U.S. cat losses continue
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterCatastrophe losses continued to dampen U.S. property and casualty underwriters’ results for the third quarter of 1998, according to A.M. Best Company. The industry’s net income for the period fell 15% from the previous year’s level, due to higher underwriting…
Bill 59 revised
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe legislative fine-tuning of Ontario’s auto insurance product under Bill 59, which carried through last month with the passing of Bill 90, was generally lauded by insurance, legal and medical professionals at a review seminar held by the Insurance Institute…
Tossed Salad
January 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorThe change occurring in traditional business roles, and to some extent the outright turmoil this is causing in certain quarters of the property and casualty insurance industry, continues to hold centre stage at professional gatherings. Preparing for the future, dealing…
Claims management and the Environment
January 1, 1999 Cecil Jaipaul,In the early days of environmental underwriting companies were often unaware of the full risk involved. For many companies the risks they took on and subsequent claims were not foreseen. For others, while the possibility of large claims may have…
SIZING UP IN: a TUG of WAR
January 1, 1999 Lowell ConnA battle of brawn and wits has begun among service providers to the insurance industry in response to the rapid consolidation taking place at the primary company level.Faced with a changing landscape, service providers are looking for new opportunities and…
Do virtual insurers dream of electric premiums?
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterTomorrow’s insurers may become virtual companies that interact electronically with customers, while driving down costs and improving speed to market, a leading business futurist predicted at the opening of the U.S. Insurance Services Office Inc.’s (ISO) InsTech98 Conference. Dr. Bill…
Belton third-quarter predictions
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterDuring the third quarter of 1998, preliminary net earning returns of Canadian property and casualty companies were down $59 million in comparison to the same quarter in 1997, says the latest issue of The Belton Report. The combined impact of…
Queensway consolidates Alliance
January 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterQueensway Financial Holdings Ltd. (QFH) has entered into an agreement to acquire Alliance Insurance Group, a property and casualty insurance holding company located in Chicago, Illinois. Alliance, posting gross premiums written totalling $17 million in 1997, specializes through subsidiaries in…
RIBO meeting stresses industry SELF-REGULATION
January 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorThe last six years have seen dramatic change in the structure and method of business of the property and casualty insurance industry. These “winds of change” sweeping through the industry are primarily a result of the unprecedented consolidation activity and…