Issue 2006-01: January 03, 2006

Distribution

Lombard Canada and Keal Technology Announce Joint Integration Project.
November, 2005 - Keal Technology and Lombard Canada are pleased to announce their undertaking of a joint data integration project. Utilizing the proven existing technologies of both comXP and Commercial LINCQ, both parties expect to develop the ability to exchange commercial data in the near future.

Life Distribution CLIEDIS CITS Project Update: Certification and Issues
At the CLIEDIS SRC meeting on Dec 14th the group heard that the certification process for the CITS project had been approved by the CLIEDIS executive as of Dec 13th. CITS certification will ensure that feeds are not only ACORD compliant (and thus would meet ACORD certification), but will also meet the more stringent rules for CITS.

Western Financial Group Acquires Six Additional Agencies.
HIGH RIVER, AB, December 19, 2005 - Western Financial Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of six additional Agencies in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. In addition to these acquisitions, the Company has sold one of its two operations in Red Deer, Alberta.

Equisure reaches agreement with Autorité des marchés financiers du Québec.
MONTREAL, Dec. 16, 2005 - Equisure Financial Network Inc. today announced an agreement with the Autorité des marchés financiers that will conclude the Quebec regulatory agency's enquiry, begun last March, into the business practices of the property and casualty insurance brokerages that Equisure represents in the province.

Claims

New MS/B Price Surge Database Protects Carriers from Unexpected Severity.
LOS ANGELES DECEMBER 16, 2005 - Marshall and Swift / Boeckh (MS/B), the leading worldwide provider of building cost data and estimating technology to the property insurance industry, announces the availability of a Price Surge Indicator (TM) database that addresses the volatility and special cost considerations following catastrophic events. The database, which reflects price surge occurring in local markets, is updated and delivered on a monthly basis.

Consumer Information

Fewer Canadians taking the wheel after drinking, but problem far from fixed: TIRF poll.
OTTAWA, Dec. 21, 2005 - According to The Road Safety Monitor - the Traffic Injury Research Foundation's national public opinion poll - fewer Canadians are driving after drinking, but the problem still persists.

Results of CAA-Quebec study: Convictions for driving while impaired can be financially devastating for young drivers.
Young adults who are convicted of an impaired driving offence will not only have a mark against their driving records for many years to come, but will also find themselves saddled with a huge financial burden, according to a recent study conducted by CAA-Quebec.

Inpatient hospitalizations in Canada increase slightly after many years of decline: CIHI.
November 30, 2005 - New data made available today from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that, in the last two years, the downward trend in inpatient hospitalizations in Canada and the upward trend in the average number of days Canadians stay in hospital have both levelled off.

Marketing and the Market Place

Manulife Investor Sentiment Index finds Canadians' confidence in investing highest since 2001.
WATERLOO, ON, Dec. 21, 2005 - Canadians' investor sentiment climbed to its highest level in more than four years this month, according to a national poll for Manulife Financial, Canada's leading insurance and wealth management company.

Canadians Cool on E-Commerce - eMarketer.
December 21, 2005 - Canadians are still a little cautious about e-commerce, according to a new survey by Taylor Nelson Softres (TNS), with less than two-fifths planning to do any online shopping this year.

Policy and Product Management

IMS announces successful completion of pilot program for Usage-Based Insurance with DBV-Winterthur of Germany.
WATERLOO, ON, Dec. 21, 2005 - Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc ("IMS"), a world leader in Usage Based Insurance ("UBI") solutions, today announced the successful completion of the initial phase of their multi-phase UBI pilot project with Winterthur Group (a unit of Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX)), using iPaid(TM), an IMS proprietary product.

eBusiness and Technology

Using Emerging Technology for Competitive Advantage: A Near-Term Guide for Life/Health Insurers Report Published by Celent.
New York, NY, USA - November 28, 2005 - Some insurers are already using emerging technologies, while others haven't even started to research their potential use. This ever-widening gap will allow some carriers to gain-and most likely sustain-a competitive advantage. In a new report, "Using Emerging Technology for Competitive Advantage: A Near-Term Guide for L/H Insurers," Celent examines these technologies and how carriers should be using them.

Using Emerging Technology for Competitive dvantage: A Near-Term Guide for Property/Casualty Insurers Report Published by Celent.
New York, NY, USA - November 28, 2005 - Some insurers are already using emerging technologies, while others haven't even started to research their potential use. This ever-widening gap will allow some carriers to gain-and most likely sustain-a competitive advantage. In a new report, "Using Emerging Technology for Competitive Advantage: A Near-Term Guide for P/C Insurers," Celent examines these technologies and how carriers should be using them.

Business of Insurance

Canadian banks well ahead in use of economic capital: Globally gaining momentum: PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Toronto, December 21, 2005 - Use of economic capittal is seeing significant momentum within the financial services sector around the globe. Canadian banks are well ahead and are actively employing economic capital as a business tool a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in association with the Economist Intelligence Unit has found. The survey revealed that 44% of financial institutions worldwide already use economic capital with a further 13% planning to do so within the next 12 months. However, a quarter of companies (25%) said that they have no intention of adopting economic capital at all and a third are sceptical about its value.

from Doug:

I hope you had a good Christmas break and an enjoyable New Year celebration. We enjoyed having the boys here, and visiting family on both sides.
We at Insurance-Canada.ca wish you the best in 2006.


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