Nova Scotia’s auto insurance regulator is not letting The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company take marijuana legalization into account when calculating this year’s rate increases. The Dominion said in a rate change application that claims frequency will likely go up as a result of the legalization of recreational marijuana, the Nova Scotia Utility and […]
By Greg Meckbach | March 26, 2019
2 min read
A commercial property owner who was sued for $100,000 by neighbours over water damage is unable to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The top court announced March 14 it is denying Marilyn Marks leave to appeal a Court of Appeal for Ontario ruling last year. Marks’s property is in the community of Tottenham […]
By Greg Meckbach | March 18, 2019
3 min read
A “watershed moment” of industry cooperation could lead in April to what brokers are heralding as the most significant technology breakthrough in broker-carrier connectivity in decades. Representatives of every broker association across the country met in Toronto on Jan. 29, along with 16 to 17 carriers and all of the Broker Management Systems (BSM) vendors […]
By David Gambrill | February 7, 2019
5 min read
Mutual policyholders of Economical Insurance could get more than $300,000 each if the Waterloo-based insurer demutualizes. A conversion proposal that Economical submitted to the regulator last year calls for 20% of benefits going first to eligible mutual policyholders, of which there are 878, Economical said in a policyholder information circular. Another $100 million would go […]
By Greg Meckbach | February 1, 2019
2 min read
Canadian claims software vendor Symbility Solutions Inc. is a step closer to being acquired by data provider CoreLogic Inc. Calgary-based Symbility said Thursday an overwhelming majority of its shareholders have approved a $160-million deal originally announced Oct. 22. The deal still has more hurdles to cross, including approval by the Court of Queen’s Bench of […]
By Greg Meckbach | December 14, 2018
2 min read
This story is one in a series reporting on the results of 2018 National Broker Survey, conducted by Canadian Underwriter. The survey of more than 800 P&C brokers nationally was designed to identify the success strategies of both producers and principals. Find other instalments in the series here and our overview package in our October 2018 issue. Where to Find […]
By David Gambrill | November 16, 2018
3 min read
Home insurance clients might lack sufficient insurance if they own golf carts or all-terrain vehicles, an insurance lawyer warns. “Someone might be driving a golf cart that they own privately, in a gated community, and they might not have any coverage for that unless they specifically bought insurance for the golf cart,” Chet Wydrzynski, associate […]
By Greg Meckbach | October 30, 2018
3 min read
Brokerage owners looking for ways to reduce their tax bill could have more incentive in 2019 to max out their registered retirement savings plan, a tax expert told Canadian Underwriter. For some family-owned businesses, there is “an added reason” for owners to contribute as much as they are allowed to their RRSPs or tax-free savings […]
By Greg Meckbach | October 18, 2018
3 min read
A Windsor, Ont.-based online brokerage that promises consumers seven quotes in three minutes is one operation now owned by Hub International Ltd. Chicago-based Hub announced Thursday it has acquired the property and casualty business of Cypher Systems Group, the corporate parent of Southland Insurance Brokers Inc., SmartCoverage Insurance Services Inc. and Insurance Hunter Services Inc. […]
By Greg Meckbach | August 2, 2018
2 min read
Nearly five years after a fatal accident in which a runaway freight train caught fire in Lac-Mégantic Quebec, the frequency of uncontrolled train movements is on the rise, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada warned Wednesday. “In 2017, there were 62 occurrences involving uncontrolled movements, the second-highest annual total in the past 10 years,” TSB […]
By Greg Meckbach | July 4, 2018
2 min read