Claims

Low property losses leading to false sense of complacency

Leading up to the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Aon Corp is cautioning that although predictions of hurricane activity are important to consider, any storm can cause massive destruction regardless of whether it happens in a period of below-normal or above-normal storm activity. Hurricanes Felix and Dean, each of which caused massive destruction, both hit during […]

By Canadian Underwriter | May 26, 2008

1 min read

Up to 16 named storms, NOAA predicts

There is a 90% chance of a near-normal or above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin in 2008, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate prediction centre. An average season has 11 named storms including six hurricanes, of which two reach major (Category 3-5) status. Considerable activity is projected, with a 65% […]

By Canadian Underwriter | May 22, 2008

1 min read

Credit crunch and hurricane forecasts converging at wrong time for insurers

The credit crunch related to the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, as well as the higher-than-average hurricane forecasts for the eastern seaboard, might be converging at the worst possible time for insurers, according to A.M. Best.”Turmoil in the credit markets could leave policyholders in limbo if a major hurricane strikes the United States […]

By Canadian Underwriter | May 20, 2008

1 min read

PartnerRe report assesses strengths, weaknesses of risk transfer mechanisms

The choice of whether to use traditional reinsurance or capital markets to transfer risk “will depend on careful consideration of a number of different factors, including the risk, size of insurer and ability to absorb basis risk,” PartnerRe says in a recent report on insurance-linked securities.PartnerRe’s report, ‘A Balanced Discussion on Insurance-Linked Securities (ILS),’ identifies […]

By Canadian Underwriter | May 16, 2008

2 min read