In addition to providing you with peace of mind, knowing that the safety of your home is being monitored 24 hours a day, the installation of a centrally monitored alarm system for burglary and/or fire can open up further discounting opportunities with respect to your home insurance premium. The improved security offered by such systems can help reduce your annual premium by making your property more secure and mitigating certain losses such as theft, burglary, and fire damage.

A point to consider: If your home is currently equipped with a monitored alarm system or you are looking to install one, many insurers are offering improved coverages for your home and personal possessions if a monitored temperature alarm is also in place.

As always, please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions with respect to how the installation of an approved centrally monitored burglary, fire, and/or temperature alarm will affect your home insurance.

We here at Cade know how important your home is to you. By making sure your home is safe, sound, and secure, we can work together to get you the most effective rate for your home insurance.

The post Alarm Systems and Your Home Insurance appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

For your reference, we’ve compiled a list of some watercraft safety tips so that you and your family can be sure to have a fun and safe time on the water this summer!

• Pack the Right Gear:
  Always be sure to have the proper equipment on board your boat prior to leaving the dock in order to be prepared for any emergencies that might occur. At a minimum, all pleasure crafts should be equipped with a first-aid kit, a bailer or bilge pump, a pea-less whistle, a magnetic compass, paddles, a watertight flashlight, a buoyant heaving line that measures at least 15 metres, and one lifejacket or Personal Floatation Device (PFD) for each person on board.
• Be Weather-wise:
  Make sure you check local weather conditions and forecasts prior to departure. If you notice the signs of bad weather approaching, it’s best to play it safe and make for shore.
• Common Sense is a Boater’s Best Friend:
  One of the most important aspects of boating safety is also one of the easiest! Use your common sense and be sure to operate your craft at safe speeds at all times, especially in crowded areas or when participating in water sports. Watch for and be respectful of buoys and other navigational aids – they are there to ensure boating safety for everyone on the water.
• Alcohol and Boating do not mix:
  Just like driving under the influence, operating your watercraft under the influence of alcohol is an offense under the Criminal Code of Canada. Enjoy that boating while you’re out on the water but save your drink for when you’re safely on the dock.
• PFDs are a Life Saver:
  Before leaving the shore, be sure to fit each member of your onboard team with an appropriately sized Personal Floatation Device. They aren’t called lifejackets for nothing! They are the best way to be sure that you and your crew remain safe while out on the lake this summer.
• Don’t forget your Pleasure Craft Operator Card!
  Make sure your PCOC is on board with you when you are operating your watercraft – it’s the law.

For further information regarding boating safety and pleasure craft operating requirements, please visit the following link for Transportation Canada’s Safe Boating Guide:

https://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/marinesafety/TP-511e.pdf

Whether you’re new to boating or have been zipping around your lake for years, it is always a good idea to review boating safety rules at the beginning of the season in order to be sure that you and your friends and family are prepared for a safe summer on the water.

Stay safe, boaters!

The post Get on board with Safe Boating appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

Having the unique property of expanding while freezing, water puts a tremendous amount of pressure on whatever is containing it, including the metal and plastic piping found in your home.

While frozen and burst pipes can occur anywhere, some pipes are more prone to freezing than others due to their location.  Pipes that are located outside or that run against exterior walls that contain little or no insulation are at high risk of freezing during prolonged cold weather as well as those that are located in unheated interior areas of the home such as basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, and under kitchen cabinets.

In order to help mitigate the chance of frozen or burst pipes, here are some helpful tips and tricks that you can try at home:

• Keep your garage doors closed as much as possible
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets in order to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing
• Use rigid foam insulation to close and seal all foundation vents that are near water pipes
• Wrap high-risk pipes with pipe insulation which is widely available at your local hardware store
• When an especially cold spell is expected, let the cold water drip from the faucet farthest from your main water intake valve.  Running even a small amount of water through the pipes helps prevent freezing and can also help you detect a frozen pipe if the flow of water changes (the first sign of a freezing pipe is reduced water flow).
• Make sure to keep your heat on, even when you are not home.  Setting your thermostat no lower than 13°C/55°F helps protect against frozen pipes.

If you happen to find yourself with a frozen pipe, here are some methods to help thaw out the affected area:

• Apply constant heat to the affected area that is closest to the faucet using a good hair dryer or an electric heating pad.  Do not leave the pipe unattended while you attempt to defrost it using one of these tools.
  *Do not use a blowtorch or any other open-flame device to defrost a pipe.
• Keep faucets open.  As you defrost the frozen area and the water begins to melt, it will begin to flow through the pipe helping melt ice in the affected area.
• If you are unable to locate the pipe that is frozen, contact a licensed plumber.

If the worst occurs and a pipe bursts in your home, shut off the water at the main valve, call your plumber, and contact your insurance broker.

In terms of your homeowners insurance coverage, losses during the normal heating season relating to frozen pipes that are located within a heated portion of the dwelling hold insurance protection provided that you have not been away from your premises for more than 96 consecutive hours.  If you are planning on a trip, please be sure to take at least one of the following precautions in order to ensure that your coverage remains in place:

• Shut off the water supply to the home and drain water from all systems and appliances: and/or
• Arrange for a competent person to enter your dwelling daily in order to ensure that heat is being maintained.

We here at Cade hope you (and your home) stay nice and warm during this chilly time!  As always, if you have any questions regarding frozen pipes or the coverages provided by your habitational insurance policy, please feel free to contact us.

The post Freezing Pipes: Keep your home warm during cold snaps appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

In the wake of the July 2013 rains and subsequent water damage, we have witnessed significant talk of change throughout various government agencies and in the insurance industry as a whole.  With a record-breaking $3.2 billion in claim payouts related to severe weather events in 2013 alone, it is certainly understandable that insurers in Canada would invest a significant amount of time into reviewing changing weather patterns and the frequency and severity of related claims.  Unfortunately, we are beginning to witness such events of significance which once took place every 40 years now every 4-6 years, and the insurers are responding with new limitations and exclusions specifically with respect to water.

Throughout 2014, most Insurers have introduced various changes or made clarification to their residential property policy wordings including: lower limits available for damage by sewer back up; higher deductibles for water damage; reduced discounting with respect to claims; new geographical territory definitions.

As we all know, water is an unwelcome and costly visitor to your home.  In recognition of this, the City of Toronto has introduced a subsidy program to assist the owners of single-family, duplex, and triplex residential homes with a financial subsidy of up to $3,400 per property to install sewer backup mitigation devices such as a backwater valve, a sump pump, and pipe severance and capping of the home’s storm sewer or external weeping tile connection.

For further information on the City of Toronto’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program, please visit the following page:

https://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=30ee7c6a9967f310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=f041ffa6ee33f310VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Whether this program applies to you or not, we here at Cade would like to respectfully encourage you to consider mitigation measures for water losses.  If you would like to discuss some of the benefits or the insurance implications of such installations, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

The post Toronto Homeowners: Take advantage of Toronto’s Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program and help protect yourself against sewer backup losses! appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

Even as the law stands, the use of a handheld electronic device while driving will negatively affect your automobile insurance as it is considered a minor conviction.

The moral of the story?  Drop all handheld electronic devices while driving and save emails, texts, and phone calls to when you are safely and lawfully in park!  It’s safest (and cheapest) way to drive!

Further information regarding Distracted Driving is available through the Ministry of Transportation website: https://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/

The post Drop it and Drive: Distracted Driving and your Auto Insurance appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

Generally, if you are charged with a minor moving violation, your insurance premium will experience an increase.  In order to mitigate this risk of premium increase, here are some helpful tips to help protect against easily avoidable tickets:

• Always be sure that a valid pink liability card is on your person or in the glove compartment of the vehicle you are operating.
• Be mindful of speed limit changes when driving.
  Many non-highway roads on the way up north to the cottage have fluctuating speed limits, ranging from 80km/h in the country to 40km/h in the small towns you pass on your drive.  Be sure to abide by these signs in order to reduce your risk of a ticket and to stay safe!
• Program your GPS prior to starting your trip and go hands free with all electronics.
• Many school zones now have signs that, when flashing, reduce speed limits to account for increased pedestrian traffic.  So keep your eyes peeled for flashing lights and slow your speed!

As always, if you are interested in discussing any aspect of your automobile insurance policy, please feel free to contact us!

The post How does a ticket affect your auto insurance? appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

The short answer is that the price of your home on the real estate market and the cost to rebuild it are not related.  Consider the variances when looking at purchasing a 2750 sq/ft house in Courtice vs Etobicoke.  While the market value tends to run higher in Etobicoke when compared to Courtice, the cost to rebuild the same 2750 sq/ft home in either location would be relatively equal.

The Longer Answer

Market value has no bearing on your home insurance.  It is simply the price someone is willing to pay for your property.  When trying to arrive at an insurable value for your home, insurance brokers are equipped with evaluation tools which calculate the cost to rebuild your home with like kind and quality, taking into consideration inflationary rates of construction materials and labour.

Here is a brief list of some of the factors that are considered when calculating the rebuilding cost of your home:

• Material costs to rebuild today
• Labour costs to rebuild today
• Demolition and debris removal – the cost of removing damaged and undamaged portions of the home and the cost to remove debris from the property.

The post Why is the rebuilding limit on my policy more or less than what my house is worth on the market? appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

While all-season tires proudly proclaim their year-round nature in their name, the soft rubber compound that is specific to winter tires allows for increased contact and therefore traction on the road during the cold days of winter.  This improved traction allows for better control and shortened braking distances, ultimately allowing you to practice safe driving techniques with increased ease during rough winter days.

If you are in the market for new winter tires, be sure to speak to a trusted professional in order to obtain the best tires for your vehicle and driving needs.

So pick up a set or dig yours out of storage and make an appointment at your auto mechanic before the real winter rush begins!

The post ‘Tis the Season for Winter Tires appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.

Along with the desire for hot cups of tea, warm blankets, and pumpkin pie comes the necessary steps of closing down your summer retreat for the winter.

In order to lessen some of the stress, we have created this brief To Do list for that last weekend trek up North this year:

• Shut off the water supply and drain the pipes – Drain all of the pipes, bail out any reservoirs (i.e. any water left in the toilet bowl), and allow the taps to ‘breathe’ by leaving them open over the winter.
• Unplug all electrical appliances and devices – In order to avoid any power surges and unwanted electricity bills, remove all plugs from their outlets.
• Turn off all heating sources – If the primary heat at your cottage is supplied by baseboard electric heaters or central heating, turn the devices or thermostats off or down to their lowest possible setting.
• Clean out any woodburning units – Remove all ash and any unburned pieces of wood from the unit.  Additionally, close the damper flue in order to keep the weather (and critters) out of your cottage.
• Make sure the kitchen is squeaky clean and left without a spec of food – In order to avoid visits from any four-legged friends, be sure to leave the kitchen clean and to remove any food.  If you are to leave any dry goods up at the cottage, make sure to seal them in an airtight glass or metal container.  Plastic is not as effective as small critters can often chew through.
• If you are able, remove any valuable items – It is a sad but true fact that thieves sometimes take advantage of the uninhabited nature of a closed cottage.  If you have storage room at your home, consider removing TVs, stereos, or other valuable items from the cottage.  If any high value items are permanently stored at the cottage, make sure to leave the windows covered so that no one is able to see in.
• Move outdoor items inside for the winter months – Canoes, barbecues, and patio furniture should be moved into a storage shed or, if space permits, into the cottage itself in order to avoid weather damage and/or theft
• Take photos of the cottage – Consider taking photos of the cottage as well as any additional structures for reference in case anything is to happen over the winter months.
• Complete any minor repairs to the cottage and detached structures – By doing this prior to the deep freeze of winter and eventual spring thaw, you will mitigate further damage.
• Cover any openings to the cottage – In order to prevent raccoons and other fury tenants from making your cottage their winter home, consider installing a cover over your chimney and any other openings such as the dryer flue that might serve as a pathway into your cottage.
• Consider hiring a local snow removal company – In order to avoid excess accumulation of snow and ice on your cottage roof over the winter months, arrange to have a local snow removal company come at least once in order to remove some of the heavy buildup of snow.
• If you do hire a local snow removal company, consider having them maintain the drive and walkways – In order to maintain easy access to the cottage, consider having snow removed from the drive and walkways.  By keeping the paths of access clear, the cottage will be easier to get to in case of an emergency.
• Ask a friend or neighbour who lives near the cottage or hire someone to check on the cottage property – If you are unable to make the trip up north over the winter months, consider having someone check on the cottage periodically in order to ensure that all is in order.  If something unfortunate has happened, from a fire, to a break-in, to a roof cave-in, the sooner you are made aware and can deal with the issue, the better.

We here at Cade wish all those with plans to close up their cottage in the coming weeks the best of luck.

Stay safe and enjoy the fall colours!

The post Simple Steps to Prepare your Cottage for Winter appeared first on Staging Website for cadeinsurance.com.