What the future underwriter will look like
March 1, 2021 by David GambrillUnderwriters of the future are going to look a lot more like technology trailblazers, data pioneers, dealmakers, portfolio optimizers, and risk detectives, according to a new report by Deloitte. “To remain competitive, insurers should accelerate underwriting transformation,” Deloitte states in…
Underwriting long term care: Transforming liability into opportunity
December 4, 2020 by David GambrillWith property and casualty insurance carriers reportedly exiting the long-term care (LTC) class of business following a spate of class-action lawsuits related to COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, insurance underwriters may be interested to know about a new technology in…
What open banking means for brokers
June 21, 2019 by Greg MeckbachBrokers should see open banking as more of an opportunity than a threat, a partner with EY Canada suggests. Open banking is a system in which consumers could consent to sharing their banking transaction data with other financial services providers,…
The other technology risk that’s keeping clients up at night
June 17, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIf you place commercial insurance, you probably have clients who are very concerned about the risk of making large investments in information technology projects. “The failure rate of IT projects is quite high and the returns are often not what…
This social media risk lacks a mainstream insurance product
June 12, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWant to place insurance that covers a client whose revenue suddenly plummets because of a disinformation campaign? This might be easier said than done, but one commercial insurer with a Canadian branch is hoping to change this. Right now, there…
Business optimization is easy. Why isn’t transformation?
June 12, 2019 by Adam MalikFinding ways to save money isn’t how you make meaningful change in your business. It’s about your people and altering the way they think and work in your company. For many industries – and insurance is no exception – that…
Should cyber insurance products become more standardized?
June 10, 2019 by Jason ContantHow far along is the Canadian insurance industry in terms of cyber product standardization? While some of the standard language for base coverage has become more standardized over the years, there is still an overall general lack of standardization. There…
How an insurtech uses pre-fill data to a homeowner’s best advantage
June 6, 2019 by Jason ContantOne insurtech based in the United States is pre-filling data in home insurance application forms to help answer questions that customers may not be able to answer themselves. California-based home insurance company Hippo Insurance uses trusted public data sources like…
Brokerage fined for rebating premium to unhappy client
June 3, 2019 by David GambrillA Manitoba brokerage recently found itself in hot water with the regulator for rebating premium money to a dissatisfied client. Insurance Council of Manitoba ruled that Donbar Agency Limited, which operates as Crossroads Insurance, should not have rebated an unhappy…
Does an earthquake endorsement cover sinkhole damage?
May 28, 2019 by Jason ContantIf a home collapses into a sinkhole, is there coverage under a standard homeowner’s policy or earthquake endorsement? Not under many homeowner’s policies, but possibly under the earthquake endorsement, depending on the policy language and if the quake caused the…
New cyber insurance platform offers quotes using single piece of data
May 23, 2019 by Jason ContantWhile online quote and bind systems have historically been cumbersome, one specialist insurer will soon offer a cyber insurance platform with single-question quoting capabilities. Using a single piece of client data, brokers will be able generate a cyber insurance quote…
How Fairfax’s Allied World acquisition is working out
May 10, 2019 by Greg MeckbachOld medical malpractice claims with Allied World Assurance Company are still affecting the bottom line of Canada’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., which bought the majority of Allied World nearly two years ago. With a combined ratio of 102.3%, Zug, Switzerland-based…