Canadian Underwriter


The Peripatetic Rep:illustration: gerald heydens
Feature

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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GETTING TO GRIPS WITH CLAIMCOSTS

January 1, 2000 Sean van Zyl, Editor

With little room to maneuver on premium growth and enhancing investment returns, property and casualty insurers are likely to turn their attention in the year ahead to better risk selection and improved claims handling efficiency to boost bottom-line performance, industry

Products Shipped Under JIT/Quick Response ProgramsTrend in small shipment size, more frequent shipments
Feature

Commercial Risk Under JIT

January 1, 2000 by Canadian Underwriter

The “just-in-time” (JIT) efficiency supply process has over recent years become more than just a popular fad among manufacturers, it has become an engraved business philosophy having produced significant operating savings to companies. However, when evaluating commercial coverages, insurers need to carefully weigh up all the risk factors associated with JIT.

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NOT ALL SPORT UNPROFITABLE

December 1, 1999 by Canadian Underwriter

Not all of the specialty sports lines are unprofitable it appears. General liability coverage has been good business for Canadian managing general underwriters K&K Insurance, who write $50 to $70 million in premiums annually safeguarding teams against litigation surrounding spectator

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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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Cutting to the fat

December 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, Editor

For those who felt the market conditions of 1999 were worth a good cry over a beer, the year ahead is likely to be a very sober occasion, analysts warn. Results for property and casualty insurers for the final quarter

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Scrambling for loose business

December 1, 1999 Lowell Conn

Sports insurance is a specialty-lines oddity. It is unprofitable business marred by rising loss payouts not accurately balanced by the premiums generated. It is a competitive market where premium prices should be two or three times their current rate, insiders

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Kingsway hosts Analysts & Investors Day

December 1, 1999 by Canadian Underwriter

Prices will firm up and standard insurers will tighten underwriting rules, Kingsway Financial Services Inc. president Bill Star says, addressing media and stakeholders at the company’s first annual Analyst & Investor Day. “The result could see more business bypassing standard

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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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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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Identifying and Managing Risk

November 1, 1999 Jane Voll, director of policy and research, and Andrew Keppen, r

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) recently completed a survey in conjunction with management consultants Deloitte & Touche to identify what internal risk control procedures property and casualty insurers have or should be applying in evaluating strategic, operational and capital

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OLD DOGS LEARNING NEW TRICKS

November 1, 1999 Lowell Conn

Taco Bell’s Chihuahua campaign, launched in late 1997, has become the pre-eminent brand recognition success of the late 1990s. The ad spots, featuring a talking Mexican dog whose only desire is to pursue Taco Bell food, has resulted in a