are no signs of the…
Should cyber insurance products become more standardized?
June 10, 2019 by Jason ContantHow far along is the Canadian insurance industry in terms of cyber product standardization? While some of the standard language for base coverage has become more standardized over the years, there is still an overall general lack of standardization. There…
Spring flooding not sinking cottage markets in Ontario, Quebec: report
June 7, 2019 Ross Marowits - THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO – Spring flooding has failed to sink Ontario and Quebec’s cottage real estate markets, according to Royal LePage’s annual recreational property report. Parts of Quebec cottage country were inaccessible for weeks because of road closures and some Ontario properties…
How an insurtech uses pre-fill data to a homeowner’s best advantage
June 6, 2019 by Jason ContantOne insurtech based in the United States is pre-filling data in home insurance application forms to help answer questions that customers may not be able to answer themselves. California-based home insurance company Hippo Insurance uses trusted public data sources like…
Mainstream autos get driver monitoring devices
June 4, 2019 By Tom Krisher - THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDETROIT – Would you pay more for a car or SUV that warns you if you’re falling asleep or not paying attention behind the wheel? Auto companies are figuring that because your life could depend on it, you will. As…
This commercial line could get a lot more exciting soon
June 4, 2019 by Jason ContantThe Canadian marine insurance market could get a lot more interesting in the next year-and-a-half as major infrastructure projects get underway. “There are more large infrastructure projects on the drawing board and it could be a very interesting 18 months…
Brokers concerned about blanket approach to binding authority restrictions
May 31, 2019 by Jason ContantWith wildfires raging in northern Alberta and Ontario, brokers are reporting some funky outcomes associated with insurers’ binding authority restrictions. Under the restrictions, brokers cannot bind coverage in areas under civil authority, forest fire alerts, flood alerts and certain earthquake…
Competitive insurance industry urged to collaborate more often
May 31, 2019 by Adam MalikTo get the best out of your collaboration efforts, get outside of your comfort zone. The best companies understand the value of collaboration, said Sven Roehl, co-founder of Cookhouse Lab, an insurtech innovation firm. But they also understand they need…
You don’t always have to be first in innovation
May 29, 2019 by Adam MalikIf you ain’t first, you’re last. That’s the mantra Ricky Bobby lives by in the movie Talladega Nights as a race car driver. But when it comes to innovation, if you ain’t first, you’re probably better off. It can be…
Pressure builds to end auto insurance monopoly
May 28, 2019 by Adam MalikCalls to end a provincial stranglehold on auto insurance are growing as business groups, municipalities and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) have taken up the cause. ICBC, on the other hand, is saying the high claims costs the public…
Balancing insurance innovation and regulation
May 24, 2019 by Adam MalikConsumers are experiencing innovation when it comes to buying cars, clothes, music and more. So when it comes to insurance, they’re expecting the same types of experiences. But they’re not entirely getting it. Ontario consumers can buy car insurance online.…
Is there culture after an acquisition?
May 23, 2019 by Adam MalikA question posed at a recent event asked how many of the approximately 30 people in the room had ever been part of an acquisition or merger. Almost every hand went up. It seems just about every broker has been…