Contents: The Impact of the “Net Income” Provisions of the Insurance Amendment Act, 2003 by Christopher Bruce The article examines the implications of the changes to section 626.1 of the Insurance Act that were introduced in The Insurance Amendment Act, 2003. Dr. Bruce argues that these changes will: (i) require that income taxes be calculated… Continue reading

Contents: Forecasting the Rate of Growth of Real Wages (Productivity) by Christopher Bruce Christopher Bruce summarises the most recent theoretical and empirical evidence concerning one of the most controversial, and poorly-understood, components of the calculation of future earnings – the so-called “productivity factor.” He notes that, although the observed rate of increase in earnings is… Continue reading

Contents: Why have automobile insurance premiums been rising? by Christopher Bruce This article attempts to identify the causes of the dramatic increases in automobile insurance premiums that have been reported over the last two years. Policies to deal with rising premiums by Christopher Bruce This article investigates a number of government policies that have been… Continue reading

Contents: How are Automobile Insurance Premiums Determined? by Christopher Bruce In this article Christopher Bruce Christopher Bruce provides a brief introduction to the process by which automobile insurance premiums are determined. He discusses actuarial rating, rating classes, and experience rating. Economica’s Privacy Policy by Christopher Bruce This article provides a brief description of Economica’s privacy… Continue reading

Contents: Assessment of damages in wrongful birth cases by Gerald Robertson, Q.C. Gerald Robertson is a Professor of Law at the University of Alberta, and a practising barrister and solicitor in the areas of civil litigation and personal injury. He is co-author of Legal Liability of Doctors and Hospitals in Canada (3rd ed.). He is… Continue reading

Contents: Selecting the Discount Rate – An Update by Christopher Bruce, Derek Aldridge, Kelly Rathje, and Scott Beesley This article extends the work done by us in issues 5(3) and 6(4) of The Expert Witness, we conclude that it would be appropriate to revise our existing 2½ and 3½ percent two-part forecast of real interest… Continue reading

Contents: Under-reporting of Income by the Self-Employed by Scott Beesley In this article Scott Beesley discusses a technique that can be used to estimate the extent to which a self-employed worker has under-reported his net business income. Quantifying Soft Tissue Injury in Neck Injured Patients by Gordon McMorland This article was prepared by Dr. Gordon… Continue reading

Contents: The Connection between Labour Productivity and Wages by Christopher Bruce In this article Christopher Bruce examines the theory and evidence behind the assertion that wage growth among workers in a specific industry can be linked to the productivity growth of those workers. He finds that there are sound theoretical reasons for predicting that there… Continue reading

Contents: Male Versus Female Earnings – Is the Gender Wage Gap Converging? by Kelly Rathje In this article Kelly Rathje examines current and projected trends in educational attainment and labour force participation – two factors which influence earnings. Then, she present the results of some recent research regarding the projected gender wage gap. Next, she… Continue reading

Contents: Selecting the Discount Rate – An Update by Christopher Bruce, Derek Aldridge, Scott Beesley, and Kelly Rathje In this article the consultants at Economica have combined to review the most recent information concerning the “discount rate;” that is, the rate of interest at which plaintiffs are assumed to invest their award. Destruction of evidence… Continue reading