Operations

Federal budget contains ‘unexpected positive development’ for brokers re: Bank Act

This year’s federal budget could keep the restrictions, on banks selling home and auto insurance, for at least another four years. “There was an unexpected positive development in the budget for us,” Peter Braid, CEO of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, told Canadian Underwriter Wednesday. “The federal government has signaled in the budget that […]

By Greg Meckbach | April 23, 2021

3 min read

Inside the merger of Highcourt and Breckles

Search engine optimization (SEO), electronic transactions, and contracts with carriers insuring small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are among the capabilities that made the Breckles Group of Companies attractive to Highcourt Partners. The merger of those two Canadian brokerages, resulting in the formation of the Highcourt Breckles Group, was announced this past Tuesday. The combined firm […]

By Greg Meckbach | April 15, 2021

3 min read

Pandemic lockdowns make the case for pay-as-you-go commercial insurance

Auto insurance has introduced pay-as-you-go options for personal clients, but in the era of business shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it seems as though commercial lines could use a similar option as well. Brokers in a LinkedIn thread recently discussed the conundrum facing their business clients when they purchase insurance for a year […]

By David Gambrill | April 14, 2021

3 min read

Has the pandemic dampened brokers’ enthusiasm for referrals, new business?

Brokers don’t appear to be as enthusiastic about generating new business through referrals as they were before the pandemic, according to Canadian Underwriter’s 2021 National Broker Survey. In fact, brokers’ support for almost all traditional means to generate new business has waned over the past three years, the 2021 survey results show. And while the […]

By David Gambrill | April 13, 2021

3 min read