CIBC Bank disposes of insurance businesses
July 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterFollowing several months of rumor that the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) was looking for an exit strategy in divesting from its less-than-profitable property and casualty insurance interests, the bank appears to have finally found a taker — for…
Kingsway produces 1st quarter recovery
June 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterFollowing a fourth quarter loss for the 1999 financial year, specialty listed insurer Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (TSE:KFS) brought its bottom-line figures back into the black for the first quarter of the current year. Earnings for the first quarter of…
“Integration” or… “Assimilation”
June 1, 2000 Sean van Zyl, EditorWith the recent approval of the U.S. Financial Services Modernization Act, a considerable amount of attention in Canada has been turned to watch developments south of the border. Financial services legislative reform in the U.S. has opened the door to…
The Edge of Claims Handling
January 1, 2000 AxiomAs 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…
Investments plague Canadian and U.S. insurers
January 1, 2000 by Canadian UnderwriterThe 1999 third quarter returns for both Canadian and U.S. property and casualty insurers show little improvement in net earnings, with the return on investment of both sectors now hovering at around the 7% mark. The real problem child surfacing…
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…
Regulating Internet insurance
August 1, 1999 Brian Reeve, partner at Cassels Brock & BlackwellThe difference between an Internet presence and soliciting business through the Internet can be significant in terms of legal exposure. With the serious growth seen in commercial entities on the web over recent years, the regulators are now beginning to address some of the legal accountability issues of jurisdiction and local laws. However, for the time being, selling insurance over the Internet holds many legal pitfalls.
could this year be THE BIG ONE?
August 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorAlan Greenspan only has to mention inflation and interest rates in the same breath to send the investments markets into spasm. His most recent economic brief, presented toward the end of July, knocked off close to 3% of the value…
Queensway’s court coup
August 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterAchange in senior executive positions at Toronto-based Queensway Financial Holdings Ltd. (TSE: QFH) has resulted in a shift in power from Canadian to U.S. management. A statement recently released by the company says James Petcoff and Mathew Petcoff will be…
New Year’s weather hit
March 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterThe snowstorm which almost buried Toronto for the first two weeks of the new year is expected to cost insurers roughly $50 million, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) estimates. Around 115cm of snow fell on Toronto with heavy accumulations…