It’s the kind of thing you likely never give a second thought to…the flower planters on your back deck. However that’s changed for a family in Bowmanville, Ontario.

In April 2011, after a pretty normal month of weather, perhaps a bit more rain than usual and with some parts of the province experiencing severe weather, a fire broke out at their home. Most of their possessions were either damaged or destroyed and the house was a total loss. Following an investigation, it was determined that the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of materials found in the planters on the deck. While this kind of fire has more often been linked to apartment buildings with balconies sporting planters, it points to the fire hazard that potting soil and soil conditioning products can present under certain conditions.

Craig Narbey, Senior Property Specialist, worked with the family for the next eight months to get their life back to normal. That meant relocating out of their home living with family and in rental accommodations and for Craig, the process of rebuilding their life, from the ground up. A project like this requires constant collaboration with contractors, engineers, the homeowners and in this case even municipal officials as the home was located close to a conservation area. The house was totally rebuilt and outfitted with new furnishings while the outside was landscaped and the pool was repaired. “There are so many components when we look at a total loss fire and there are a lot of emotions in play,” said Narbey. “It takes time and patience.”

For the family, Craig’s efforts were greatly appreciated. “Craig dealt with us in a compassionate, professional and above all, very fair way. He was very responsive despite what appeared to be a very heavy case load. He was a pleasure to deal with…I wanted to thank Aviva and, in particular, Craig for the way we were treated. We are asked on a regular basis who our insurance company is and I never hesitate to highly recommend Aviva.”

For more information on preventing potting soil fires,Click here.

Health-related issues are the most common insurance claims for travelling snowbirds, according to RSA Insurance.  The three most common travel insurance claims for snowbirds are related to pneumonia, heart conditions and gastro-intestinal conditions.
“With an aging baby boomer population and medical advancements and treatments, we are seeing people experiencing more serious health conditions when travelling than we have in the past and medical treatments outside of Canada can be extremely costly,” said Erin Finn, director of underwriting for RSA Travel.

“…Making sure they have proper travel and medical insurance coverage before they leave will provide snowbirds with peace of mind while they are away.”

The Insurance Advisors @ Aaxel Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toll Free  – Toll Free: 1-866-358-2860
www.aaxelinsurance.com   -   info@aaxelinsurance.com

E & O E

Just under half (44%) of young Canadians polled in May 2011 say they rarely or never purchase travel insurance when traveling to the United States.

Furthermore, more than half (56%) of young travelers said they don’t take the time to understand what their travel insurance covers before they leave on their trip.

RBC Insurance commissioned the Ipsos Reid survey, which polled 3,931 Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 on their use of travel insurance.

The survey also found that more than a third (34%) of young Canadians say they don’t need travel insurance if they’re only traveling to the United States because their provincial health plan will cover their medical costs.

“However, a two-day hospital stay for a broken leg in California can cost up to $8,000 per day and the average provincial health plan would pay only $200 daily, leaving the individual responsible for the $7,800 difference,” RBC says in a statement releasing the survey results.  “In comparison, a 30 year-old-traveling for eight days in the U.S. could buy full emergency medical travel insurance for just $33.”

The survey also found that 84% of young travelers believe that they don’t need to buy travel insurance if they are traveling to another province within Canada.

The Insurance Advisors @ Aaxel Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toll Free  – Toll Free: 1-866-358-2860
www.aaxelinsurance.com   -   info@aaxelinsurance.com

E & O E

Building your small business involves far more than the creation of a  business plan and the appropriate signatures from your lender of choice. After
all, putting pen to paper is only part of the challenge and far removed from the  physical tasks involved with setting up your small business. Construction of
your work area and/or store front could easily become the largest investment you'll make, with routine delays and unforeseen circumstances hidden under every
block of concrete that's poured.

So how do you protect yourself as a small business owner to ensure that your project gets off the ground? Part of this process hinges on the people who will
actually do the work - the contractors and sub-contractors you hire to complete the demanding task of building your business.
Because an informed customer is a good customer, find out as much as you can about the contractor you are considering in advance. Ask for all appropriate
license numbers and a written proposal that outlines what work needs to be done and the timeline in which that work is to be completed. Check for customer
references and do as much homework as possible before you make the decision to hire. And, above all else, be sure to hire an insured contractor or
sub-contractor to complete the job.

Uninsured contractors are a danger to your financial affairs because they expose you to significant financial risk in the event of an injury or damage to
property. Though they may present you with an opportunity to save money in the short term, the long term risk to which you are being exposed may prevent you
from ever opening your doors for business.

Uninsured contractors may have no way of repaying you for any property damage he or she causes, putting the risk of extended damage squarely on your
shoulders. If you are renting the location of your business, your agreement may explicitly state that you must hire an insured contractor to complete the job.
Failure to do so could put you at considerable risk should damage to property occur.

If you think to yourself that your property insurance policy will cover whatever damages or losses occur as a result of your uninsured contractor, think
again. If an employee of the contractor is hurt while working on your property and a prolonged hospital stay is required, different insurance scenarios can
come into play depending on the status of the contractor. If the constractor is licensed, his workers compensation policy will come into play. If he is
unlicensed and uninsured, then your insurance policy becomes the primary insurance.

However, when a serious accident occurs, both the injured party and all others that were impacted by the damage will likely sue to recover their loses.
If you knowingly hired an unlicensed contractor and an injury occures during the performance of the contract, then your insurance company has the right not to
pay the claim, leaving you exposed to the medical or personal injury bills. If the insurance company wins a judgement against you, any asset you receive in the
future (even inheritance or money from your business) can have a lean placed against it. All judgements are made a part of your credit history and remain
there until they are paid.

So what about one-man teams? If your contractor is a one-man operation, he can be exempt from having to carry workers' compensation insurance (ask for a
copy of the Construction Industry Certificate of Exemption from Workers' Compansation document). However, this is very risky for you, as he may well
engage the services of an assistant and if the assistant gets hurt, you may have  to pay the medical bills.

When hiring a contractor or sub-contractor, make sure each carries public  liability and property damage insurance. Do your homework by taking the time to
check with the insurance agency to verify that the policy is still effective and  will be throughout the duration of your engagement.
The bottom line in this debate will affect the bottom line of your business. If the contractor is uninsured or has uninsured employees, don't even consider
hiring them. Otherwise, you could be sued and held monetarily responsible for worker's injuries sustained while on your property.  Check with the Better
Business Bureau (BBB) to discover which contractors may have had complaints filed against them and get as much detail as possible to determine whether or
not the complaint was legitimate. Shortcuts can (and have) been taken by many other people like you, but are you truly willing to take on such an additional
risk before the doors of your business have even opened?

The Insurance Advisors @ Aaxel Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toll Free  – Toll Free: 1-866-358-2860
www.aaxelinsurance.com   -   info@aaxelinsurance.com

E & O E

Wouldn’t it be great if operating your business was as straightforward as providing the best product or service, and striving to exceed your
customers’ expectations?

But it’s not. Canadian businesses of all sizes are faced with the overwhelming task of keeping up with legislation changes. And that’s not
all: there are disputes with employees, tax investigations, health and  safety concerns…the list goes on.

Certainly we appreciate the importance of protecting ourselves with home, automobile, business, and life insurance.  Have you ever considered the financial consequences of an unforeseen business legal dispute? The cost of dealing with these issues (not to mention the time involved) add up fast.

Combine that with the financial risk and uncertain outcome of pursuing or defending your legal rights, and it’s no wonder that many business owners
decide against legal action.
That is, if they don’t have the confidence and security that comes with a DAS business Legal Expense Insurance Protection & Advice policy – one
designed to protect businesses against the cost of potential business legal  disputes.

This policy guarantees business owners access to legal guidance, representation and cost coverage. What’s more, policyholders can also simply 
pick up the phone to access the Legal Advice Helpline on any  business-related legal matter (including tax advice) from 8am until  midnight, seven days a week. It’s an emergency? We’ve got you covered; we’re  here 24 hours a day if you need us.

With DAS business you get very economical protection for businesses  against the cost of potential legal disputes; the policy includes; 
 
  •    Employment disputes;
  •    Legal defence;
  •    Statutory license protection;
  •     Property protection;
  •    Bodily injury; and,
  •    Tax protection;
  •    Court attendance expenses; and,
  •    Telephone legal advice.

  •    You can also add contract disputes and debt recovery coverage.

To find out more visit www.DAS.ca or call  Aaxel Insurance  Brokers – 905-796-7600

posted by: Paul Mann
Aaxel Insurance Brokers Ltd.
www.aaxelinsurance.com

These quick tips can help you see whether you can save a little – or a lot.

•  Request higher deductibles.
 The deductible is the amount of money you have to fork over before your insurance policy comes to the rescue. By bumping your deductible up from $200 to $500, you could lower the cost of your collision and comprehensive coverage by 15 percent to 30 percent. By increasing it to $1,000, you could decrease that cost by at least 40 percent.
•  Forgo coverage you don’t need. Think about dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older cars with a low market value. Such coverage often is not worth it because any claim you make probably won’t exceed the cost of the insurance and the deductible amount. To assess your car’s current value, visit 
  
•  Purchase a low-profile car. It’s more expensive to insure a vehicle that’s expensive to repair, popular with thieves or known for not having the greatest safety record. For a rundown of vehicles’ risk levels, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Web site.  (To check on older models, go to the bottom of the page.)
•  Carpool or drive less. Many insurance companies offer “low-mileage discounts” to policyholders who carpool to work or drive a lower-than-average number of miles each year. You can call your insurer and find out whether you qualify.
•  Opt for safety gear. You can qualify for a discount on many policies if you have air bags, automatic seat belts, anti-lock brakes and daytime running lights. An approved alarm system or other anti-theft device can give you additional savings.
•  Seek out discounts for teens. Insure teenagers on the parents’ policy rather than a separate policy. Teens who maintain good grades and pass an approved drivers’ education course usually can qualify for reduced rates. An additional discount may come into play if your child goes to college more than 100 miles from home and doesn’t bring a car along.
•  Combine policies with one carrier. You may save money if you insure all your vehicles, including trailers and recreational vehicles, on a single policy. Your car premium also may go down if you buy homeowners’ or life insurance from the same company.
• Ask about other discounts. You also might be able to pay less if you’re older than 50 or 55 and/or retired; if you’ve had no accidents or moving violations in three years; or if you’re a longtime customer. Keep an eye on the bottom line, though. Call a few other insurers to make sure you’re paying the lowest overall amount.

Update your information:
Insurance is very important fact of our life and so are the claims. It is
very update that your broker get updates for any material changes e.g. new
driver, use of vehicle, business use of vehicle or residence etc. In short, any
material change should be discussed with your broker so he or she can update the
insurer accordingly. These days insurance underwriting is very sophisticated and
this will not only help in proper settlement of claim but also may result in
reduced insurance rates depending upon the situation.
Multi vehicle Discount:
Insurers give as high as 20% multi vehicle discounts so insure all your
vehicles with same insurer and broker.
Multi Policy Discount:
Insurers give upto 15 % discounts if you have your auto & home policy
with same insurer and some of them will also waive 3% finance charge that you
get charged for paying monthly premiums.

For more information Contact:
Aaxel Insurance Brokers Ltd.
p-905-796-7600 f-905-796-9700
email- info@aaxelinsurance.com