ThinkInsure | Ontario Insurance Blog

Car and auto insurance is a funny thing in that has become almost like a commodity, a utility payment – you have to have it in order to be able to use your car, and it seems to get more expensive each year.

So what is the premise behind car insurance anyway? Well, like any insurance, it was originally designed to do the following. It is like setting aside money, in increments, each month, to pay for damaged (car) property by people who usually wouldn’t have the kind of money available when that day comes. And it will come, for all of us. Car accidents happen. In a nutshell, it’s like putting aside $100+ each month into an account from which you withdraw should the need ever arise to pay for damages to your car or the suffering of others. The difference is that if you have to pay out 10s of $1,000s after only two months of “savings”, your insurance coverage handles the payout, whereas you would only have a couple hundred saved up. The reason insurance gets more expensive, is that it’s being taken advantage off by people who treat it like a cash-pay-day. Yup, lots of classic car insurance fraud going on, especially in Ontario car insurance. Its among the worst for car insurance fraud in the world!

A recent case in Ontario saw an insurer successfully sue an insured to recover $150,000+ paid out in a car – auto insurance claim. Three defendants had been involved in a parking lot incident and proceeded to milk the insurance for all it was worth in payments for damages, medical fees, etc. Expert witnesses testified the resultant sideswipe of their vehicle by a van in a parking lot should not have resulted in the types of damages to body and property that were claimed by the three occupants in the affected vehicle.

The notion of staging vehicle crashes in order to cash in on insurance payouts is not new, and there are several documented cases of scam artists operating in this manner. Most cases come from isolated incidents but increasingly there are instances of people loading up a van with several passengers paid to basically fake injuries in a crash situation.

A damage reporting centre and sympathetic legal and medical service providers take care of providing the necessary paper work and the insured basically collects $1,000s in insurance claims while doling out a pittance to participants for their slight inconveniences in time.
The cost is born by the rest of us car and auto motorists who happen to live in the same area, usually for the rest of our insurable lives.

It was good to see a car – auto insurance broker actually go after abusers of the system, rather than just rolling over and saying “just pay it out. We’ll recover the money in no time anyway from the premiums of others.”

Hopefully, more will follow suit.

Learn more now about car insurance now.

Recently we posted a news article that reviews some interesting stats about car drivers and their lackluster approach to shopping around when renewing their car insurance policy. The report shows that some 39 per cent of Ontario drivers have been with their current car insurer for three years or more and do not bother to seek out alternative offerings. I can’t imagine the amount of savings some of these drivers would be realizing on by at least doing themselves a favour and getting some comparison quotes. I guess it’s like the old saying, that we spend about 10 times as much time choosing a vacation as we do on things like getting the best possible rate on car insurance.

Some notable industry experts have stated the following about this:

“With the cost of car insurance at a record high, it is worth shopping around before renewing premiums.”

“Insurers rely on apathy to retain customers. Very few renewal notices show what you paid for your car insurance last year, because your new auto insurance premium may have increased significantly,” he said.
“Also, car insurers make use of the annual renewal to review the cover they offer, typically increasing excesses or altering policy wordings. So it’s essential that you check not only the price, but the level of cover to ensure your policy continues to give you the protection you need.”

Do yourself a favour and at a minimum take 3 minutes of your time to get car insurance quote comparisons. It’s easy with our service, simply click here!

Driving your car “green” is something many don’t understand, let alone practice. But how we drive our car, what type of car we drive and of course how we maintain the car that we are driving are all part of the eco-friendly and green movement. While you might want to drive a hybrid car, I can tell you for sure that they are expensive and the “cost” to justify owning a green-friendly car may not add up.

So let’s have a look at what we can do to drive our cars more eco-friendly, making our car habits all around better for the environment. First, let’s discuss car mechanics; go lean with the car engine and options. In general, you want to make sure that you are choosing a car that is very lightweight as that can certainly reduce the amount of emissions expelled. The car basic specs will tell you this info.

Many car engines are being made today smaller but have much greater output of power; so there is no need for an “eight cylinder” engine for your car because you think you need the power. Today most 6-cylinder cars, and many 4-cylidner cars have as much horsepower and even more than some of the 8-cylinders from just a few years ago. Hats off to technology; this little aspect means far greater emissions savings and gas savings too.

Now that we have talked a little bit about the motor as well as the lightweight body, let’s go ahead and move onto shutting off the car engine cylinders. This is a great way to not just conserve your fuel economy but also reduce the emissions that you will be using up. Some car makers have actually created systems that deactivate half of the engines cylinders during certain driving conditions.

This is where your research is going to come into play, as you want to make sure that you find yourself a car maker that is doing this – that way you can buy – and drive – a more eco-friendly car.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs posts on eco-driving. We have lots to share. Not only are we serious about saving you on your car insurance but have a keen eye on the environment. Click here to learn more now.

Let’s start with the bottom line: everything that takes our eyes off the road increases your chances of getting in to a car accident which will lead to higher rates for your car or auto insurance in Ontario.

We’ve looked at many studies from across the globe and found that about 20% of car drivers admit that they use their mobile phone to send text messages while driving and 50% of these drivers also report that they got into a car crash or barely missed one. There are also around 8% of drivers in the survey who considered eating while driving as dangerous.

While using your mobile device and phone is also “illegal action” and must be avoided, add to your list certain foods and beverages which are deemed “dangerous while driving”.

Look at it this way; anything hot like coffee, tea, hot chocolate or soup-to-go can spill or burn you taking your focus off the road or incoming traffic. Imagine a quick spill of this hot item on your lap; and your immediate reaction to it takes your eyes and focus off the road, even for a split second. How dangerous is that?

Delicious but very greasy foods like hamburgers, tacos, or chili dogs lead to a messy and slippery steering wheel. Gooey food like a donut or a saucy burrito can ooze something down on your clothes while you are on your way to the office, aside from ruining your day that also takes your attention of the road.

Car and auto Insurance reps report poor excuses of drivers who are filing a claim. The
“food excuses are literally endless” reported one auto claims adjuster.

While it’s true that most likely you will never get a ticket for eating while driving but using your mobile phone while driving a car is prohibited in Ontario and in many countries. Driving distractions may ruin your auto driving records and hike your car insurance rates, but the greater concern is the lives lost due to drivers who took their eyes and attention off the road for a few seconds.

Click here to learn more ways to drive safely and save on your Ontario car insurance!

Recently we posted a news article that reviews some interesting stats about car drivers and their lackluster approach to shopping around when renewing their car insurance policy.  The report shows that some 39 per cent of Ontario drivers have been with their current car insurer for three years or more and do not bother to seek out alternative offerings. I can’t imagine the amount of savings some of these drivers would be realizing on by at least doing themselves a favour and getting some comparison quotes. I guess it’s like the old saying, that we spend about 10 times as much time choosing a vacation as we do on things like getting the best possible rate on car insurance.

Some notable industry experts have stated the following about this:

“With the cost of car insurance at a record high, it is worth shopping around before renewing premiums.”

“Insurers rely on apathy to retain customers. Very few renewal notices show what you paid for your car insurance last year, because your new auto insurance premium may have increased significantly,” he said.

“Also, car insurers make use of the annual renewal to review the cover they offer, typically increasing excesses or altering policy wordings. So it’s essential that you check not only the price, but the level of cover to ensure your policy continues to give you the protection you need.”

Do yourself a favour and at a minimum take 3 minutes of your time to get car insurance quote comparisons. It’s easy with our service, simply click here to get mutliple quotes from Ontario’s top car insurance companies and start saving now!

Tired of brown-bagging your lunch? Sick of staying at home for vacation? While we can’t help you with these wonderful auto gas prices, we can try to save you some money on insurance elsewhere. One easy way to make the most of your money is to take a look at your car insurance. Auto insurance represents a significant annual expense to mot people and these tips could save you hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars.

So don’t put it off. Auto insurance rates go up and down — by hundreds of dollars a year. Which is why you should compare rates often. But how often is enough? I recommend you should compare your rate when the following events happen in your life:

• Your premium goes up
• You’re unhappy with your service
• You buy a new car
• You move
• Your marital status changes
• You add a new driver to your policy
• Your salary or assets increase
• Two years pass since you last compared rates.

Check it out and you’ll see what I mean. A few minutes could “really” save you hundreds. For ease and time savings, use our online car insurance quoter.

To many, this feels like a trick question. The roadside assistance service alone makes CAA a no-brainer. If you break down or run out of gas or lock yourself out of your car, all you do is call the CAA service # and they send someone to you wherever you are – usually in 30-60 minutes. The service is VERY reliable; in 20 years of using it, I can’t recall a situation where the guy no-showed or messed up.

Without CAA, you are on your own to start dialing tow truck companies using Yellow Pages or Google Maps. The service/convenience/peace-of-mind alone makes this an easy choice.

Also if you want some neat and useful freebees like maps (which you can leave in your car), if you do any sort of traveling and use certain hotel chains, you get discounts. I paid for the membership in savings after a single weekend stay at a Marriott.
You also get good discounts on car and auto rentals like Pensenke, GAP, Disney World, Hard Rock, and so many other location, as well as booking trips through their travel agency.  Or maybe you need an international drivers licenses, want to save time standing in line at the ministry for registration, then those benefits also make CAA membership worth it.

Welcome to the ThinkInsure Ontario Insurance Blog!

In this blog you will get the latest insurance news, information, tips, advice and insights in Ontario and Canada from some of the industry’s top professionals. Our goal is to keep you informed on how to get the best coverage and protection for you and your family and to help you save money.

We’re dedicated to discussing topics such as Car & Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Travel Insurance, Recreational Vehicle Insurance and other areas in all your personal and business insurances.