Businesses are popular targets for break-and-enters. This type of crime is often a crime of opportunity; criminals look for businesses with limited visibility, no security and easy access. Doors and windows are the most common points of entry. A little bit of prevention can go a long way to protecting your business from break-and-enters.    Here are our tips for protecting your business from break-and-enters:  Install a monitored alarm system and don’t forget to turn it on!  Install security cameras and keep recordings for at least 90 days.  Keep your business well ..read more

Loss of use coverage helps cover alternative transportation costs while your vehicle is being repaired after a covered claim. It is usually used for rental vehicles but can also be applied to public transit, taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber. This is optional coverage for both personal and commercial auto insurance. You may or may not have this coverage on your policy – check with your insurance broker if you’re not sure. Over the last few years, supply chain issues have greatly impacted loss of use coverage in the following ways:  Rental car shortage, particularly if you want th ..read more

With the change in weather, it’s time to winterize your motorcycle. Properly winterizing your bike helps protect it while in storage and helps ensure it will be ready to go in the spring. While you can hire someone to take care of winterizing, it’s pretty easy to do it yourself.   You’ll need:  Cleaning cloths  Spark plug wrench  Trickle battery charger  High quality oil  New oil filter  Oil can  Chain lube (if your bike has a chain drive)  Fuel stabilizer  WD-40  Breathable motorcycle cover  Plastic wrap  Rubber bands  ..read more

Whether your company uses a bring-your-own-device model or provides smartphones for employee use, mobile devices bring cybersecurity risks for your business. It’s important to understand these risks and mitigate them as best you can to protect your customers, employees and company.   Why Mobile Device Cybersecurity Matters  Mobile devices offer criminals opportunities to steal information and install malware or ransomware. The consequences of the theft of employee or customer information can be extreme. Businesses can be subject to fines, lawsuits, reputation damage, l ..read more

Famous for its wind, sunshine, coulees, bridge and post-secondary education institutions, Lethbridge is a great prairie city to visit. It makes a good day trip from Calgary or weekend trip if you’re coming from further away.  (We have two locations in Lethbridge and more in the surrounding communities, so we might be a little biased – we love it down here!) Explore the River Valley Parks  The Oldman River winds through the coulees, dividing Lethbridge into two parts. The river valley is beautiful and perfect for walking or biking. Most of the valley in and around Lethbridge has been ..read more

Despite how fun riding an off-highway vehicle (OHV) can be, it can also be very dangerous. An average of 19 Albertans die while riding an OHV each year with another 6000 requiring medical attention. In Alberta, all riders of OHVs are required by law to wear a helmet while on public lands. Regardless of the rules, it’s always a good idea to wear a helmet while riding for your own safety. In this article, we’ll discuss the impact on your insurance if you’re not wearing a helmet if an accident happens.  Riding an OHV on Public Lands in Alberta  As with other motor vehicles, each provinc ..read more

Most Canadians love their universal health care. Yet we often forget that health care is a provincial responsibility. When we travel into other provinces, we may be surprised to find out we’re not covered. Take these two examples:  A pregnant Albertan woman was vacationing in Ontario when she went into premature labour two months before her due date. The Ontario hospital she gave birth in was not properly equipped to handle such a premature baby, so mother and child were emergency airlifted to a larger hospital with better resources. They returned to Alberta healthy, but received a bill f ..read more

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be unpredictable, many Albertans have returned to the office. This means using their personal vehicle for commuting, driving more, travelling for work and finally getting to vacation outside of the province.   The Impact of Returning to the Office on Your Car Insurance  During the pandemic, you may have done the following to your car insurance:  You were no longer commuting or had a reduced number of kilometers for commuting.   You had a reduced number of kilometers driven per year.   Your vehicle was parked (not being drive ..read more

The hard insurance market continues into 2022 complete with rate increases across the board of products. However, the industry is stabilizing, and most customers will see single-digit percentage increases with a few exceptions such as cyber liability coverage holders.    Here are four trends that may affect your insurance rates in 2022:  Historically low interest rates.  Cybercrime.  Climate change and natural disasters. Increasing repair and replacement costs   Historically Low Interest Rates  Low interest rates generally mean lower profitability for insur ..read more

Under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act, a landlord is only responsible for ensuring the rental premises are habitable. They should have an insurance policy to cover damages from things like hail, fire or wind. This will help cover the costs of repairing the rental unit and replacing anything belonging to the landlord (such as if it’s a furnished apartment). However, renters are not covered by the landlord’s insurance. Anything belonging to you, such as your clothing, furniture, electronics, bikes and other items, won’t be covered if they were damaged. You’ll need to replace your stuff out o ..read more