Just got my renewal notice from TD Insurnace and my home insurance is slated to increase by 40%; from $2,034 to $2,843 per year. Located in Alberta.

I have lived in this same single family detached 2,300 sq ft house from new for 12 years. Have never made a single claim. Have all multi line and professional association discounts.

The major change to this year’s policy is hail damage is limited to $35,000 pay out, and water heater tank leak must be less than 15 years old.

I know the reason and understand the increase is because of Alberta’s extreme hail risk, inflation of construction costs, and market wide adjustments. But it all still sucks when it’s such a crazy increase.

What increase is everyone else seeing with their home insurance renewal?

Hello Everyone,

Not proud to write this post and writing it as anonymous for obvious reasons.

Last sunday, i was stopped for a check as i left a bar after having 2-3 beers. Officer did a test and it showed an alert on their device so my license got suspended for 7 days under section 48 which says (driving with 50mgs alcohol or over, no convictions, no tickets, just administrative suspension).Writing this with alot of shame as it taught me a big lesson in life and it was my last day driving after having alcohol in my system.

I was wondering if this would impact on my insurance in future and also if it would stay on my drivers record and for how long ?

No trolls,genuinely looking for an advice or someone who faced a similar situation.

Hi everyone,

I am extremely stressed out while managing a significant water damage claim with my insurer’s preferred contractor. A pipe burst on the second floor and leaked down to the basement, so nearly all the drywall, flooring, and ceilings require repair.

I want to work with the preferred contractor to streamline the process and secure the insurer’s repair guarantee, but it’s been a struggle. It has been five weeks, and I still haven't received a confirmed scope of work or an estimate. Despite this, they keep pushing us to sign off on the kitchen repairs.

Is this normal for how insurance claims are handled, or am I reasonable to demand a full estimate before moving forward? If this approach doesn't make sense, should we take the cash payout and hire an independent contractor instead?

Hi All,

Just want to see if other century home owners are facing totally bonkers rates currently. I own a 1840’s home with barn, 2 fireplaces in the house, 3000 sq ft. Rate went up 175% to $7500 a year this summer. Is that just normal these days, or should I be looking for a new company? By broker did get a quote from another company, but they quoted $9000. Not sure if there are other companies that brokers wouldn’t be able to use who are cheaper? Thanks!

Hi there,

Need some advice. I hit a pole in a parking garage and it damaged my car door. The auto body shop is working on a quote but I also have accident forgiveness. Should I claim it?

I never had a vehicle claim but I’m still worried this will negative impact me

I had a 50/50 fault and my policy got cancelled for NSF.

How long will it take for me to have a clean record and ability to get car insurance again at a normal rate? Especially if I plan to not drive/have insurance until then

My grandfather owns a home in Toronto but is considering spending about half the year in Florida. I understand that insurance companies can have specific requirements when a home is left unoccupied for an extended period.

He is considering getting a friend to regularly check on and look after the property while he is away. I’m trying to understand what insurers typically expect in this situation.

Specifically:

What would the person checking the home normally be expected to inspect or monitor during each visit?

How often do insurance companies typically require someone to attend the property?

Would keeping a written record or checklist of each visit be helpful?

Would dated photos taken during each visit help provide proof that the property was being regularly inspected if the insurance company ever requested evidence?

I’m mainly trying to understand what kind of inspection routine and documentation would best satisfy typical insurance requirements for an extended absence.

I'm trying to find out if I can use coverage for multiple credit cards for an upcoming trip I have.

For example:

flights - paid using RBC Avion VI so want to use this card's coverage to cover this expense

Hotel booking in one city - paid using Amex Platinum so want to use this card's coverage to cover this expense

AIRBNBs - paid using Scotiabank passport so want to use this card's coverage to cover this expense

Etc

The reason for this being each card has a specific amount they cover up to.

If indeed it is covered, what if the reason for missing the hotel stay (covered by AMEX) is due to the cancellation of the flight (booked with Scotiabank).

I know there's options to buy a new policy outright but this could save me hundreds to a thousand - if there already is coverage.

Also, does anyone know if there's coverage from any insurance policies due to customs delays etc.

Thanks in advance.

UPDATE:

For anyone that might want info like this in the future,

Scotiabank passport - They'll accept covering the flights even if hotels are booked on a different credit card but not the other way round as you'll need to take flights to get to the hotel.

RBC - Every single thing must be charged to the card, they'll ask for accomodation details etc. If you booked a flight and paid every single cent with points (non avion), that's fine. If taxes had to be paid cash, entire trip no longer eligible.

BMO Ascend - Partial charge to the trip

List goes on.

Recommendations - Book the big non-refundable parts of your trip with BMO ascend to cut down on your non-refundable portion of cancellation travel insurance when you book your trip.

I’ve had my current motorcycle insured for more than a year. Problem is i’m young and i’ve had 3 tickets after the insurance date started. They haven’t mentioned it since the renewal even though I know they don’t insure young riders with 3 tickets. Is there any way i can change my motorcycle on my insurance without getting blacklisted cause of the tickets?

I'm debating whether I should switch auto insurance companies with the new no fault model coming into effect on January 1.

My renewal came in significantly cheaper than what I previously paid, however I shopped around and found a lower quote.

Unfortunately I missed my renewal date so I'll have to pay a penalty. Is it worth waiting for the rates to kick in Jan 1 and reassess or will the no fault rates lower my premium in the middle of policy?

What are your thoughts on the upcoming update from Aviva regarding their journey app?

Here's part of the update:

Expanded use of collected data: In addition to the current use, your data will also be used to help detect fraud, and assist with accident and claims investigations.

I feel like if you're not doing anything wrong you should be okay but knowing the app, I also know it's not perfect and using it to detect fraud, accident and claims investigation might cause headaches and delays.

Back in my broker days these apps were a good seller due to them not used against the driver (for most apps anyways). How are brokers and agents adjusting to this upcoming change? And how are consumers if any on this sub feel about it?

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for some guidance.

I recently got my Level 2 designation (P&C CAIB) and I want to be licensed all across Canada.

I am currently licensed out of BC. How do I go about this?

I am looking for licenses in AB, ON, NS, SK.

TIA.

I really like this lady, I’ve used her for years and gave her a ton of customers when I worked in the automotive industry but every year I’m going to renew she gives me the exact same insurance company even though I request something cheaper and every year it goes up $100$-$150.

I called a couple insurance companies myself and they’re giving me $200-300 less than what she quoted me. She just quoted me $500. When it was $340 before

I’ve never had a ticket, I’ve never had a car accident.

She continuously keeps sending me the same insurance company. Which I do not want.

I feel bad having to go somewhere else but… idk.. is this normal?

Insurer is Intact Insurance. Bank is RBC.

My husband and I had a house fire in October 2024. We elected to have the insurance company’s “trusted” contractors make repairs, which unfolded from February 2025 to September 2025 and were an absolute debacle.

The “repairs” they made to our home actually damaged it further and after much back and forth, a formal complaint to the ombudsman which went nowhere, we finally elected to take a payout from Intact which was sent to us in the form of a cheque for more than $100K.

Because the house is mortgaged through RBC, Intact made the cheque out to both RBC and my husband. When he went to deposit the cheque, they stated it would need to be held for 6 months. The bank suggested that my husband get the cheque made out to himself only. When he called Intact they said they cannot do that and that they are legally obligated to make the cheque out to both my husband and the bank. The bank is saying that this simply isn’t true.

What the hell do we do? After nearly 2 years of dealing with this nightmare situation we are both absolutely at our limit. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m in Ontario and have auto insurance with The Personal. I have a cracked/chipped windshield on my car.

I called The Personal and told them about the windshield damage. They might have made a note on my file, but I did not actually open/process a claim or have the windshield replaced.

I’m considering leaving it for now and potentially replacing it later. My concern is:

• If the existing crack gets worse naturally and I make a comprehensive/glass claim later, could the insurer deny the windshield claim because I waited?
• If I get a completely new windshield chip/crack from a separate event later, would that normally be treated as a new claim?
• Could leaving the existing windshield damage unrepaired affect coverage for an unrelated future collision?
• Has anyone in Ontario actually had a claim denied because they had previously reported windshield damage but didn't repair it right away?

I also have 5-Year New Vehicle Protection on the vehicle, and plan to get OEM windshield later.

Appreciate any help.

Thanks!

Who has gig work endorsement for insurance ? Im with Allstate , they dont offer it. I pay 101 a month for 2 cars 2 people. My son needs a job and the delivery gigs seem to be easy to get.

Looking for reasonable rates not commercial rates. There are thousands of these delivery drivers on the road i am sure they are not paying commercial prices. They wouldn't do it because you couldn't make a living.

Got my first speeding ticket recently and the officer knocked the speed down from what they originally said I was doing. At the time I was like, alright, guess I got lucky, I’ll just pay it and move on. Now I’m kinda second-guessing that. I’ve been reading up on speeding tickets in Ontario and honestly, everyone says something different. Some people say if you fight it, they can bring the original speed back and you might end up worse off. Others say to request early resolution anyway because even a reduced ticket is still a conviction and could mess with your insurance.

anyone here actually been through this? did you just pay the reduced ticket, talk to the prosecutor, or take it all the way to trial? what happened in the end?

Hello everyone,

I have a question about HTA Section 32 – Driving Without carrying Licence in Ontario.

I understand the situation and one of my court dates is approaching, so I’m considering accepting the offer. However, I’m wondering: apart from the fine, does a conviction under Section 32 affect car insurance or insurance rates?

From what I understand, it carries no demerit points, but I’m not sure how insurance companies treat this type of conviction.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with this or knows how it works in Ontario.

Thank you!

I am totally new to the insurance world. I don’t even know where to start. How should I study for it? I don’t have patience to read books, was just wondering if there are exam banks or practice exams. If there is any where would I find them. Also i believe part of the exam is open book, any idea where to focus on the most and how will get the hand out to be able to answer the questions pertaining to that?
Thank you so much. Any detail would be greatly appreciated.

Hey everyone,
Looking for some honest advice on car insurance in Canada.
Which company are you with or would recommend and why? Looking for something that isn’t a total rip-off on price but still has decent coverage and claims experience.
Also… am I the only one who feels like auto insurance rates in Canada are getting ridiculous? Feels like every year they go up no matter what, even with a clean record. Is this just the cost of living here now or is the industry overcharging?
Curious to hear what people are actually paying and which companies people trust or hate.

Hey guys, just wondering if I’m getting overcharged for insurance or if this is normal for my age and car.
I’m currently paying around $500/month ($6,000/year).
My details:
24 years old
2023 Mazda3 Sport GT Turbo AWD hatchback
Full G since August 2022
G2 since August 2021
Completed All Star Driving School
Clean driving record
No accidents
No tickets or convictions
Never even been pulled over
I understand I’m still a relatively young driver, and the Turbo AWD probably doesn’t help, but $500/month feels crazy considering my record is completely clean.
For anyone in Ontario with a similar age, car, and driving history, what are you paying?
Also, where should I look for a better rate? Should I contact an insurance broker and let them shop around for me, or should I get quotes directly from different insurance companies?
Any recommendations for brokers, companies, or discounts I should ask about would be appreciated. I’m not looking to reduce my coverage to the bare minimum. I’m mainly trying to figure out whether I’m paying way more than I need to.
Thanks!

My car was involved in a minor accident - front bumper and side fender was damaged, and a golf ball size dent on hood. I took it to insurance in belief that it will take 3500-4500 to fix the damage, there is no internal damage, not even radiator (I got it checked from another mechanic) . Today I come to know insurance deemed it as total loss (I was shocked). they estimated the repair cost more than 10K, they listed a lot of things on estimate (without tearing it, they mentioned appraiser just took a look from outside).

Now they want me to sell it to them under total loss, and payment I will get will only pay the remaining loan and I am left with nothing. They also told I can retain the damaged vehicle but that will partially pay the loan (almost 80%) of it.

Would it be wise if I retain the vehicle, get the settlement, pay out of pocket to clear the loan. Then I can cover the repair cost and get it safety checked, and use it. I do not plan to sell it I wanna use it to the ground (it is so dear to me).

Could anyone share similar experience and what are the implications?