Understand before you sign
Explanations of the rates, fees and contracts behind financial products offered in Quebec, written to be read before an appointment, not after.
40 articles · Insurance
// Insurance
Home Insurance: Build a Property Inventory
Photograph each room, record serial numbers and keep receipts for important property before a loss occurs.
2026-07-21
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Replacement Cost and Actual Cash Value: Understand Compensation
Compare replacement cost with the depreciated settlement based on age and condition before choosing the coverage.
2026-07-21
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Home Insurance Deductibles: Compare Premium Savings With Risk
Put the annual premium saving beside the amount payable on each claim before raising the deductible.
2026-07-21
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Water Damage: Coverage and Exclusions to Check
The source of the water determines the coverage: check whether your policy separates gradual seepage from a sudden event.
2026-07-21
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Sewer Backup: Assess Your Building's Risk
Assess the building and neighbourhood history, then check the backwater valve and maintenance before setting sewer-backup coverage.
2026-07-21
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Condo Insurance: Separate the Syndicate Policy From Yours
Find where the syndicate’s policy stops so you insure your own improvements and the property inside your unit.
2026-07-21
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Tenant Insurance: Protect Property and Liability
Tenant insurance covers your property and your liability toward the landlord and neighbours, not just the dwelling.
2026-07-21
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Renovations: When to Notify Your Home Insurer
Report the nature, cost and duration of the work to your insurer, especially if the home will be unoccupied during construction.
2026-07-21
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Working From Home: Check Business-Use Limits
Describe your type of work, business visitors and home equipment to check the business-use limits.
2026-07-21
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Auto Insurance: Choose Coverage Beyond Price
Start from mandatory liability, then weigh collision, upset and specified perils against the vehicle’s value.
2026-07-21
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Auto Deductibles: Measure Your Capacity to Absorb a Loss
Pick the auto deductible from the amount your budget can absorb after a collision, not from the premium alone.
2026-07-21
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New Vehicle Replacement Coverage: Duration, Cost and Conditions
Note the maximum duration of replacement coverage and the gap it closes between purchase price and a standard settlement.
2026-07-21
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Occasional Drivers: Disclose Actual Vehicle Use
Disclose everyone who drives regularly, with the frequency and purpose of trips, to avoid a denied claim.
2026-07-21
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Annual Mileage: Its Effect on the Insurance Profile
Estimate annual mileage from your maintenance records rather than guessing the figure submitted to the insurer.
2026-07-21
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Term or Permanent Life Insurance: Start With the Need
Establish how long the income or debt need lasts before comparing term and permanent premiums.
2026-07-21
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Calculate Life Insurance Needs Without a Blind Multiple
Add up debts, immediate costs and the family income to replace instead of applying a blind salary multiple.
2026-07-21
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Disability Insurance: Protect Income Rather Than an Asset
Check the share of income replaced, the waiting period and the benefit duration before relying on disability coverage.
2026-07-21
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Critical Illness Insurance: Lump Sum and Limits
Read the covered illnesses, their definitions, the survival period and the exclusions before setting the lump sum.
2026-07-21
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Review Insurance After a Family Change
A new spouse, child or shared debt changes the needs: review amounts and beneficiaries without delay.
2026-07-21
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Making a Claim: Document the Loss and Communications
Secure the site, limit the damage, then document photos, invoices and communications from the first call to the insurer.
2026-07-21
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Reconstruction Cost: Do Not Confuse It With Market Value
Insure the reconstruction cost, based on materials, labour and the building’s features, not the market value.
2026-07-21
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Home Insurance Coinsurance Clause: Verify the Insured Amount
Check the minimum percentage required by the coinsurance clause and the reconstruction value used in the calculation.
2026-07-21
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Vacant or Unoccupied Home: Notify the Insurer
Read the policy’s definition of vacant and unoccupied and the number of days before restrictions apply.
2026-07-21
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Short-Term Rental: Coordinate Platform and Home Insurance
Disclose the rental activity to your insurer: the platform’s coverage is limited by its own terms.
2026-07-21