Issue 2006-38: September 19, 2006
Consumer Information
About Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance: from HealthQuotes.ca
Guaranteed issue health insurance is often considered when someone has a pre-existing condition that is not covered by personal health insurance plans, which usually have medical questionnaires.
The nature of the pre-existing condition usually does not matter. If you have a pre-existing condition there are several options available to you when it comes to health insurance.
Manulife Poll: New studies show older Canadian boomers need to tackle their retirement homework.
TORONTO, Sept. 14. 2006 - A recent poll for Manulife Investments suggests older Canadian boomers are not as mathematically savvy as they need to be - especially when it comes to their income after they retire.
The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company adds identity fraud expense coverage to home insurance.
The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company has announced that it is automatically including up to $25,000 of Identity Fraud Expense coverage in its and Chieftain's Homeowners, Tenants, and Condominium policies, subject to a $250 deductible.
ICBC announces "No Free Ride" for auto thieves; new program to deter auto theft and recoup costs.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), the provincial government, and police are putting auto thieves and their passengers on notice that, if they steal a vehicle, they will be held financially responsible.
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Honda, Toyota, Ford and Volkswagen Land the Most Vehicles at the Top of the Inaugural Automotive Environmental Index.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. - 31 August 2006 - Fifteen out of 37 automotive brands are represented in the top 30 list of environmentally friendly vehicles, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Alternative Powertrain StudySM released today.
Claims
MSB Advisory Board Meeting Attracts Industry Thought Leaders.
LOS ANGELES -- September 7, 2006 - Marshall & Swift / Boeckh (MSB), the leading worldwide provider of building cost data and estimating technology to the property insurance industry, recently concluded its fourth annual Advisory Board Meeting bringing together the top thought leaders in the industry today. The sessions were held over an intense two days in San Diego, California, and were attended by top insurance executives and advisors on both the underwriting and claims sides from 31 companies.
Guidewire ClaimCenter Receives Leading Core Claim System Position in Celent Report.
SAN MATEO, CA, September 13, 2006 - Guidewire Software®, a leading provider of solutions to property and casualty and workers' compensation insurers, today announced that Guidewire's ClaimCenter solution has been recognized as a leading core claim system by industry analyst firm, Celent. In the report, Celent profiled 16 core property/casualty claims systems with an established presence in the United States.
Policy and Product Management
Unity Life of Canada Announces Administration Agreement With GeniSys.
TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2006 -- Unity Life of Canada has reached an agreement to outsource the administration of an acquired segment of business from The Prudential Insurance Company of America to Toronto-based GeniSys.
eBusiness and Technology
Information Builders Unveils New Release of WebFOCUS Performance Management Framework to Empower Organizations to Make Strategic Decisions Based on Business Performance.
New York, NY - September 7, 2006 - Information Builders, the enterprise business intelligence (BI) standard of choice for organizations around the world, today announced the release of WebFOCUS Performance Management Framework (PMF) 3.1. This release further extends the company's vision for operational performance management as the way to connect strategy to operations, making information accessible to a broader set of users for optimal decision-making.
Allstate Canada messaging and collaboration system secure with Ceryx.
TORONTO, September 12, 2006 - Messaging service provider Ceryx, announced today that Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, has outsourced their messaging systems to Ceryx. Allstate Canada migrated to Microsoft Exchange 2003 replacing their internal Microsoft Exchange 5.5 system with a secure, redundant and dedicated system, managed by Ceryx.
Our People
Education Linked to Financial Results of Insurers: LOMA's Resource magazine.
ATLANTA, GA - Sept. 1, 2006 - Insurers that invest in education and development of their employees can realize increased revenue, according to research by the Institute for Intellectual Capital Research (IICR). In fact, among the companies studied by the research, every $1 increase in training and development equaled an increase of $168 in revenue per employee, according to an article in the September issue of LOMA's Resource magazine.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
Comprehensive Investment Information Made Easy by Standard Life.
MONTREAL, Sept. 13, 2006 - Standard Life is pleased to announce that Plan Sponsors and Plan Members can now reap the benefits of Standard Life's enhanced approach to investment information. Standard Life provides this innovative and unique tool to investment reporting through its new collaboration with Morningstar Canada, a leading Canadian investment fund research firm.
Business of Insurance
Manulife Bank to open Halifax office with plans to hire 150 staff through the next five years.
WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 13, 2006 - Manulife Bank will expand its Canadian banking operations to Halifax effective January 1, 2007, with long-term plans to employ 150 people there during the next five years.
Conning Research: New Alternatives Aimed at Capacity Will Challenge Traditional Insurers.
(Hartford, CT) September 6, 2006 - New alternative capacity markets are emerging that represent a more widespread challenge to the traditional insurance mechanism; while the alternative insurance market legacy structures, such as retentions and single-parent captives, are reaching maturity, according to a new study by Conning Research and Consulting, Inc.
Marketing and the Market Place
Strageties For Capturing The Boomer Opportunity: kasina study.
NEW YORK, December 18, 2005 - Though the Baby Boom generation accounts for more than 25 percent of the U.S. population and controls roughly 70 percent of all investable assets, the vast majority of asset management firms still have not developed a Boomer-specific product and marketing strategy, according to "Strategies for Capturing the Boomer Opportunity," a study by kasina, a leading consultant to the asset management industry.
LIMRA Report Points to Need for Change to Reach the Underinsured Market.
Windsor, CT, September 11, 2006 - A new consumer research report from LIMRA says life insurance carriers need to change how they reach out to underinsured consumers if they want to capture more of the potentially large market for their products. In a series of focus groups in the U.S. and Canada, consumers who own some life insurance expressed concern that they don't have enough, but also offered many reasons for why they don't get the insurance they say they need.
IRC Study Finds Strong Support for Government Policies to Mitigate Damage from Natural Disasters Before They Happen But Also Finds Lack of Personal Preparation.
August 31, 2006 MALVERN, Pa.- Most Americans favor public policies that could help to mitigate the damage caused by catastrophic natural disasters before they happen, but many Americans remain unprepared for a disaster in their own homes and communities. Nine out of ten adult Americans support the adoption and enforcement of building codes to make new homes stronger and safer. Two-thirds (67 percent) support building codes even when they would add 6 percent to the cost of a new home. These findings are from a new report, Public Attitude Monitor 2006, Issue 1, Natural Disasters, from the Insurance Research Council (IRC).
from Doug:
I enjoyed the weekend's warm fall weather, with some time outdoors, partly spent doing some gardening which was overdue by a year - I probably shouldn't confess that I never did plant flowers in the planters this year - and otherwise enjoying the season. A radio announcer on Friday indicated that there were no fewer than 39 Fall Fairs being held over the weekend in Ontario, so there was no shortage of things to do.