Spring Maintenance Tips To Help You Prevent Home Insurance Claims Have you begun your spring cleaning checklist yet? We have a few more valuable tips you can check off! Spring cleaning helps spruce up your home’s appearance and cleanliness. But, at Mackay Insurance, we think it should do more than that. Your spring cleaning checklist should also, It’s common to find seasonal wear and tear in and on your home after a long winter. This could be a disconnected downspout, loose siding or even wind damage on your roof. But did you know minor repairs like these can help prevent common home insurance ..read more

Renter Insurance vs Tenant Insurance: Which Type Do You Need? “Renter insurance” and “tenant insurance”...These two terms sound very much alike, but are they the same thing?  Actually, here in Canada, renter insurance is not the same thing as tenant insurance. And you really do need to know the difference in order to be sure you are purchasing the correct policy type for your specific needs. In this post, we break down the definitions of each insurance product, what renter insurance covers vs. what tenant insurance covers, and how to know when to purchase each! Tenant Insurance vs. Renter ..read more

Peace of Mind While You're Away - Home Insurance Belleville Ontario Taking a well-deserved vacation this winter? Take us with you! While we would love to join you on your Southern excursions, we won't fit in your suitcase. But your insurance policy will! is always there for you - whether you’re at home or not! It will protect your home 24/7/365, so you can enjoy your home away from home. That is, as long as you have taken all the necessary precautions that your policy outlines. So before you say sayonara, make sure you have checked off your vacation to-do list - and read the fine print of your ..read more

Does My Home Insurance Plan Cover Slips and Falls On My Property? Autumn is quickly turning into winter here in Quinte, Ontario. And now that most of the leaves have fallen, homeowners are preparing their properties for the first snowfall. That means goodbye leaf rakes and hello snow shovels!  As you prepare for winter, don’t forget to focus on slip and fall prevention. Although many of us like to prepare for the winter season with holiday decor, the more crucial step is to ensure your property is safe for your family and guests. Did you know accidental falls are the most common cause of ..read more

Off-Grid Island Cottage In Ontario, Canada. Cottage Insurance: 10 Questions You Need To Ask Before Choosing a Policy Your cottage is your safe haven. Your peace and quiet. Your vacation! But without the right cottage insurance coverage, your home-away-from-home might actually become: Are you investing in a new cottage property this year? Maybe you already have a cottage and a policy but aren’t happy with the cost or coverages you’re getting. Now is the time to start thinking about (or re-thinking) your After all, your cottage policy is what protects your vacation home in the event of: But not ..read more

As the price of real estate continues to increase, more homeowners are choosing to renovate an existing home rather than trying to upgrade by moving. This makes a lot of sense, especially if you like where you live and enjoy your neighbors and community. But there is a crucial task many homeowners fail to do before launching into a remodel, and that is to alert their home insurer. According to Canadian Underwriter Magazine, a mere of Ontario homeowners thought to review their homeowner’s insurance policy before beginning their renovation project! And just 14 percent of homeowners contacted the ..read more

COVID-19 Insurance Relief for Individuals & Businesses If there is one COVID-19 fact everyone around the world easily agrees on, it is this: the new novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc with budgets and bottom lines worldwide!  This includes individuals, small businesses, big businesses and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes. It seems no individual or business is immune to the effects. The economic ripple effect from the unexpected pandemic is only now starting to make its impact felt. In fact, 95%  of the calls we are receiving right now are calls to inquire about insuranc ..read more

COVID 19 and Your Mackay Home Insurance Like many people, on March 16, 2020, Mackay Insurance in Belleville, Ontario began to transition our staff from our town office to working from home in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus and to do our part in protecting you. During this time, we have experienced quite a few phone calls in regards to this increased time spent at home. Many of our Quinte home owners have been asking whether their home insurance policies should be updated now as well, due to working from home, using business tools within their home, holding business property within ..read more

November is a time for remembering. As we have just held our memorial services and practiced our two minutes of reverent silence on November 11th, we are reminded of our troops and the sacrifices they make for our freedom. As we near December and prepare to close 2020, we are also reminded of the many changes this year has brought each of us - the good times and the bad times. We remember cycles, the ebb and flow of changing seasons, as winter begins to roll in - mighty and brave as ever. By recalling the cycles of our lives, we are reminded of this key point - bad times are always followed by ..read more

Returning to the New Normal: What That Means For Your Insurance Coverage Slowly yet surely, we are starting to emerge out of the firestorm of the global pandemic. Many of our customers are returning to working outside the home, with their kids similarly preparing for a return to school. The roads are more crowded now. Some of that traffic even represents seasonal cottage-holders finally able to make the trek to check on their properties and perhaps enjoy a long weekend away. We may still feel a bit shaky, a touch uncertain about personal safety and next steps, but there is life to be lived and ..read more