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Talk to home and auto clients about changes that may affect premiums

December 23, 2021 Brooke Smith

Canadians getting ready to ring in 2022 probably aren’t thinking about insurance coverage. Clients are required to alert brokers to any changes that might impact their coverage throughout a policy period — regardless of the renewal date, said Anthea McFarland,

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Home insurance can be more expensive in smaller towns: experts

October 8, 2021 Salmaan Farooqui - THE CANADIAN PRESS

As some Canadians are priced out of larger cities and look to move to smaller communities, insurance experts say homebuyers should be aware that life in a small town can often mean higher home insurance premiums. According to financial products

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Empty nest: How to talk to your clients about vacant home policies

September 29, 2021 Brooke Smith

Clients may need a vacant home policy for several reasons. “The most common one right now is people purchasing properties and looking to either improve them or completely rebuild,” said Rhys Doiron, group home & auto coordinator with Ontario brokerage

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Brokers must explain what’s included in homeowners’ policies

September 28, 2021 Brooke Smith

Home is where the heart is. But if your clients aren’t passionate about their home insurance policies, it’s your job to help them understand their coverages. While one part of a homeowner’s policy covers the building itself and the belongings

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Home insurance rates dropping but no reprieve for condo owners

July 28, 2021 by Jason Contant

Personal property premiums were a mixed bag in the first quarter of 2021, with insurance for condo owners continuing to rise, but home insurance rates trending down, according to a new report from LowestRates.ca released Tuesday. Year-over-year, home insurance premiums

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How home insurance rates in Canada are trending

June 8, 2021 by Adam Malik

Home insurance rates in Alberta today have jumped nearly two-and-a-half times more than what they were 10 years ago, according to an analysis from a rate aggregator. Average home insurance premiums in Alberta have gone from $741 to $1,779 since

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Why Intact predicts sustained hard market in home insurance

June 5, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

Natural disasters like the recent Fort McMurray flooding will likely continue driving home insurance rates up, suggests Intact Financial Corp. CEO Charles Brindamour. “Personal property is in a relatively hard market environment with mid to upper single digit rates increases.

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Where the Co-operators is raising home insurance premiums

March 17, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

The Co-operators General Insurance Company reported a double-digit increase in homeowners’ premium growth in 2019, which the Guelph, Ont. insurer attributes to higher average premiums in Ontario and Western Canada. In its annual report released Wednesday, The Co-operators reported net

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Does home insurance cover road rage?

March 2, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

If a client is sued for alleged road rage in Ontario, is coverage for the legal defence the responsibility of the home insurer, auto insurer or both? This question could go to the Supreme Court of Canada if it agrees

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Ottawa’s latest response to calls for government flood insurance

January 27, 2020 by Greg Meckbach

It’s been three years since brokers called for a government backstop for residential flood losses, but Ottawa is not specifically committing to any particular model of government-run insurance for homes at high risk of flood. At the moment it is

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Premier promises to take PST off home insurance

July 9, 2019 by Adam Malik

Insurance premiums are taking a starring role in Manitoba’s provincial election. Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has pledged to drop provincial sales tax from home and renters’ insurance should he be re-elected in this fall’s election. The announcement received positive reviews

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Uber-style platform for expediting appraisals now in Canada

April 16, 2019 by David Gambrill

An Uber-style platform to expedite home and auto claims appraisals has made its way into Canada. Offered by WeGoLook, the online and mobile sharing-economy platform provides personalized, onsite data capture for inspections and low-complexity services across the United States. Now