INVESTING in a low interest market
October 1, 1999 Cameron Laird, senior vice president of securities investment atWith the potential of gaining profit on underwriting limited by the soft market, property and casualty insurers are increasingly looking at ways of boosting their investment earnings. However, in today’s volatile investment markets, coupled with a low interest rate environment, the task of achieving an above average return is easier said than done — but not impossible. Appropriate risk rating and investment strategy implementation can generate higher gains.
The Peripatetic Rep: Four disciplines, one vision
October 1, 1999 AxiomAs we completed our tour of the brokerage’s renovated offices, Saul led me into a small boardroom on the second floor. Three men sitting around the table rose to their feet. “Dave,” he said with a smile, “meet my three…
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…
CGU snaps up GAN Canada
October 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterIn a deal valued at $139.5 million, CGU Canada Ltd. has purchased The GAN Company of Canada Ltd. from its French owner GAN International. GAN Canada is the 22nd largest property & casualty group in the country with net written…
Conning: M&A activity slowing down
October 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterIn a new study released on insurance mergers & acquisitions and public equity offerings for the first half of 1999, Conning & Company reports an overall 71% decline in activity value and a 9% decrease in the volume of transactions…
Hub acquires wholesale specialist
October 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterIn a move paralleling Equisure Financial Network’s 1997 acquisition of wholesale broker South Western Group, broker network The Hub Group has purchased KMS Insurance. Terms and the value of the transaction were not released. Rick Gulliver, president of Hub, says…
INDEPENDENCE or INTERDEPENDENCE?
October 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorDespite the recent and resounding victory of independent property and casualty insurance brokers in blocking banks from branch retailing of insurance, Canada’s brokerage community faces many challenges on the road ahead. Even without the bank threat, the distribution end of…
LONDON calling
September 1, 1999 Glenn McGillivray, head of corporate communication at Swiss ReinSince reforms in the mid-1990s, more and more corporate capital is flowing into Lloyd’s of London — much of it from some of the world’s most noted reinsurers. Could this injection of new capital forge the rebirth of the world’s most unique insurance market?
REINSURANCE BROKER VIEWS
September 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterDonald Alexander, senior vice president of Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd. (Canada). My instincts tell me that the reinsurance market is under-priced. Rating models strongly indicate that market prices are below what they should be. This is not surprising, given…
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.
“DO or DIE”, strategy message is to embrace the TECHNOLOGY FUTURE
September 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorWhether traditional players in the property and casualty insurance industry continue to hold the lion’s share of business will depend on their willingness to embrace consumer-driven technologies and boost productivity, delegates attending the recently held Strategy Institute conference were told. In particular, the pressure of higher consumer expectations coupled with increased competition from new players to insurance will be felt mostly in the personal lines arena, the speakers warn.
the drive for Safer Roads
September 1, 1999 Lowell ConnCanadian automobile insurers wrote a combined $9.3 billion in earned premiums in 1998 while incurring losses of $7.0 billion. This 77.45 loss ratio ranks second only to accident & sickness as the worst loss experience category among all property &…