A devastating earthquake struck New Zealand early this year, causing widespread damage throughout the region of Canterbury. In the wake of the quake, insurance companies fled the nation, paying out policies and refusing to sell insurance in the region until recovery had been achieved. In the months following the disaster, the New Zealand government offered to purchase the properties that had been damaged, all of which were completely uninsurable. Recently, however, insurance agents and underwriters have been visiting Christchurch, the city most affected by the disaster, looking to assess the…
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Suncorp reveals how much they paid on Australia and New Zealand disasters this year
Earlier this year, Australia and New Zealand faced an onslaught of natural disasters that put strain on the two nation’s top insurer: Suncorp. Several estimates have been made as to how much the disasters cost the company, but Suncorp had not released any official statement regarding the issue. Yesterday, however, their silence was broken as the company hopes to improve its relationship with several reinsurance company in an effort to increase its profits for the 2011-12 fiscal year. According to Suncorp, the two devastating earthquakes that rocked New Zealand –…
Read MoreReinsurance company reports market strength despite major disasters
Willis Re, the reinsurance division of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE: WSH), has released their stimulating report “Shaken and Stirring”. Stirring is an understatement. The report shows that with the devastation in Japan, New Zealand, Chile and the Australian floods is still not enough to bring a hard market into play. The report finds that there has been rate increases on Natural Catastrophe Excess of Loss of between 5 and 50 %, but the recent massive earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand’s South Island are not significant to push market-wide pricing up.…
Read MoreCEA campaign to bring awareness to California residents who don’t have earthquake insurance
An insurance agent marketing program was launched by the California Earthquake Authority with a goal of selling 15,000 policies by August 1 of this year. The Marketing Value Program or MVP is set to improve the relationships between the insuring agents and the CEA such that residents from California will participate in the said program. Since 2008, the earthquake that happened in Christchurch, New Zealand is considered as the most expensive global insurance wherein estimated losses that are insured range from $3 to $12 billion. The same earthquake magnitude is…
Read MoreNew Zealand insurance companies are rallying after major earthquake
Insurance companies are rallying together on the heels of a devastating earthquake that rocked the New Zealand city of Christchurch. They are expected to pay millions in claims. Chris Ryan, the chief executive for the Insurance Council of New Zealand, says that it is difficult to estimate the total cost of the quake as the buildings that collapsed were damaged by a previous earthquake in September of last year. A powerful earthquake struck Christchurch during its lunchtime rush. The magnitude 6.3 quake toppled office building, flattened homes and at least…
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