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…
2018 ‘not a good year’ for Canadian P&C insurers: IBC
May 2, 2019 by Greg MeckbachWeak investment results and problems with auto insurance in most provinces were among the factors leading to a bad year for insurers in 2018, Insurance Bureau of Canada’s chairman suggests. “Last year was not a good year for the property…
Why it’s hard for insurers to price cyber risk
May 1, 2019 by Greg MeckbachIt’s hard for an insurance company to price cyber because clients are reluctant to report losses, industry experts suggest. “You need historical incidents to understand the types of events out there,” Scott Stransky, assistant vice president and principal scientist in…
Easy advice to help protect your clients against cyber attacks
April 30, 2019 by Jason ContantWhat’s one easy piece of advice you can provide to your clients to help protect them from cyber-attacks? Change your passwords. Nearly one-third (30%) of people in Canada and the United States use the same passwords for all or most…
How AI can connect the dots between your systems
April 26, 2019 by Jason ContantArtificial 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…
One key ingredient missing from this province’s auto reform proposals
April 24, 2019 by David GambrillNewfoundland & Labrador has introduced a slew of changes intended to help stabilize insurance rates – and a cap on minor injuries, implemented in many other Canadian provinces, isn’t one of them. Instead, the provincial government is proposing to raise…
Is the grass greener on the other side of insurance?
April 22, 2019 by Jason ContantAre 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…