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CBN Welcomes Two More Members 0

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CBN Welcomes Two More Members

Canadian Broker Network Welcomes its Newest Member Toronto, ON (Apr. 14, 2026) – CBN, the exclusive peer advisory group for high-performing brokers in Canada, is pleased to announce the addition of Coughlin Insurance Brokers (Winnipeg, MB) and Ontario West Insurance Brokers (London, ON), further strengthening its national network of leading independent brokerages. “Aligning our brokerage with CBN will allow us to continue to grow, share insights, and learn best practices alongside other leading independent brokers,” says Matthew Coughlin, President & CEO of Coughlin Insurance Brokers. “We’ve built strong momentum across our business, and joining CBN felt like a natural fit as we continue to expand.” “We see strong value in being in the room with like‑minded peers to work through challenges together and learn from solutions others have already implemented,” says Traci Boland, Partner at Ontario West Insurance Brokers. “At the same time, we look forward to contributing our own experience and insights to the CBN community.” “We’re very pleased to welcome Coughlin Insurance Brokers and Ontario West Insurance Brokers,” says Lorie Phair, President of CBN. “By joining CBN, members gain access to a trusted environment where high‑performing brokers can openly share ideas, challenge perspectives, and support collective growth and...

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Verisk: Insurance Claims Volume Fell to 5-Year Low in 2025

Article 0 Comments Insurance claims volumes in the United States declined across most lines in 2025 due at least in part to less severe weather, but risks remain elevated as insurers navigate complex and concentrated claims, according to an annual report from Verisk. Claims volumes were lower in 2025 than 2024 across personal and commercial lines, Verisk’s Annual Insurance Claims Trends Report found. The report draws on insights from ClaimsSearch. There were 5.3 million homeowners claims in 2025, the lowest level in the past five years and down 19% year-over-year from 6.5 million in 2024. Personal auto claims fell to 31.6 million last year, extending a streak of three straight years of declining claim volume. Commercial property saw 710,000 claims in 2025, down from 910,000 in 2023. Commercial auto claims volume fell to 1.8 million in 2025, down 5% from the prior year. Source: Verisk’s ClaimsSearch Trends Report While insures saw declines in claims in 2025, major weather and natural catastrophe events such as the Los Angeles wildfires show how underlying risks are becoming more complex, according to Verisk. Smoke damage emerged as a significant driver of claims due to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. More than 7,800 smoke...

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Austria Races to Secure Power Supplies as ‘Peak Water’ Looms

Article 0 Comments Austria’s economic model has long been anchored in Alpine water flowing through turbines to generate power for homes and businesses, but as climate change redraws the country’s hydrological map, it faces a structural shift and geopolitical tensions have heightened the sense of urgency. Scientists warn that the country is approaching a tipping point known as “peak water,” which means that as Alpine glaciers shrink, these frozen reservoirs will no longer be able to boost river flows and generate electricity to the same extent they once did. “Almost all glaciers have been losing mass. That is consensus,” said Francesca Pellicciotti, a glaciologist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. “There will be less water for hydropower at some point.” The concept is sharpening concerns in Vienna that reliance on hydropower — long seen as a pillar of energy security — may become a vulnerability just as conflict-driven disruptions heighten the risks of depending on imported fuels. For a country whose second-most valuable listed company — state-controlled utility Verbund AG — generates about 90% of its electricity from hydropower, the implications are rippling from energy markets to credit ratings. Climate change is already causing more volatile precipitation patterns,...

Soplex Solutions d’Assurance becomes the first MGA from Quebec to join Acturis Canada 0

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Soplex Solutions d’Assurance becomes the first MGA from Quebec to join Acturis Canada

Quebec City, QC (Mar. 2, 2026) – Acturis Canada is proud to announce that Soplex Solutions d’Assurance, a respected Quebec-based MGA, has officially transitioned to the Acturis Canada platform as of February 2, 2026. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Quebec City, Soplex Solutions d’Assurance, part of the Synex Group, is an MGA focused on advisory services and long‑term client relationships. Serving both commercial and personal clients, the firm focuses on delivering personalized insurance solutions supported by a philosophy rooted in expertise, innovation, and a client‑first approach. As part of its ongoing commitment to operational excellence, Soplex undertook a significant modernization initiative by transitioning from the legacy system Applied TAM to Acturis. This move underscores the MGA’s dedication to enhancing efficiency, strengthening digital capabilities, and ensuring the scalability needed to support future growth. Throughout the implementation, the firm prioritized streamlined workflows, accurate data migration, and preparing its teams for the enhanced digital environment. With the transition now complete, Soplex has successfully onboarded approximately 50 users onto the modernized Acturis platform. This upgrade positions the firm to continue delivering high‑quality, reliable service while supporting its long‑term strategic vision and expanding client needs. “We are very pleased with the Acturis implementation process,”...

Gartner Says General Counsel Should Assess AI Insurance to Mitigate AI Risks 0

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Gartner Says General Counsel Should Assess AI Insurance to Mitigate AI Risks

Gartner Predicts “Death by AI” Legal Claims Will Exceed 2,000 Worldwide by End of 2026 Stamford, CT (Apr. 2, 2026) – General Counsel (GC) must consider new AI insurance offerings as part of their strategy to stay on top of their organization’s exposure to AI-related risks, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company. “As AI incidents surge and insurers increasingly add AI exclusions to traditional policies, companies face growing exposure to legal, financial and regulatory fallout from algorithmic failures,” said Alissa Lugo, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Legal & Compliance Practice. “GC should be evaluating a new wave of ‘affirmative AI insurance’ offerings that provide targeted coverage for risks, such as hallucinations, bias, IP infringement and safety failures.” Gartner analysts advise that if organizations are to broaden AI adoption in a responsible way, legal leaders must develop a clear understanding of the financial, operational and legal implications of dedicated AI insurance, including its costs, benefits and coverage terms (see Figure 1). Figure 1: Benefits and Risks of Affirmative AI Insurance Source: Gartner (April 2026) “Currently, AI risk is not sufficiently addressed through the combination of internal risk management practices and traditional business owners’ insurance policies, which...

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Trump Approves Disaster Requests for at Least 7 States; Others Wait

Article 0 Comments The Trump administration approved major disaster declaration requests for at least seven states this week, according to information released Saturday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, allowing affected communities to access federal support. About 15 requests for assistance from others states and tribes for extreme weather events this year and last seem to be pending, along with three appeals of previous denials. Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington were granted major disaster declarations, which can unlock federal support and funding for recovery needs such as public infrastructure repairs and aid for survivors. The announcement, in a FEMA daily briefing document, comes weeks into Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s tenure overseeing the disaster relief agency and is the latest signal that the former Republican senator from Oklahoma could ease some of the turmoil from the leadership of his predecessor, Kristi Noem, who was fired by President Donald Trump in March. Nonetheless, FEMA’s work could be undermined by the ongoing DHS shutdown, now eight weeks long. While disaster response and recovery can continue through a shutdown because FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund does not lapse, that money is running low as the funding impasse drags on....

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Iowa AG Sues Meta Over Alleged Deceptive Practices on Instagram

Article 0 Comments Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced she has filed a lawsuit against Meta and several of its subsidiaries, including Instagram and Facebook, for breaking Iowa’s consumer protection laws. The Attorney General’s Office alleges Instagram represents itself as being safe for Iowa’s children and teenagers, yet there is explicit content readily available. The state also asserts that Meta designed Instagram to be addictive, particularly to Iowa youth, and that this addiction harms Iowa children by substantially affecting their health. In addition to Instagram’s addictive nature and design, Instagram tells consumers that it contains only “infrequent” or “mild” content related to things like drug use, sexual content or nudity, and other mature themes, leading Instagram to rate itself as 12+, 13+ or T for Teen (i.e., suitable for teens 17 and under). However, the lawsuit asserts Instagram allows rampant “sexual content and nudity, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use and references, and mature/suggestive themes on the Instagram platform, including readily accessible hardcore pornography.” The platform has also been found in third-party investigations to promote or allow child pornography, sexual extortion of teenagers, and open dealing of opioids and other drugs. The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks a preliminary and a permanent...

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Inszone Acquires Oklahoma’s Schuessler

Article 0 Comments Inszone Insurance Services announced its expansion in Oklahoma through the acquisition of Schuessler Insurance, Inc., a long-standing independent insurance agency based in Alva, Oklahoma. Founded in 1973 by Harvey Schuessler, the agency began as a small operation run from Schuessler’s dining room before opening its first office in 1975. Over the decades, Schuessler Insurance built a strong reputation for dependable service and deep community relationships. In 2001, the agency was purchased by Michael Hood, who continued its legacy of personalized service while guiding the business through more than two decades of local growth. Schuessler Insurance primarily serves personal and commercial clients, with a strong focus on farm, agriculture, and small business coverage in the surrounding rural communities. The agency team will remain in place, continuing to serve clients locally with the added backing, infrastructure, and market access of Inszone Insurance Services. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Oklahoma Was this article valuable? Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article. Submit No Thanks Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it. Submit No Thanks Here are more articles you may enjoy. Interested in Mergers? Get...

Accenture Leverages AI With A Series of Investments & Acquisitions 0

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Accenture Leverages AI With A Series of Investments & Acquisitions

Accenture and Databricks Accelerate Enterprise Adoption of AI Applications and Agents at Scale Clients across industries, such as Albertsons, BASF, and Kyowa Kirin International are working with Accenture and Databricks to build agent-ready databases and AI applications on their enterprise data New Accenture Databricks Business Group will be supported by more than 25,000 Databricks-trained professionals—including the largest certified talent pool in the ecosystem—to support joint customers in deploying and scaling Lakebase, Genie, Agent Bricks, and Lakehouse New York, NY (Mar. 17, 2026) – Accenture and Databricks, the Data and AI company, are helping global organizations unlock the full potential of their enterprise data and scale adoption of AI applications and agents. As part of a strategic expansion of their partnership, the companies are launching the Accenture Databricks Business Group, with a focus on helping clients adopt Databricks as their core data and AI platform. Together, the companies will help clients leverage Databricks’ newest innovations including Lakebase for serverless Postgres databases built for AI, Genie to let any employee chat with their data, and Agent Bricks for high-quality agents built on enterprise data. Organizations struggle to scale AI due to fragmented data and legacy infrastructure that silo information and stall innovation....

Quotey Joins the Benevolent Trust Lab as Inaugural InsurTech Member 0

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Quotey Joins the Benevolent Trust Lab as Inaugural InsurTech Member

Calgary, AB (Apr. 8, 2026) – Benevolent Marketing is excited to welcome Quotey as the first insurtech member in the Benevolent Trust Lab, a new initiative that helps insurtechs align product, marketing, sales, and implementation around trust as a core design principle, not a tagline. By joining the Trust Lab, Quotey will work closely with Benevolent Marketing and its principal, Steve Pieroway, to examine how trust shows up in its day-to-day brand experience. “If there’s one truth in our industry, it’s this: the insurance industry runs on trust, and that includes tech vendors,” said Nick Kidd, CEO & Co-founder of Quotey. “I believe we do a good job building trust with our customers, and there’s always room to improve. Being part of the Benevolent Trust Lab gives us an opportunity to review our go-to-market approach through the lens of trust and make sure our promises, delivery, and outcomes line up.” “Quotey is a well-respected insurtech brand in the Canadian ecosystem,” said Steve Pieroway, Principal at Benevolent Marketing and creator of the Benevolent Insurtech Trust Index. “I’m excited to work with Nick and the entire Quotey team to build on the trust they’ve already earned and carry it through consistently in...