U.S. 1-quarter figures show investment boon
July 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterFirst-quarter results of the U.S. property and casualty insurance industry show signs of improvement; largely on the back of increased investment earnings derived from higher interest rates. The industry’s after tax income for the period clocked in at US$9.2 billion…
The Internet’s consumer VOICE
July 1, 1999 Dennis Krueger, a U.S. freelance technology writerOriginally a medium for scientists to exchange information, the Internet’s use has rapidly expanded to become a virtual commercial marketplace. And, with the Internet’s commercial potential beginning to truly surface, consumers through news group forums and dedicated web sites are…
ROAD SAFETY SWITCHES GEARS
July 1, 1999 Lowell ConnThe pendulum on road safety from an insurer perspective is swinging back from mechanical design of vehicles to a more holistic view of driving skills and adequacy of road infrastructure, delegates were told at the Insurance Information Centre of Canada’s…
Developing Financial Supervision The Canadian Solution
July 1, 1999 Lawrie Savage of Lawrie Savage & Associates Inc.The 1990s saw considerable attention drawn to the global benefits of the so-called “hot” developing economies such as South America, Asia and the former Eastern Bloc countries. Most recently, we have seen plunging stock markets and economic uncertainty resulting in these same areas. Strangely, these have a link with trends in Canadian financial supervision.
Mandatory mediation: Split decision?
June 1, 1999 Jonathan Schrieder, Milton J. Brown, Q.C. & Assoc., Barristers &When the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) introduced mandatory mediation of statutory accident benefits disputes, insurance companies quietly rejoiced. Essentially, the new rules preclude plaintiffs from launching an action at law prior to mediating issues in dispute which fall…
The Safety Equation
June 1, 1999 Sean van Zyl, EditorRecent months have seen increased pressure being brought to bear by the private property and casualty insurance industry to deregulate the monopoly positions of provincial government insurers. Due to its sheer size and control of one of Canada’s largest consumer…
Skills in risk
March 1, 1999 Richard Saylor, a risk management consultant and former risk & iEvery end is a new beginning. This has never been truer than in today’s fast paced world where everyone and everything is constantly being reinvented. As I look at my career in the risk management field, I can see that…
CORRECTION (March 01, 1999)
March 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterNews
ING strengthens B.C. position
February 1, 1999 by Canadian UnderwriterING Canada, through its Calgary-based subsidiary Western Union Insurance, has entered into a strategic alliance with B.C.-based BCAA. Under the agreement, ING will purchase BCAA’s subsidiary, BCAA Insurance Corporation, for undisclosed terms. BCAA will continue to sell home and auto…
AutoRate Warning
February 1, 1999 Linda Matthews, COO of Royal & SunAllianceOntario’s auto insurance regulations under Bill 59, and the latest revisions under Bill 90, have created a unique legislative environment in the provincial governing of consumer insurance. So much so that several provincial insurance regulators have eyed the legislation as…
Hi-tech streamlines car rental process
February 1, 1999 Matt Darrah, vice president of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, TorontoConsistency and convenience have been earmarked as the key factors likely to satisfy the consumer of the future. The rapid advancements made on the technology front over recent decades are largely responsible for this shift in consumer expectations. To survive…
Ice Storm Lessons learnt
February 1, 1999 Paul Kovacs, Executive Director, Institute for Catastrophic LossAt the time, it captivated Canadians across the country and even today is at the top of book best seller lists. The raw power of nature displayed by the ice storm which paralyzed south eastern Ontario, Quebec and parts of…