What you need to know this SPRING!

With the warm weather finally making an appearance, it’s time to start thinking about spring maintenance of your home.

It is important to ensure proper maintenance practices and inspect your home on a regular basis in order to avoid future claims and problems.

Here are a couple quick tips to keep your home in working condition;

1.       Check and clean your furnace air filters 

2.       Clean or replace your air-conditioning filter

3.       Check your smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms and replace the batteries

4.       Clean your windows, screens and hardware. 

5.       Examine your foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture. 

6.       Clear all drainage ditches and eaves troughs of debris   

7.       Ensure that your downspouts are directed away from your foundation

Stayed tuned for more great tips on summer maintenance!!!

Written by Geneviève St-Denis,
Rhodes & Williams Insurance

Who should YOU list on your automobile policy?

So, your sister is coming to visit you for a week or so and she may be driving your vehicle. You may wonder; "Should I call the insurance company to list my sister as a driver on my automobile policy?" 

For most insurance companies, the answer would be; No.

It is important to understand that you may not be required to list a driver on your automobile policy if you are lending your vehicle to a licensed friend or family member. Same reasoning applies to a short term visitor in your home who may loan the vehicle on one or two occasions during their visit. But remember, when you lend your vehicle.... you lend your insurance. If the driver has an accident while driving your car, the incident goes on YOUR insurance record.  

*Important*

"It is stated clearly in your automobile policy that as the policy holder, you have an obligation to advise your Insurance Broker of any driver(s) that have regular or frequent use of your vehicle."

If you do not disclose a driver either on the application or after your policy has been processed, it could mean major problems for you down the road when you may have to put in a claim. Your claim could either be denied or your policy could be cancelled all together.

Here are some examples that outline who should be listed as a driver on your automobile policy.

* Remember every insurance company may have different regulations so we strongly recommend that you speak with your automobile insurer* 

1.  ANY licensed drivers living in your household
2. The registered owner of the vehicle
3. ANY licensed driver who has frequent or regular use of the vehicle. For example, driving the vehicle to school or to work several times a week
4. ANY person using your car as a part of a car pooling arrangement 
5. A car that is insured on your policy, but is garaged elsewhere with another driver; this driver must also be named on your policy. For example, your child who is away at school and using your vehicle while he/she is studying. 

Please contact your local broker for any questions you may have concerning who you should list on your automobile policy.

Safe Driving! Visit our website for more tips

Written By Geneviève St-Denis, Account Executive,
Rhodes & Williams Insurance Brokers.







The Dangers Of Driving

"..driving alert is driving safe"

A recent tragedy has hit close to home. A tour bus crashed killing seven Canadians on a trip from British Columbia to Las Vegas. The bus, carrying 47 passengers, crashed near a cliff after veering off icy roads.

Image by "Salvatore Vuono" from www.freedigitalphotos.net

The Vancouver travel company is now being sued by two survivors of the accident.  They claim the bus driver violated American federal laws by working 90 to 100 hours during the first eight days of their trip.  They indicate in the lawsuit that the tour company’s driver seemed extremely fatigued and ignored evident dangerous road conditions.

After the driver lost control, the bus spun and crashed through the guard rail. There were 9 fatalities and 38 others were hurt.  Although this is an extreme case of getting behind the wheel of a vehicle without acknowledging ones mental and physical capabilities to drive, this is a subject that relates to all Canadian drivers. 

All drivers should be aware of their mental and physical state before operating a vehicle. Being overly tired and drowsy is a “silent killer”.  Drivers’ nodding off while at the wheel leads to fatal accidents. Some of the signs you should look out for besides the obvious ones of yawning and heavy eyelids, are daydreaming, missing road signs or exits and feeling irritable and restless. If you experience any of the mental or physical signs of exhaustion, pull over to the side of the road immediately and phone a relative or a friend to come help. In the event that you are out of town, you can call a tow truck to come help you in this type of situation.

And remember, driving alert is driving safe.

Written by Geneviève St-Denis, Account Executive, Rhodes & Williams Insurance Brokers

Buidling a Brighter Future, The Final Day

Rachel McCullys' trip to Nicaragua has concluded. She has arrived back to her home in Ottawa and also back to the Rhodes & Williams Office.  Below is a blog that Rachel has written about her final day of helping to build a School for the community of El Sasle.

We knew the day would be good when breakfast was served: pancakes and watermelon salad.  After breakfast, Gregorio the engineer took us back to the job site on the scenic route (otherwise known as mud alley). Along the way we saw royal lemons the size of a grapefruit, a variety of cacti and a plant that shrinks to the touch.  Kelly McKinney also led us through a surprise session of "Kelly-thetics", otherwise known as a massage circle to get our shoulders ready for the day.

Then Gregorio numbered us off and we were put into 3 teams: Team 1 Rebar, Team 2 Leveling the classroom floor and surprise, surprise, Team 3 Cement!

Team 1 Rebar, powered through creating the forms for the back slope and finished in record time!  Despite finishing their assigned task early, they were soon asked to move 1,200 clay tiles. When moving one stack, a scorpion emerged. Before we could get a clear photo, our local hero swooped in and eliminated the threat.

Team 2 Levelers, MacGyver'd some much needed tools to help level and stamp the sticky red clay used to form the floor in the classroom.  Here's something funny about that clay.  Most of you will recall that expression "Ants in your pants," well Christine understood the literal meaning of that expression when she sat in the pile of clay on the return trip from the quarry. Upon this discovery, Chico advised the best remedy was to stand under running water. Christine sprinted to the shower only to find there was no running water.

Team 3 Cement,  mixed 8 pans and finished the back slope all while incorporating cement mixing competitions and humorous exchanges all day long. By the end of the day, all teams were working together on the cement.

We finished the work day a little early and had time to visit with a local family. Rachel McCully, Rhodes & Williams, was impressed with the tight knit family values.  "It was interesting to hear from the 75 year old patriarch who fathered 15 children, each of whom worked together to ensure family priorities were met. Two of the sons were Contra soldiers in the war, while their home was located in the Sandanista territory, placing the family in a dangerous position. The father's response was to this unfortunate arrangement was "war is not delicious" which left us all in tears.".....

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Building a Brighter Future Part 2

Last month we posted an article on our website about one of our team memebers upcoming journey to Nicaragua. If you havent had a chance to read it you can do so here.

Rachel McCully has arrived in Nicaragua where she will be helping to build a school for the community. A blog has been posted each day since the team arrived to Nicaragua, they can be read below.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

We are very proud of Rachel. We are looking forward to seeing the progress of her and the other indivuals who are helping build this school. Please stay tuned for future updates.  

"...I am very excited to be part of this amazing project and know that this will be a life changing experience"

-Rachel McCully

Going out of town? Make sure your home is protected!

Imagine coming home from a nice relaxing vacation, to find a foot of water in your house! Not a pleasant welcome home!

What happened? A pipe has burst and the water has been running out of it ever since! A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spill 250 gallons of water a day. That’s a lot of water where you don’t want it to be!

Why would a pipe burst? If the pipe gets cold, the water in the pipe freezes, and water expands when it freezes. This causes the pipe to burst. It can happen to copper or plastic pipes, old or new.

How would a pipe get too cold? The answer is simple--there is not enough heat in the home. The cause of the loss of heat could be the oil or propane running out, a power outage, or just having the temperature set too low.

Is it covered?  Check with your insurance company on their requirements when you are away. Some insurers require that the home be checked, but you will need to confirm with them how often. If the home can’t be checked, some insurers will require that you turn off the water and drain the pipes. To drain the system, you need to shut off the water supply and turn on every tap until the water stops running. This way, there is no water in the pipes, so they can’t freeze.

It can be extremely costly to have to replace everything ruined by the water, not to mention a health risk due to mold. You don’t want to come home to that!

Written by Sandy Bafia, Account Manager Rhodes & Williams Limited

Insurance is Just a Part of it

Lorne Wiebe has written another article about issues important to business owners, for the local online hub serving Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry - http://www.ourhometown.ca . What follows is an introduction to that article. The full article can be read in his column, "Risky Business"



Photo Credit ourhometown.ca



"..if all you are hearing from your broker is that you “need more insurance” perhaps it’s time to find a different broker"



When it comes to protecting your business from the hundreds of risks it faces everyday, you might expect an insurance broker (guilty as charged) to offer a one-word solution…insurance. But that isn’t the case – or at least it shouldn’t be. Your insurance broker needs to point out a whole list of other options for you whenever the discussion revolves around protecting your company.

We use a handy little chart at Rhodes & Williams Ltd. which spells out all of your potential protection options, including risk avoidance, risk mitigation, risk transfer and even risk acceptance. I won’t dig deep into all of these risk management options because each of them is a discussion as long as your arm and not all of them apply to every business situation but knowing just a few of them might make you think about your operation a bit differently.....

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LISTEN UP! All current and future condo owners!!

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the unit next to you went up in flames or had a pipe that burst, severely damaging other units in your complex? It may not seem like something that could happen to you, but I’m here to tell you it can!

Imagine one day; the unthinkable happens. The woman next door was in such a hurry trying to get to work in the morning she left her stove on HIGH!! Her unit goes up in flames and all the units next to her are burnt to the ground. Including yours! You get home from work only to find your beautiful home in utter disarray. The final flames are being put out by the fire fighters.  All your belongings… gone. You lost everything. Clothes, furniture, appliances, family photos…AND you just put in those new hardwood floors!

Not to worry, you purchased a comprehensive condo policy. Your insurance company will pick up the bill, but you might wonder, who’s going to pay to replace the building itself?

The condo corporation of course! Think again… they do have a policy set in place to cover the cost of rebuilding but who’s on the hook to pay the deductible to the condo corporation’s policy? Surprise! YOU ARE! And it’s not a small amount.

The condo corporation can ask every condo owner to cover the cost of their deductible. Sometimes you’re looking at anywhere between $5,000- $20,000 per condo owner. I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t have $20,000 sitting in the bank waiting to pay a deductible for fire I didn’t even cause! 

So where do you go from here? Well there’s actually an easy fix! Some insurance companies will cover the cost of the condo corporation’s deductible under your own policy up to a certain limit. 

Contact your local broker to discuss the coverage’s under your condominium policy.

Written by Genevieve St-Denis, Account Executive,
Rhodes & Williams Limited

Is your pet insured on your homeowner’s policy?

Some of you may remember the story of the sales associate at Home Depot who was bit by a customer’s Shih Tzu last summer.  She was bending down to pet the dog when it leaped out and bit her right in the face! The woman sustained severe injuries from the little pup and required plastic surgery in order to fix her torn off nose. 

 

The photo above is a Shih-Tzu; the same breed that is
responsible for the attack of the Home Depot Associate.
Regardless of the size, any dog can be dangerous.

 The 66-year-old customer was fined $610 by a bylaw officer and ordered to keep her 12-year-old Shih Tzu muzzled at all times in public.    

Even though the customer was reprimanded for her dog’s actions, the Home Depot employee still decided to take legal action against the dog’s owner. 

In this case, the employee would have sued against the Personal Liability portion of thecustomer’s property policy for the actions of the dog. Keep in mind that every claim is investigated on a case by case basis and that all insurance companies have different exclusions.In this situation, the insuring company did pay out the claim, however the amount was undisclosed. 

It’s important to know that a situation resulting in a liability claim can happen anywhere at anytime. Therefore, it’s important to have sufficient liability coverage on your tenants, condo or homeowners policy. In this case, it benefited the customer greatly as she did not have to bear the cost of the settlement.  

Contact your local broker for more information on liability coverage. 

*Please note that your pet is not insured on your policy as property. Meaning you would have no coverage for health benefits for your animal or coverage if they were to be stolen. 

Written by Genevieve St-Denis, Account Executive,
Rhodes & Williams Limited

Employment Practices Insurance

Lorne Wiebe has written another article about issues important to business owners, for the local online hub serving Cornwall, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry - http://www.ourhometown.ca . What follows is an introduction to that article. The full article can be read in his column, "Risky Business"



Twenty years ago, business owners wouldn’t have given it a second thought but in today’s world where we’ve been taught to stand up for our “rights” it’s a whole new world and that has lead to a relatively new type of business risk. If you run a company which employs any number of people - from 1 to 10,000 - you need to know the ins-and-outs of today’s employment practices; everything from hiring to firing and conduct in the workplace. Whether you are bringing in someone new or exiting a current employee, there are certain rules in place (mandated by law) to make sure that everything is fair and on the up-and-up. And these rules don’t apply only to management; even if one of your employees steps out-of-bounds, you could be held accountable and your business could at risk.......

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Do you have signage on your vehicle? Here’s what YOU need to know!

Although signage on a vehicle may indicate that it is being used for business purposes, signage does not determine the classification of the vehicle.  The broker or insuring company would typically determine the correct use of the vehicle during the quoting process. 

Making sure your vehicle is being properly rated is very important regardless of signage. If you’re using your vehicle for business purposes but fail to disclose the correct use of the vehicle to your broker, this could result in a potential claim being denied.

Here’s an example to help illustrate this point; 

A stay-at-home mom has a small home-based business baking sugary sweets. She uses her vehicle to deliver her homemade treats to local businesses. Her vehicle is only being rated as personal use. If she were to be involved in an accident while commuting to a location to deliver her baked goods, the insurance company may deny her claim seeing the vehicle wasn’t properly rated. In this case, her vehicle should have been rated for occasional business use. The annual mileage used for business purposes will also determine the correct classification for business use of the vehicle.

Contact your local broker for any questions concerning personal or business use on your vehicle.

SINKHOLE INSURANCE!!! GET YOUR SINKHOLE INSURANCE HERE!

The recent sinkhole on the 174 east, close to Orleans, has generated some interest about insurance…… yes, you read that right - INTEREST ABOUT INSURANCE!.  Various comments appeared on twitter and facebook like a few samples below:

Facebook comment

Sooooo…. Let’s see if we can shed some light on the situation.  Remember that every situation is unique, you should talk to your insurance broker, and we only know the details about this specific case, that we can read in the newspaper.

Although the ultimate decision about claims rests with the particular insurance company, in this type of situation, we would expect the claim would handled under the loss or damage section of the policy as a collision.

If the person in question did not have collision insurance at the time of the accident, they would be financially responsible for the loss of the vehicle. They would also have to pay for their own rental vehicle (if required) and have to purchase a replacement vehicle at their own expense. They would also be responsible for the costs involved in recouping the lost funds from the province, if that was an option they wished to pursue. This would take time and money.

If the person in question had the full, appropriate physical damage coverage on the policy at the time of the accident, the insurance company would cover the loss of the vehicle, according to the terms of the insurance policy. They would also pay for a rental vehicle (assuming that coverage had been purchased), giving the client sufficient time to find a replacement vehicle. The claim would be subject to the policy deductible.

Since the collision was a single car accident, it is technically considered to be an at fault claim. However, in situations such as these, the outcome of the claim would be handled on a case by case basis. A thorough investigation would take place in order to properly negotiate the settlement with the claims adjuster.

If the insured sustained injuries (which fortunately in this case, I understand that they were only very minor) from the accident he/she would be entitled to compensation under the accident benefits portion of the policy up to a certain limit. The option to increase accident benefits on an automobile policy is available for all licensed drivers in Ontario. Increasing this coverage comes with a minimal cost but could help protect you and your loved-ones in the event of a catastrophic accident.

If I get pulled over in mum’s car (she has insurance, I’m not on it) do I get in trouble? Will rarely drive car."

I was recently asked a question on Twitter:

"Twittersphere: insurance?. If I get pulled over in mum’s car (she has insurance, I’m not on it) do I get in trouble? Will rarely drive car."

The direct answer to this question is that you do not need to be listed on a car insurance policy to be able to drive that car. You may borrow a friend’s car, family member’s car, etc. and it is not a requirement that you be listed on that policy. If a police officer pulls you over, what they are going to want to know is that there is insurance on the car. If proof of insurance (the "pink slip") is in the car, the police shouldn’t care if you are listed on the policy or not. There are always exceptions and qualifications to this statement. Obviously, you need to have been given permission to be using the car, and you need to be licensed to drive. Also, there is sometimes an exclusion put on a policy (called an OPCF 28a) to exclude specific drivers (which means if someone is excluded under a 28a, they would not have coverage should something happen to them or the car while driving it). Always discuss your specific situation with your Insurance Broker to make sure. This answer is general in nature and to make sure you are protected (and won’t get in trouble) in your specific situation, always talk to your Insurance provider (or your Mum’s in this case).

That all being said, it is important to ensure full disclosure by the person who does take out the insurance policy. One of the questions on an automobile application for insurance is, "Are there other’s in the household licensed to drive?" Most Insurance companies will want all drivers in the household listed on the policy, regardless of the frequency of use of the car. Make sure you answer all questions truthfully, and give full details so your insurance broker can help you find the best options specific to your situation.

One last point – there are circumstances where it would make sense to be listed on a family member’s insurance policy. It creates an insurance history and can help keep your premium’s down when you do get a car. Talk to an insurance broker and let them determine the best plan for you!

Did the Earth Move for You Baby?!?!?

Well, unfortunately, the tag line on this blog is not what you think.

We felt an earthquake yesterday that rattled building from Sudbury to Quebec City, and as far south as New York City. The Epicentre was about 55 kilometres north of Ottawa. I have not heard of any major damage or injury in this area (although I have heard rumours of minor damage, as well as some more serious damage in Quebec).

I am not trying to be exploitive (I heard that “I survived the 2010 Earthquake” t-shirts were on sale online before the day was done!), but feel obligated to advise that I have been trying to get the word out for a long time, that earthquake is not covered under your standard home insurance policy. Most people weren’t listening or weren’t interested in buying this coverage because they felt it would never happen here. People are listening now, when I point out that there is a fault line in Ottawa and serious earthquakes can occur. If clients choose not to purchase this coverage, that is their choice, but I need to do my best to make sure that they are aware that it is not covered under a standard policy, but that the coverage can be added on to that policy.

We buy insurance to protect us in case of disaster, and an earthquake is one of a few potential disasters that the vast majority of people don’t have insurance protection for. Below are links to a few sources of information about Earthquake and the risks in and around this area.

Links

• OttawaCitizen/Earthquake
• Interactive Map and feature about Quakes in the Capital
• Globe and Mail National article about June 2010 Earthquake in Ontario-Quebec
• Rhodes & Williams Insurance Earthquake Insurance Page
• Earthquakes Canada page from Natural Resources Canada
• Earthquake Preparedness Document from the Government of Canada

Please come a Callin’ before the ground starts a Rockin’!

Many people aren’t aware of one of the biggest risks to their assets, which is not covered under most home insurance policies. Earthquake is not covered under home insurance policies, but that coverage is available as add-on coverage.

Did you know that the Ottawa Valley is part of the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, a rift valley formed about 175 years ago when a huge block of land fell hundreds of meters between the Petawawa Fault and the Mattawa Fault?

Did you know that the faults are still active and occasionally release stress in the form of earthquakes?

So the risk is definitely there! If clients have considered the risk and decided not to purchase Earthquake insurance, and thereby have chosen to take on that risk themselves, then they are making an educated decision, but here are my concerns:
• Someone might think that they are covered in the event of an earthquake (which they ARE NOT unless they have specifically added earthquake insurance to their coverage) or
• Someone hasn’t even considered it, or
• Someone is not even aware that the coverage is available, or
• Someone thinks it is too expensive, without considering it.

Make the call before the ground starts shakin’ so you can make an educated decision.

For more information, take a look at recent press on Earthquakes in the Ottawa area, on the Ottawa Citizen:
• http://ottawacitizennews.com/quakes/
•http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Business/Streeter+Life+earthquake+zone/1549085/story.html

The Newest Battlefield Between Independent Insurance Brokers and Banks

Battles between insurance brokers and the banks are nothing new. Current legislations states that banks can only promote insurance “outside of a branch”. Restrictions have been in place against banks for a very long time and for very good reason.

At issue this time is that the banks’ current attempts at expansion into insurance is a violation of the spirit of the legislation set up by the federal government in 1991. Obviously the government sees the need for such regulation since time and time again, the banks have tried to get them to reverse it, but it simply isn’t the right thing for the customer. A couple of the strongest reasons against banks retailing insurance in their branches are:

• Fear of tied-selling – If you were at a bank looking for a mortgage, which has an insurance requirement built in to it, would you be comfortable saying “NO” when they offered the insurance with it (which of course has all the requirements of the mortgage built in)? Forget about the “fair competition” dilemma this brings, is it the right thing for the consumer?
• Competition – Competition is healthy for business and results in fair treatment of the consumer. This might sound like an argument for allowing banks in to insurance, but it is quite the opposite. The big six banks already dominate Canada’s banking sector, making ours one of the least competitive banking sectors in the world. If those same institutions were allowed to offer insurance through their branches, they would also come to dominate the insurance brokerage market by virtue of their current size and power. Competition would be diminished and consumers would suffer.

There are many more reasons, but this is not a rant about why banks should not be allowed to retail insurance from their branches … that has already been looked at time-and-time again and the federal government recognizes that it is not the right thing for the consumer.

This is a discussion on what constitutes a bank branch. I can’t comment for all bank customers, but I personally can’t think of the last time I visited a teller in a branch, for my banking needs. The majority of my banking is done at bank machines, or in most situations, over the Internet. Logic would state that those bank machines and websites for banking purposes would be considered a “bank branch”. The same logic for protecting the consumer would apply to these “locations” just as much as they would standard bank branches, which is where most transactions took place when this legislation was written. It's really during the credit application process that consumers are most vulnerable and open to coercion. And as it turns out, you can also apply for credit on-line. Therefore the same threats to consumers exist whether it's in a branch or on-line. Times have changed and it appears that the banks are once again trying to skirt the rules and intent of the legislation by using the Internet, and not considering it a bank branch. What about the virtual banks that now exist? They don’t have “bricks and mortar” branches. Does that somehow make it any more acceptable for them to use unfair competitive advantages and potential tied-selling to the detriment of the consumer?

I sure hope the government decides to put an end to this skirting of the spirit and intent of the law to protect consumers. The same sound logic for not allowing banks to retail insurance products from their bricks and mortar branches applies to their virtual branches as well. Please enforce the intent of the law, or if need be, amend the law to avoid this loop-hole.