Insurable Interest Canadian Insurance Blog

Nationwide Ranks Highest in Service; Amica, Erie Insurance Rank Highest in a Tie in Shopping Troy, MI (May 14, 2025) – More than half (57%) of auto insurance customers have actively shopped for a new policy in the past year, the highest shopping rate ever recorded by J.D. Power, and that’s putting more pressure than ever on digital channels, which have become the primary tool through which customers purchase insurance. According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study,SM 47% of auto insurance shoppers now purchase their policies through digital channels, but the experiences they are having on those websites and apps is notably uneven from one insurer to the next. “The primary communications conduit customers now have with their auto insurer is a website or an app, so that’s really ramped up pressure on insurers to put their best foot forward on digital properties,” said Eric McCready, director of digital solutions at J.D. Power. “Some insurers are doing this much better than others. Particularly in quoting new policies and comparing prices and coverages, the data shows a stark divide between top and bottom performers, which could have serious effects on new business growth during this period of heightened...

Toronto, ON (May 15, 2025) – Canadian Broker Network (CBN), Canada’s leading network of independent insurance brokers, is pleased to welcome its newest member, Harvard Western Insurance, headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan. “We believe there is great value in collaborating with progressive brokerages that share our vision, and we look forward to our mutual success,” said Dave Pettigrew, President & CEO of Harvard Western Insurance. “We are thrilled to welcome Harvard Western Insurance to the CBN Community,” said Lorie Phair, President of CBN. “Their addition not only strengthens our community but also exemplifies our commitment to fostering the growth and success of independent brokers in Canada.” About the Canadian Broker Network Canadian Broker Network (CBN) is an alliance of Canada’s leading independent insurance brokers. With over 30 member firms, 100 offices, 4,000 employees, and representing more than $3.5 billion in property-casualty premiums, CBN provides national reach with a local touch. CBN member brokers offer expertise across personal, commercial, employee benefits, life, and financial services, ensuring Canadians receive the highest standard of quality products, risk management advice and service. CBN also provides independent, employee-owned brokerages with a unique way to grow and innovate their businesses by leveraging the collective wisdom, experience, and...

By Trent Victor, Director of Safety Research & Best Practices, Waymo — The path to Vision Zero requires reducing severe crashes and improving the safety of those most at risk. Our latest research paper shows that the Waymo Driver is making significant strides in both areas. By reducing the most dangerous crashes and providing better protection for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, Waymo is making streets safer in cities where it operates. The paper, accepted to be published in the Traffic Injury Prevention Journal, expands on our Safety Impact Hub research, providing a deeper analysis of Waymo’s performance across 11 different crash types compared to human drivers. It also offers new insights into Waymo’s positive impact on serious injury crash rates. Types of crashes used for the Waymo Driver and human benchmark comparisons The research finds that, compared to human benchmarks over 56.7 million miles and regardless of who was at fault, the Waymo Driver had: Safer interactions with vulnerable road users (VRUs) with substantial reductions in crashes involving injuries among pedestrians (92% reduction), cyclists (82% reduction), and motorcyclists (82% reduction). 96% fewer injury-involving intersection crashes, which, according to NHTSA, are a leading cause of severe road harm...

Toronto, ON (May 13, 2025) – CSIO is pleased to announce a Standards Certification Rating Program that recognizes insurer and BMS vendor achievements in the adoption of CSIO Data Standards to benefit their broker partners and customers. The Standards Certification Ratings reflect an organization’s commitment to comprehensive Data Standards that respond to business needs. Developed by CSIO’s Standards Governance Advisory Council, the Rating criteria is designed to ensure organizations are advancing Data Standards through the achievement of CSIO Certifications. These include eDocs, Commercial Lines Data Standards, Compliance, and API Security Standards, and a current version of CSIO’s EDI and XML Standards. Insurers are assigned a separate Rating for personal and commercial lines while BMS vendors receive one overall Rating. Organizations that successfully programmed CSIO Standards and achieved all the criteria are eligible for the highest Rating, Platinum. CSIO congratulates the following Platinum Insurers: Wawanesa Insurance (Personal and Commercial) Definity Financial Corporation (Personal) Gore Mutual Insurance Company (Personal) Northbridge Insurance (Commercial) “We’re proud to be the first insurer to receive the highest CSIO Standards Certification Rating for both Personal and Commercial Lines,” said Glenn Hemming, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Wawanesa. “This achievement not only reinforces our commitment to...

Insurers can now collect and disburse payments across the U.S. and Canada through a single payments platform, the DreamPay Insurance Payment Hub, leveraging J.P. Morgan Payments’ capabilities Toronto, ON (May 1, 2025) – Dream Payments is pleased to announce it has launched the DreamPay Insurance Payment Hub — a two-way insurance payment network operating seamlessly across North America, leveraging J.P. Morgan Payments’ capabilities. For the first time, insurers can accept premiums from policyholders in both the U.S. and Canada, and issue claims payments to individuals and businesses of every size, using digital or physical methods, all in one platform. A Network That Reaches Everyone, Everywhere With the DreamPay Insurance Payment Hub, insurers now gain access to the most expansive insurance payment network on the continent. The platform connects to over 350 million individuals and more than 30 million businesses across North America. From policyholders in Toronto to service providers in San Francisco, insurers can initiate and receive payments across every relevant rail — from real-time payments and ACH in the U.S., to EFT and cheques in Canada — and even reach any address on the continent for physical check delivery. Purpose-Built for Insurance Carriers Insurers aren’t just looking for a...

Nearly half of all cyberattacks resulted in stolen data or credentials Identity abuse was the preferred entry point Asia Pacific represented more than one-third of attacks in 2024 Armonk, NY (Apr. 30, 2025) – IBM is pleased to announce the release of its 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. The 2025 report tracks new and existing trends and attack patterns – pulling from incident response engagements, dark web and other threat intelligence sources. Some key findings in the 2025 report include: Critical infrastructure organizations accounted for 70% of all attacks that IBM X-Force responded to last year, with more than one quarter of these attacks caused by vulnerability exploitation. More cybercriminals opted to steal data (18%) than encrypt it (11%) as advanced detection technologies and increased law enforcement efforts pressure cybercriminals to adopt faster exit paths. Nearly one in three incidents observed in 2024 resulted in credential theft, as attackers invest in multiple...