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The Edge of Claims Handling

January 1, 2000 Axiom

As the company’s senior marketing representative, this occasion was a command performance for me. My company was unveiling its new and improved 24-hour claims service, which included a fleet of modern cell phone, fax and computer-equipped cars to take our…

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Alternative Dispute Resolution: “Virtual Settlement” online

January 1, 2000 Gary Winston, Director and General Manager of Canadian Operation

Pressed with rising claim costs and cutthroat pricing, insurers are having to look for cost-effective ways to reduce operating costs. Technology is expected to play a significant role in this respect in coming years, however an area offering enormous short-term scope is electronic settlement of casualty losses. Virtual settlement has finally come to Canada.

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Learning From the Masters

January 1, 2000 Lowell Conn

The independent adjuster faces an array of challenges in the year ahead, concedes new Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association (OIAA) president Christina Welton. Greater regulatory scrutiny on licensing, a pending court case that could introduce more liability for claims professionals, and…

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Halifax presents new broker models

January 1, 2000 by Canadian Underwriter

Responding to a market survey of insurance brokers across Canada, ING Halifax is offering brokers three different partnership models in the coming years, Don Lough, ING Halifax president, told lunch guests at a recent Metropolitan Toronto Insurance Brokers meeting. ING…

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Your Frontline Partner

January 1, 2000 Sam Malatesta Vice President, Marketing & Insurance Relations, C

How insurers treat customers when it counts most will be a critical marketing element that will lead to brand recognition and brand loyalty for all those involved in the insurance distribution channel.

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CIBC cuts back on insurance

January 1, 2000 by Canadian Underwriter

In a move towards cutting $500 million out of its operating expenses, CIBC recently announced it was cutting 4200 jobs, roughly 10% of its entire workforce. While the bank will not release figures on the jobs being cut — maintaining…

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Thinking Big From Small

December 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, Editor

Most people in the industry think he has lost his marbles, launching a new property and casualty insurance company in Canada from the ground up in what is widely seen as an overcrowded and cutthroat market. To say that Brian…

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B.C.’s collision repair industry under the Spotlight

December 1, 1999 Brian Harper, editor of Bodyshop Magazine

The recently held Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s (ICBC) auto repair symposium drew focus on the forces of change sweeping through the industry, in particular the close relationship that exists between property and casualty insurers and shop operators. Similar to the cost-efficiency driven rationalization occurring across other provinces, B.C.’s own market should be preparing for change if the existing independent players plan on surviving into the new millennium, the speakers warn.

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COUNTDOWN to a new era

December 1, 1999 Lowell Conn and Sean van Zyl

The 1990s will likely go down as the most momentous period in the modern history of the property and casualty insurance industry, a senior executive with experience dating back to the post WWII era recently stated. From “riches to rags,”…

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Coming Events (December 01, 1999)

December 1, 1999 by Canadian Underwriter

Announcements in Coming Events are run free of charge as a service to the industry. Items should be submitted by the first of the month prior to the month in which the announcement is to appear. Toronto Insurance Women’s Association:…

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The quest for EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT

December 1, 1999 Jacinta Whyte, vice president of the personal insurance division

The traditional property and casualty (p&c) insurance industry is moving toward multi-channel distribution. The shift may not be as brisk as some industry observers believe is necessary to blunt the competitive challenge posed by the banks and others, even some traditional broker companies. Still, it is difficult to argue with the success that Canadian brokers are having in retaining customers in the face of an expanded range of distribution options already available.

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DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

December 1, 1999 By Lowell Conn

Marketing, distribution and technology are no longer separate components of the insurance business, delegates were told at the Institute for International Research’s recently held Distribution & Marketing in Property & Casualty Insurance conference. Multi-distribution channels including call centers and the…