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Best incentives to get homeowners to move out of floodplains

April 29, 2019 by Jason Contant

Massive flooding in Quebec has shined the spotlight on suitable incentives that may get homeowners to move out of floodplains. Quebec Premier François Legault said recently that the province will offer a maximum of $100,000 to homeowners dealing with flood

News Insurance

Why your travelling clients shouldn’t rely on public health insurance

April 26, 2019 by David Gambrill

Ontario residents who purchase private travel health insurance coverage before traveling outside of Canada will likely not notice the impact of the province’s new proposal to stop OHIP coverage for residents travelling abroad, one executive in the travel insurance business

News InsuranceTechnology

How AI can connect the dots between your systems

April 26, 2019 by Jason Contant

Artificial intelligence (AI) should be used to “connect the dots” between different data silos and decisions made within an insurance company, Charles Dugas, head of insurance at Element AI, said last week. The goal is to develop a system that

News BrokersInsurance

Alberta election leaves IBC ‘cautiously hopeful’ on auto file

April 26, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

Alberta brokers should touch base with the new provincial government and explain how auto insurance rules needs to change, suggests the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. “Our campaign for change moves into a new phase with the recent election of

News ClaimsInsuranceLegislation / Regulation

Proposed auto reforms in Newfoundland ‘don’t go far enough’: IBC

April 25, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

If the Newfoundland and Labrador government increases the deductible for pain and suffering awards in auto accident lawsuits, a reduction in claims costs will not necessarily follow, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s CEO. Newfoundland and Labrador has had a

News CatastrophesConstructionInsurance

Is wind “the new water” for Canada’s insurers?

April 25, 2019 by Jason Contant

High winds contributed in part to most catastrophes in Canada over the past few decades, prompting the need for a new national standard on wind resilience, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) said Thursday. A report released by ICLR

News Insurance

How sales commissions can result in disputes over vacation pay

April 24, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

If you employ commissioned sales people, how are you calculating their vacation pay? Calculating employees’ vacation pay can be an issue for any company whose sales staff earn both a base salary and commission, Toronto employment lawyer Andrew Monkhouse, managing

News InsuranceRisk

Why moving to the cloud poses a greater security risk

April 24, 2019 by Jason Contant

As businesses increasingly move to the cloud to provide services, their cyber risk is also being greatly heightened, a cyber security professional told Canadian Underwriter recently. Many companies are outsourcing sensitive activities such as human resources or payroll to cloud

News Commercial LinesInsuranceProfessional Development

Is the grass greener on the other side of insurance?

April 22, 2019 by Jason Contant

Are you a personal lines specialist who is attracted by the allure of working in commercial lines? You’re not alone. “I think a lot of people often say, ‘Well, I’m in personal lines and I aspire to commercial because it’s

News ClaimsInsurance

Spring melt floods thousands of Quebec homes

April 22, 2019 by Jason Contant

Nearly 2,400 homes in Quebec have been flooded following the spring melt in the province, according to statistics released early Monday morning by the provincial government. The flooding has resulted in the evacuation of more than 1,500 residents. The city

News Commercial LinesInsurance

Debate rages over whether a cyber attack is an act of war

April 18, 2019 by Jason Contant

Can a cyber attack be considered an act of war? That issue came to light in October of 2018 when international food and beverage company Mondelez International sued its insurer Zurich American Insurance Company for declining coverage to Mondelez following

News InsuranceLegislation / RegulationRestorationRisk

This aging infrastructure problem could force residents out of homes

April 18, 2019 by Greg Meckbach

A substantial number of Ontario residents are at risk of becoming temporarily homeless because they live in old high-rise buildings with critical infrastructure that needs to be replaced, a politician told Canadian Underwriter Wednesday. “Across Toronto and across Ontario we