Category: home insurance

The Disaster Financial Assistance Program

flood

Just a quick post today as we make our way into a weekend full of rain, rain and more rain.

This weekend, risk of flooding is at a peak and many Canadians still don’t have the coverage they need for damage caused by flooding and overland water.

For those Canadians without flood insurance, we want you to know that there is help available. You can make a claim through the federal Emergency Management Office of the Public Safety Minster. From there, you can apply for the Disaster Financial Assistance Program provided by the provincial government.

Please see this great article just posted by the Globe & Mail for further details:

http://globalnews.ca/news/3425571/flood-insurance-canada/

Stay safe!

 

Spotlight on Special Limits of Insurance

stamp collection

All property insurance policies have certain limitations or exclusions that policyholders need to be aware of. Unfortunately, most policyholders simply skim over their policy and tuck it away in a drawer somewhere.

Now that the holidays are fast approaching, we wanted to bring the “special limits” commonly found in personal property insurance policies to your attention.

What are “Special Limits”?

A “special limit” is the maximum amount that an insurance company will pay in the event of a loss for a specific type of property. Though not an exhaustive list, below are some examples of the types of property that commonly carry special limits are:

  • Jewelry, watches, gems, fur garments and garments trimmed with fur
  • Collections of coins, money, tokens, or stamps
  • Collectibles such as sports cards, sports memorabilia, comic books, etc
  • Silverware, silver-plated ware, gold ware, gold-plated ware and pewter ware
  • Books, tools and instruments pertaining to a business
  • Securities, books of account, deeds, evidences of debt or title, letters of credit, notes other than bank notes, manuscripts, passports, tickets and documents or other evidence to establish ownership or the right to claim a benefit
  • Money, bullion, or cash cards
  • Golf carts, lawn and/or garden tractors including their attachments and accessories
  • Watercraft, their furnishings, equipment, accessories and motors
  • Computer software
  • Antiques
  • Bicycles and related equipment
  • Spare automobile parts

Reviewing your Policy

Each insurer is different. It’s important that you take the time to read through your policy including the actual company wordings. This may seem like a daunting task. The wordings are long with very small print, but its an important exercise that will give you a better understanding of what coverages you have – and you may even discover some coverages you’re missing.

If you do review your policy and find that you want to insure any of the “special limit” items for more than the specified amount, be sure to ask your broker if you can purchase a higher limit by scheduling the item onto your property policy.

As always, if you’re unsure, contact your broker today to find out about the limitation and exclusions on your policy. Don’t wait until there’s been a loss to find out you don’t have the coverage you need.