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Weekly news roundup: January 20-26, 2012

RIMS announces keynote speakers; Aviva Community Fund winners; IBC urges Canadians to report insurance crime.

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• Weekly news roundup: February 10-16, 2012
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Canadian market update

Canadian commercial insurance rates are expected to remain stable across most lines of business in 2012, continuing a trend that began in the second half of 2011, according to Marsh. Property insurance rate reductions will likely cease in 2012, especially for Canadian insureds with significant loss histories or US catastrophe exposures. To read more on this story, click here.

Company highlights

Aviva Canada Inc. has announced the recipients of the third Aviva Community Fund competition, and this year Canadians helped select 12 worthy ideas representing communities nationwide. A total $1 million will be awarded to diverse local projects. To read more on this story, click here.

Willis Group Holdings has announced the expansion and relocation of its south Florida headquarters to 1450 Brickell Avenue, Miami. The new facility will serve as the south Florida headquarters of Willis’ retail insurance brokerage operations, a business that serves more than 3,000 local clients, placing employee benefit programs for some of the largest firms in the area.

The MEARIE Group is celebrating its 25th year delivering insurance, financial and business solutions to Ontario’s electricity sector. The MEARIE Group is a progressive and innovative reciprocal that serve a variety of customers’ needs including: group benefits, credit insurance, human resource services, trades, professional and management training, industry conferences and a variety of financial and business solutions – all targeted expressly to the electricity sector.

Auto insurance

According to an ICBC survey conducted in December, seven out of 10 drivers admit to feeling less safe or more frustrated on the roads when winter conditions hit and this is reflected in a spike in crashes at this time of the year. Over the past five years, there have been on average more than 24,000 crashes during the month of January making it one of the highest months for crashes on BC roads. To read more on this story, click here.

Nearing the end of Crime Stoppers Month this January, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) urges Canadians to take the time to learn about—and report suspected—insurance crime. Federal legislation such as Bill S-9 (Tackling Auto Theft and Property Crime Act) increases the risk of serious penalties for those involved in auto theft and any property obtained by crime. To help Canadians better understand the problem of insurance fraud, IBC created a short video: Click here.

SGI reports there were 339 people charged with traffic violations at intersections during a Saskatchewan-wide traffic blitz last week. The two-day blitz, held on January 18 and 19, saw police agencies and traffic enforcement officers across the province on the lookout for drivers and pedestrians violating traffic laws at intersections, including failing to yield to oncoming traffic or pedestrians, failing to stop at stop signs, running red lights and jaywalking.

Events

The 2012 RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition will feature major league baseball general manager Billy Beane and New York Times best-selling author Walter Isaacson as its keynote speakers. The event is scheduled for April 15 to April 18 in Philadelphia. Click here to visit our events page and learn more.