Canada’s most frequent re-occurring natural hazard is one to which other parts of the world are now encountering with greater frequency. Flooding. As referenced previously in TheRiskFactor, flooding is particularly painful in Canada because overland flooding is not covered by Canadian homeowners’ insurance policies. Coverage can be purchased for plumbing overflow and sewer-back, and many  more...

Saturday night’s stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair is already being called the deadliest of its kind in U.S. history. The crowd of roughly 10,000 were awaiting the show, and witnessing the ominous signs of the imminent storm. Quite abruptly, wind gusts – estimated to have exceeded 60 mph – tore through the metal  more...

  You may not have noticed, but the accumulation of bad news stories from around the globe has already made 2011 the worst year of the 21st century for natural disasters – and we have over 5 months to go before year-end!   Is the trend getting significantly worse – or is this year an  more...

As the costs mount from the Fukushima nuclear accident, more observers are wondering if we can afford the potential for economic fallout from the production of nuclear power. Our globe is now home to over 400 nuclear power plants – many of which have little or no insurance coverage against accidental damage. Why is nuclear  more...

In the insurance world, every incident of damage is followed by a restoration and repair process.  Japan’s recovery from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami – and subsequent nuclear malfunction – while on a massive scale, is essentially no different. But 2 colossal hurdles are impeding progress: 1)     the first is financial: who is going  more...

Although it happened half a world away, the economic ripples of Japan’s 3-part catastrophe (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear melt-down) will be felt here in Canada. Because it is the world’s third-largest economy, the devastation in Japan is already resulting in supply-chain interruptions on everything from auto parts to electronics to aircraft assembly. In the financial sector,  more...

New Zealand’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake early Tuesday morning again brings into sharp focus the chilling potential for destruction and carnage resulting from seismic activity.  Early estimates of 75 dead are certain to increase as the rescue/recovery operation continues in New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch.   This event falls hard on the heels of a major  more...

In the winter we often hear many tips about winter driving and staying safe on snow-covered and icy roads.  Below is an article from Canadian Top Insurance Broker with 8 tips for keeping your property safe during the winter.  You can read the article below, or click here to visit the CTIP website. __ As  more...

By this point in the winter, most of us are getting a tired of shoveling snow. But maybe we don’t have it so bad. What if we were responsible to shovel more than the driveway and entrance to our homes and businesses? In Vancouver, it’s the first winter under a new by-law requiring homeowners and  more...

Visit the following link to see a discussion on all-season tires and winter driving. http://www.ilstv.com/are-all-season-tires-okay-for-winter-dri more...