Home Insurance Jump

[Weitz]

The problem with that though is you will find both good and bad experiences for basically all insurers. So who do you trust?

It really comes down to your adjuster and you can’t predict that.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Weitz

The problem with that though is you will find both good and bad experiences for basically all insurers. So who do you trust?

It really comes down to your adjuster and you can’t predict that.

I chat with my agent regularly. Dude helps me out all the time if I have random questions (ie: the SEF27 rules) and when I had a claim or potential claim, he'd advise whether to start getting an estimate/advise when to go out of pocket before filing claim.

I've essentially learned from him how to navigate discussions with adjusters though interactions with him and if I ran into a slow down, he'd advise what information the adjuster needed me to get for them to keep the process going or send information he had that the adjuster needed when necessary.

That being said, I've told friends what I've done and they weren't successful. So maybe you're right and I merely got lucky with adjusters.

[photon]

I switched from TD to Wawanesa through Brokerlink but I didn't have a lot of choices, many of the other ones mentioned here wouldn't include flood insurance in their policies which seemed weird, something to do with living in a city named after a lake (Chestermere)?!

[Huntingwhale]

Had my yearly premium coming due next week and I didn't like how Intact decided to raise my premium by over $500 for no reason. Called my broker to see if they can do something about it and they reduced it by $530. I'm quite happy with that.

So just a friendly reminder to never just accept the increase. Always worth the time (in this case a one minute call) to call your broker and ask them to lower it.

[Erick Estrada]

I wonder many Calgary customers have left TD insurance this decade. Seems like a mass exodus.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I wonder many Calgary customers have left TD insurance this decade. Seems like a mass exodus.

I left. It was over $4k

Got like $2300 elsewyere

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

I left. It was over $4k

Got like $2300 elsewyere

I left as well last year after being a customer since the early 2000s.

[musth]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Had my yearly premium coming due next week and I didn't like how Intact decided to raise my premium by over $500 for no reason. Called my broker to see if they can do something about it and they reduced it by $530. I'm quite happy with that.

So just a friendly reminder to never just accept the increase. Always worth the time (in this case a one minute call) to call your broker and ask them to lower it.

Ok, but how did they do that, higher deductible? Not the same coverage? Etc?


I would be surprised if it was exact same coverage for less.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I wonder many Calgary customers have left TD insurance this decade. Seems like a mass exodus.

I just left today. My renewal is March 19th and my home and rental condo insurance was up to $703 with TD. Now it's down to $310 for both.

and TD doesn't give 2 craps. They want out of home insurance in AB. I'm keeping my auto policy with them though.

[lazypucker]

It seems like insurers want to get out of Alberta, because of the huge payouts from the hail damages the past few years and also the no-fault car insurance and rate increase cap thing.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I left as well last year after being a customer since the early 2000s.

Same. I graduated U of C in 2002. Got the U of C alumni rate at the time. Stayed with them until Jan 2026

[Superfraggle]

I'm actively trying to leave TD right now (been with them almost 20 years), but the Brokerlink/Intact rep phone rep I was dealing with is brutal and Desjardins wants a $10k deductible for wind and hail. Just under two weeks left to keep searching for any insurance agent that can get close on the rate/coverage and isn't completely incompetent.

[Wormius]

I think it’s important to look at the deductibles and coverage from a pragmatic viewpoint. Is overland flooding really likely in your neighbourhood or street? Is it worth keeping a low deductible on wind and hail damage if you have stucco or if your roof value depreciates every year?

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I think it’s important to look at the deductibles and coverage from a pragmatic viewpoint. Is overland flooding really likely in your neighbourhood or street? Is it worth keeping a low deductible on wind and hail damage if you have stucco or if your roof value depreciates every year?

The thing is they all play by different rules, which makes them hard to compare. TD changed it this year so they pay depreciated value instead of replacement cost while yet again increasing my rate. Some of them pay replacement cost for the first five years and then depreciate. How is the average lay person supposed to understand the dollar value of all the different ways each company does their coverage differently?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

The thing is they all play by different rules, which makes them hard to compare. TD changed it this year so they pay depreciated value instead of replacement cost while yet again increasing my rate. Some of them pay replacement cost for the first five years and then depreciate. How is the average lay person supposed to understand the dollar value of all the different ways each company does their coverage differently?

But in some respects, it doesn’t matter. You’re just looking for what you need the insurance to cover. You can work out the value of a roof replacement and determine if it’s better for you to have insurance that will cover the full cost for 5 years at X dollars versus one that only covers the depreciated cost for Y dollars.

Our roof is pretty old and we checked the price to replace a roof with a friend that did their’s recently. It doesn’t make sense to pay for $5k deductible over a $10k (or more) if you’re going to be out of pocket for the replacement cost anyway. And is the different in deductible worth the difference in premiums over the course of a number of years. Some of the insurance companies will let you mess around with some numbers and change coverage or deductible amounts. Put it all in spreadsheet and see how it goes.

[Hevishot]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

My broker sent me a notice saying Aviva is leaving Alberta and now I will be out of both home and auto insurance when my current Aviva deal ends at the end of March.

Time to look for a new provider. What are some recommendations?

Aviva is not leaving Alberta. Chances are your broker has been purchased by broker link or is a western financial both of which are deceptively selling intact over everyone else. Brokers who work at broker link and western financial are bonused by intact when they can switch a policyholder. The only part of Aviva that was discontinued in Alberta was Aviva direct which was an online offering. It affected approx 1000 policy holders.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Wormius

But in some respects, it doesn’t matter. You’re just looking for what you need the insurance to cover. You can work out the value of a roof replacement and determine if it’s better for you to have insurance that will cover the full cost for 5 years at X dollars versus one that only covers the depreciated cost for Y dollars.

Our roof is pretty old and we checked the price to replace a roof with a friend that did their’s recently. It doesn’t make sense to pay for $5k deductible over a $10k (or more) if you’re going to be out of pocket for the replacement cost anyway. And is the different in deductible worth the difference in premiums over the course of a number of years. Some of the insurance companies will let you mess around with some numbers and change coverage or deductible amounts. Put it all in spreadsheet and see how it goes.

That equation changes every year and is only one of many different factors that goes into it.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Superfraggle

That equation changes every year and is only one of many different factors that goes into it.

You can also change your coverage every year as well. If you’re no longer in possession of a pricy collection of 19th century Dutch art, or if the cost to replace a hail-damaged roof would be more out-of-pocket than covered by insurance, you can reduce your coverage accordingly.

It’s just a yearly exercise and one that we personally put off for too long until we had that frog in the boiling pot of water moment with TD and realized our rates became too stupid to ignore anymore. We switched over to the Personal cause they had association rates, but even without they were cheaper than TD with equivalent coverage.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by musth

Ok, but how did they do that, higher deductible? Not the same coverage? Etc?


I would be surprised if it was exact same coverage for less.

I got the renewal pack today, compared it to my current one and it is the exact same coverage as before, except one of the deductibles for my car increase by $500.

[Superfraggle]

Originally Posted by Wormius

You can also change your coverage every year as well. If you’re no longer in possession of a pricy collection of 19th century Dutch art, or if the cost to replace a hail-damaged roof would be more out-of-pocket than covered by insurance, you can reduce your coverage accordingly.

It’s just a yearly exercise and one that we personally put off for too long until we had that frog in the boiling pot of water moment with TD and realized our rates became too stupid to ignore anymore. We switched over to the Personal cause they had association rates, but even without they were cheaper than TD with equivalent coverage.

I honestly don't know what this argument is about. Yes, you can change your coverage and company every year if you want to. I'm glad that you found the coverage you wanted at a better rate.