Plates expire? Licence expire? Sitting on the side of the road with an unregistered vehicle? 

Did you know Saskplates.com can get you back and on the road in no time, even from a mobile or tablet device? Set-up your account today through www.Saskplates.com and don't get left on the side of the road.

It's even simpler now! If you have an active SGI policy you can set up your account directly on the website without having to call us. 

Here are some of the many transactions you can now do online from your home computer or mobile device through Saskplates.com:

- vehicle registration

- plate cancellation

- driver's licence renewal (non-photo)

- address and personal information changes

- print vehicle registrations

- get quotes on Auto, Home, Condo, Tenant Paks and more!

- make payments

- pay your receivables

You can also contact US about any of your insurance needs! Phone 1-888-450-2700, email us at broker@alhattieinsurance.ca, or come by for a visit at our office located at 3020C Arlington Ave, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

LOCATION:
Town home

CAUSE OF LOSS:
Fire caused by an electric hair straightener

COST OF LOSS:
$263,000

DETAILS OF LOSS:
The insureds’ daughter was the last to leave the home in the afternoon to go to work. When the
insureds’ arrived home later they noticed smoke coming from the windows. They went to neighbour’s
house and called the Fire Department. The dwelling and contents in the basement sustained heavy
fire damage, while the remainder of the home sustained smoke and water damage. The Fire
Commissioner investigated and determined the cause of the fire to be the hair straightener left on in
a bedroom located in the basement.

LESSONS LEARNED:
When using electric curling irons, hair straighteners or other appliances that generate heat, be sure
to unplug it after each use and place them in a secure position away from any flammable materials.
Never leave your home without checking to make sure any irons, curling irons, etc. are unplugged
and in a safe location.

Do you have lots of STUFF? Whether you are a tenant, condo owner or homeowner having a record of your belongings will always come in handy in the case of a claim. And they're also kind of fun to fill out!

Keeping an up to date record will help you stay organized in the case of a claim. Suffering any sort of loss to your dwelling can be an overwhelming experience, and having a list of the details of your belongings and their values makes going through the claims process much simpler and less stressful than having to recall everything off the top of your head. This list can also help you make sure your insurance coverages are enough to protect you in the case of a total loss.

You might even find this list handy for many other uses (maybe it will even spur a garage sale)!

You can print off a list of common household items and personal belongings here. We can even hang on to a copy in your file for you to make sure it is safe.

Do you have STUFF?

Did you know, your condominium building has insurance on the structure but no coverage for your belongings or any improvements that have been made to your unit? This is where Condo Insurance comes in. Whether you're living in the unit or renting it, Condo insurance is designed to provide you with that coverage your building lacks. Coverage for your belongings, for your renovations and upgrades, additional living expense, contingent coverage and building deductible assessment that keeps you protected if your building itself isn't adequately insured or the building deductible gets transferred to you. They all provide you with personal liability and can be upgraded to include several options, including:

- Increased Limits for property with specific amounts of protection, like jewelry or musical instruments

- Reduced Glass Breakage Deductible

- Sewer Backup

- Voluntary Firefighting coverage

- Watercraft coverage

- Seasonal Home coverage

- Rental Home coverage

You may be eligible for discounts if:

- claims free for over 3 years

- approved monitoring and security system

- fire resistive structure

- above third floor

- age and loyalty

- you choose a higher deductible

We ask that you take a moment to fill out a record of your belongings. You can print off an inventory worksheet to fill in values and year of purchase to most household items. Once you have a fairly complete list, add up the total replacement value plus an amount for restoration expense. This is what you will be wanting to base your coverage for under your contents. You can then contact us (1-888-450-2700), visit our office, or request a free quote online with this value we can discuss your options and what policy will best suit your needs and budget.

Our job at Al Hattie Insurance is to make sure our clients have the best and most comprehensive understanding of their insurance. Whether it be a home, condo, auto, travel, commercial, or agro policy, it is important to stay up to date on changes to your company's policies and their wording. This blog is going to focus on Wawanesa's recently updated wordings to their habitational policies.

Companies often revise their policy wordings to stay current ad competitive. They also change to adapt to our changing needs and to ensure clarity. Wawanesa's habitational coverages haven't changed, but wordings, definitions and limits have.

'Coverage D - Additional Living Expenses' has been renamed to 'Coverage D - Loss of Use'. This is simply a cosmetic update as the three original areas of this coverage - Additional Living Expenses, Fair Rental Value and Prohibited Access - remain unchanged.

One of the main changes can be found in the Special Limits of Insurance. Here are a list of the limits that have changed:

- Money, "cash cards", bullion - $1,000

- Personal Property of a Student away at school - $25,000

- Personal Property of a dependent in a care home - $25,000

- Fur garments and garments trimmed with fur - $6,000

- Numismatic, coin or banknote collections - $1,000

- *** Collectibles, including sports cards,m memorabilia and comic books - $250/item, $5,000 total

Water

Regarding water and water damage there are a few things to note. Flood is excluded from Water Damage coverage. However, flooding originating from a Domestic Water Container is covered. These are defined as "a device or apparatus for containing, heating, chilling or dispensing water for personal use." Examples include swimming pools, water coolers, hot water tanks and washing machines. Ice damming is not a part of the Sewer Backup/Water Damage Extension form and is covered as a Specified Peril on all policies. Coverage for freezing water pipes while policyholder was away from the premises for more than four consecutive days will be provided if any of the following precautions have been taken:

- Arrangements were made for a competent person to enter the dwelling and/or private structures each day to ensure heating was maintained

- The water supply to the dwelling and/or private structures had been shut off and all pipes and domestic water containers were drained

- The heating system was connected to an alarm that is observed 24 hours a day by a central monitoring service

Condo

Condominium owners will find a new section titled "Additional Coverages - Condominium Unit Owners". This section was created to make it easier for condo owners to find coverage specific to their situation. Coverages include:

- Condominium Loss Assessment

- Condominium Additional Coverage

- Condominium Unit Owner Improvements

- Condominium Deductible Assessment

Separating these coverages allows condo owners to purchase specific additional limits of insurance to fit their needs. All Condominium Unit Owners policies will be automatically renewed with $25,000 Condominium Deductible Assessment Coverage. Policyholders will now have the option to raise their limit to $50,000, which may be beneficial for those whose Condominium Corporation's carry high deductibles.

Other

Other coverages have had changes as well. Pollution incidents are now restricted to the escape of a pollutant arising from an insured peril under Section I - Property Coverage. Pollutant has been defined as "any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or containment, including but not limited to fuel oil, vapour, soot, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, waste and smoke from agricultural smudging or industrial operations."

Wawanesa has also adopted the Insurance Bureau of Canada's (IBC) Liability wording to ensure it is comparable to others in the industry. Wordings of a commercial nature referenced previously have been removed. They have also excluded liability for claims arising from the use or misuse of social media or the internet (cyber liability).

Finally there has been a significant reduction in the paper included with the renewal policy, as the additional printed forms - such as Statutory Conditions, Limited Sewer Backup Endorsement and Innocent Co-Insured - are now included in the new wording booklet. Electronic booklets can be found at wawanesa.com.