Featured Articles Blog

Intact Financial acquires Jiffy, Canada’s No. 1 home maintenance app 0

Uncategorized

Intact Financial acquires Jiffy, Canada’s No. 1 home maintenance app

Intact and Jiffy to expand access to home maintenance services across Canada Toronto, ON (Nov. 14, 2024) – Intact Financial Corporation is pleased to announce it has acquired Jiffy Inc., Canada’s number-one home maintenance app. Through this acquisition, Jiffy will have the platform and capabilities to accelerate expansion of its services across more Canadian jurisdictions while supporting Intact’s goals of engaging three-quarters of Canadian customers digitally and providing a customer experience that is second to none. “At Intact, we invest in products and exceptional brands that directly support the evolution of customer needs. Through our partnership with Jiffy, we look forward to expanding their service offering to more customers, and geographies, connecting their network of certified professionals to more jobs,” said Imen Zitouni, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Intact Financial Corporation. Jiffy is an app-based service that connects homeowners with local service professionals to provide various home maintenance tasks such as plumbing, exterior repairs, appliance repair, electrical work and furniture assembly. Designed with the user in mind, Jiffy focuses on making home maintenance simpler and more accessible for everyone. “Intact is the perfect partner to help Jiffy deliver the most accessible and reliable home maintenance solutions for homeowners,...

Westland Insurance acquires P&C brokerage MSP Insurance 0

Uncategorized

Westland Insurance acquires P&C brokerage MSP Insurance

Acquisition marks Westland’s third Ontario partnership in 2024 Surrey, BC (Nov. 8, 2024) – Westland Insurance, one of Canada’s largest insurance brokers, is pleased to announce it has acquired MSP Insurance Corp. (operating as Mitchell Sandham Pastor Insurance Brokers), effective November 1st. The acquisition of this P&C brokerage marks Westland’s third partnership in Ontario this year, reinforcing the organization’s strategic growth in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). MSP Insurance is a Mississauga-based brokerage that has served the GTA since 1957. Their team of experienced brokers is dedicated to offering personalized quality service, including professional insurance advice, ongoing policy maintenance, and claims support. “We’re thrilled to welcome MSP Insurance to the Westland team,” says Jamie Lyons, Westland’s President & CEO. “As we continue our growth journey across Eastern Canada, we feel privileged to join forces with this outstanding brokerage, in no small part due to their tremendous leadership and passionate employees. We’re looking forward to working with their team to continue serving Mississauga and make a difference in the lives of their clients.” Westland continues to invest in and grow its business in Canada, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. About Westland Insurance Group Westland Insurance Group is one of the...

0

Uncategorized

A Long-Term Care Planner’s Confession

An error occurred while fetching the data. Error details: Error: GraphQL Error (Code: 503): {“response”:{“error”:” <?xml version=\”1.0\” encoding=\”utf-8\”?> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \”-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN\” \”http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd\”> <html> <head> <meta charset=\”utf-8\”> <title>503 server failed to respond</title> <style type=\”text/css\”> body { background-color: #fff; font-family: ‘Open Sans’,HelveticaNeue,sans-serif!important; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; color: #333; text-align:center; } .branding { padding:30px 0; } .branding img { max-height: 125px; margin: 0; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; } .main { margin: 20px 0 30px 20px; padding: 0; font: 700 24px/24px proxima-nova,sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1px; } .errorcode { font: 400 18px/18px proxima-nova,sans-serif; margin: 40px 0 30px 0; } h1.page-title { margin: 0 0 30px 0; padding: 0; font: 800 54px/54px proxima-nova,sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1px; } .wrapper { width: 1180px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0; clear: both; } ul.brand-list\t{ margin:0 0 30px 0; padding:0; list-style:none; clear:both } ul.brand-list li\t{ margin:0; padding:0; list-style:none; width:33.33%; text-align:center; float:left } ul.brand-list li img\t{ margin:0; padding:0; width:65% } ul.brand-list li a\t{ margin:0; padding:30px 0; border-radius:6px; display:block; background:#fff } ul.brand-list li a:hover\t{ background:#efefef } </style> </head> <body> <div class=\”branding\”><img src=’https://imageserver.amlaw.com/images/ta-logo.png’ /></div> <h1 class=\”main\”>This content is temporarily unavailable.</h1> <p>Please wait a moment and try refreshing the page, or hitting the back button. This state of affairs should only be temporary.</p>...

0

Uncategorized

General Mills to Engage Regulators on Food Dyes Targeted by RFK Jr.

Article 0 Comments General Mills Inc. is planning to engage federal officials over potential restrictions on food dyes that it uses in some of its cereals, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, calls for them to be removed. “Because this is always an evolving space, we work in close partnership with policymakers on this issue,” the company said in a statement. “We will engage with federal regulators as they consider any additional changes they may propose.” Kennedy boosted attention on the use of dyes in the final weeks of the US presidential campaign as a high-profile supporter of Donald Trump, who then made him his choice to run HHS. “The first thing I’d do isn’t going to cost you anything because I’m just gonna tell the cereal companies: Take all the dyes out of their food,” Kennedy said late last month. The additives have been held up by consumer advocates as a safety hazard since artificial dyes might be carcinogenic and possibly lead to hyperactivity in some kids. Versions of the cereals sold abroad are made without the dyes. Restrictions on food dyes could be costly for General Mills, which...

There’s a New #1 Most Stolen Vehicle in Canada: Équité Association 0

Uncategorized

There’s a New #1 Most Stolen Vehicle in Canada: Équité Association

Équité Association Unveils the Annual Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Canada Toronto, ON (Nov. 19, 2024) – Équité Association, Canada’s national authority on insurance crime and fraud prevention, has unveiled their annual ‘Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Canada’ for 2023. After two consecutive years in the top spot, the Honda CR-V has lost its top position; the Toyota Highlander has overtaken the Honda CR-V as the nation’s most stolen vehicle. The Toyota Highlander is a popular model in Canada, which is globally serviceable and has a high resale value both domestically and internationally; noting criminals continually shift demand to maximize their profits from the illegal sale of vehicles. It also shares similarities with nearly all of the vehicles on the national list, where the vehicles are 2019 or newer models, and have vulnerabilities that come with keyless ignitions, particularly as these vehicles do not come equipped with anti-theft devices aligned to the ULC 338 Anti-theft Standards. “In order to sustainably address the auto theft crisis in Canada, solutions must evolve from focusing on the recovery of stolen vehicles to preventing vehicles from being stolen in the first place, starting with updating Canada’s outdated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations...

0

Uncategorized

US Faces Growing Crisis Over High Traffic Deaths, NTSB Chair Says

Article 0 Comments The United States must address a growing public-health crisis over traffic deaths that remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday. “Unlike most developed nations, U.S. roadways have grown more deadly over the last several decades,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a board meeting on its probe into a 2023 vehicle crash that killed six people. “By raw numbers, the U.S. has more motor-vehicle deaths than any other developed country. We also have the highest death rate.” The January 2023 crash happened in Louisville, New York between a bus transporting workers and a box truck. Homendy said there was insufficient federal oversight from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, adding, “FMCSA’s inadequate oversight played an outsized role.” The Transportation Department did not immediately comment. In September, the department estimated 18,720 people died in motor-vehicle traffic crashes during the first six months of 2024, down 3.2% from the first half of 2023. The 2024 first-half total is still higher, however, than pre-pandemic levels, when just over 17,000 people were killed in the first half of 2019. “We are in the midst...

0

Uncategorized

Wealth.com Expands Its RIA Reach (Again)

One example of the firm’s innovation efforts, White detailed, is the platform’s ability to analyze and onboard complex estate planning documents that are created externally. The platform digests the information and automatically generates a visual-based overview of the client’s estate. “Being able to do this digitally and efficiently is a game-changer for advisors working on the estate planning topic,” White said. “The old-fashioned way required advisors and attorneys to sit down and pore through the documents on an ad hoc basis.” Such capabilities, he continued, complement the platform’s document-creation power that may be of more use to end clients who are lower on the wealth scale and who may lack essential planning documents such as wills, trusts and advanced directives. “The vision is to be able to help support advisors who are themselves supporting clients at all wealth levels,” White explained. “Estate planning services are about more than tax savings for just the wealthiest Americans.” A Red-Hot Market No service category in the wealth management domain has more inherent opportunity than estate planning, White maintained. “There’s a good reason why you see so much investment and interest in this space — and why we have some great competitors and colleagues...

0

Uncategorized

Florida OIR Approves 1% Average Workers’ Compensation Rate Decrease

Article 0 Comments Florida employers will soon see the smallest decrease in workers’ compensation rates in years – just a 1% reduction from current overall rates in the voluntary market. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation announced Monday that the insurance commissioner had given final approval to the decrease, which was recommended in August by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. “F” classes, for employers that do maritime or federal work, will see a 13.9% average rate decrease. The new rates take effect Jan. 1 for new and renewal workers’ compensation policies. Individual employers’ premiums will vary depending on injury experience, type of work, and other factors. The latest decrease, while unusually small, reflects a cumulative drop of almost 78% since 2003, the NCCI said in its presentation to OIR. That year, 2003, was the year the Florida legislature made historic changes to workers’ compensation laws, reducing costs for many businesses. The latest rate is the eighth straight year for workers’ comp rate rate reductions in the state and follows a 15.1% average cut in 2024 and an 8.4% decrease in 2023. The small size of the 2025 decrease was due in large part to Florida Senate Bill 362, approved...

0

Uncategorized

DOL Seeks More Data to Launch Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database

In response to public concern, Labor said it has narrowed the collection request from what was previously proposed. The information will help Labor establish and maintain the complete database contemplated by section 523 of ERISA. Labor is seeking “basic information about individuals of a certain age who may be owed benefits under ERISA retirement plans.” Specifically, EBSA states that it’s asking for the name and Social Security number of any participant who: separated from service; is owed a benefit from the plan; and is 65 or older. “The fundamental purpose of any job-based retirement plan is to pay promised benefits to the workers who participate in those plans and plan beneficiaries,” Lisa Gomez, assistant secretary for Employee Benefits Security, said in a statement. “Our goal, which we believe plan sponsors and administrators and their service providers share, is to make sure that workers and their beneficiaries receive all the retirement benefits they earned and were promised through their working careers so that they can look forward to a secure and enjoyable retirement,” Gomez said. The Retirement Savings Lost and Found database “will be another tool to help plans carry out this responsibility.”   Credit: Mike Scarcella/ALM

SIGNAL Unveils Four New Customized Products, Three Product Revamps 0

Uncategorized

SIGNAL Unveils Four New Customized Products, Three Product Revamps

Toronto, ON (Oct. 29, 2024) – SIGNAL Underwriting Inc. is excited to announce these 4 new in-house-underwritten products are available now to complement our existing array of commercial insurance solutions: We’ve also made improvements to some of our existing products, including: Private and Excess Directors & Officers— Now underwritten in-house. Healthcare — Now offering a solution for cross-border exposure for most risks. Also, a sub-limit for spread of COVID-19 (Medical Malpractice for treatment of COVID patient part of Medical Malpractice coverage), and Crisis Management Endorsement. Manufacturing & Wholesale— Rebranded and now with Manufacturers E&O and Product Recall sub-limits. SIGNAL Underwriting Inc. is an independently Canadian owned boutique Managing General Agent that brings unequalled value to our customers: ​​Tailored insurance coverage and products for individual insureds.​ Support and industry knowledge for our broker partners​. Expert underwriting for our insurance carriers. ​​​​SIGNAL Underwriting Inc.: ​Focuses on products where we hold the underwriting authority. Serves specialized areas of the commercial insurance market. Offers customized products for each industry segment. Brings over 20 years of broking and underwriting experience. ​SIGNAL Underwriting is an approved Coverholder with Lloyd’s of London, which was achieved within our first year of operation.  As well, we are a proud member...