Property Claims are on the rise.
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You should be able to email, text or call them, and know they'll make time to guide you through the process.
They should be able provide insight on what to expect, follow up with vendors/adjusters when necessary, and give you reassurance that the decisions you're making are in your best interest. It's like taking your own car sales manager with you to buy a new car.
Direct insurance companies are sometimes the lowest price but it's just you and them when it comes to making a claim. I'd be interested to know what the average policy holder leaves on the table or forgets to add to their claim because they had no help through it.
Get a broker BEFORE you have a loss. Once you've made a claim, you're stuck there for awhile until other companies are willing to consider you.
- MD
- MD
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An extreme example
What is it?
An ice dam is a buildup of ice that holds melting snow on the roof, stopping it from running into the eavestroughs and away from the building.
This can cause your roof and ceilings to leak damaging your home’s interior walls and insulation,among other issues.
Check out the video below on how it happens.
This can cause your roof and ceilings to leak damaging your home’s interior walls and insulation,among other issues.
Check out the video below on how it happens.
If you notice any water spots, you should try and get up in the attic to confirm the source of the leak. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, find someone who is.
Damages can usually be minimized if actions are taken quickly, and could save you from needing to make a claim on what could be a minor repair.
Discuss the situation with a knowledgeable broker and decide what next steps are really needed.
Damages can usually be minimized if actions are taken quickly, and could save you from needing to make a claim on what could be a minor repair.
Discuss the situation with a knowledgeable broker and decide what next steps are really needed.
A Claim for this won't get you a new roof.
Ice Damming repairs are usually limited to:
1. Drying out the wet areas.
2. Repainting the ceiling/walls that were affected.
1. Drying out the wet areas.
2. Repainting the ceiling/walls that were affected.
It's been my experience that Ice Damming SELDOM results any need for exterior repairs. The roof itself isn't compromised and when it melts off you're back to normal.
In some cases the actual damages are limited to drying the wet insulation/drywall and a water ring when it dries. Obviously it's not always this easy, but sometimes it is.
In some cases the actual damages are limited to drying the wet insulation/drywall and a water ring when it dries. Obviously it's not always this easy, but sometimes it is.
'Ice and Watershield'
'Ice and Watershield' is also something that comes into play on a claim of this nature. It's a waterproof barrier used on the edges and in the valleys of a roof that was designed to help prevent water from coming through it.
Sometimes a building owner will discover their structure never had 'Ice and Watershield' at all, leaving it more susceptible to this kind of damage.
While this shouldn't affect their ability to make a claim, it isn't something the insurer will pay to have installed if you didn't have it before.
Sometimes a building owner will discover their structure never had 'Ice and Watershield' at all, leaving it more susceptible to this kind of damage.
While this shouldn't affect their ability to make a claim, it isn't something the insurer will pay to have installed if you didn't have it before.
Get Some Advice
There are too many types of Home Insurance coverage in Nova Scotia to list.
Some SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE "damages from Ice Damming" and some policies may only pay a percentage of the cost of replacement shingles based on how old your current ones are.
Some SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE "damages from Ice Damming" and some policies may only pay a percentage of the cost of replacement shingles based on how old your current ones are.
Knowing what's covered, or better yet having someone else who knows that can bring some peace of mind.
Get yourself some real advice about what you HAVE and do it BEFORE you have an issue.
Feel better about what you're paying for.
- MD
Get yourself some real advice about what you HAVE and do it BEFORE you have an issue.
Feel better about what you're paying for.
- MD
I volunteered to plug into the matrix and use my smartphone to monitor my driving.
Reasons why:
1. It's free money. Insurers offer a solid discount in exchange for the driving habits of those who participate.
2. They can't hold poor driving skills against you. The rules around 'Telematics' DO NOT allow insurers to SURCHARGE if you're terrible. You just don't get offered any additional discounts next year...but you still get the free money THIS year.
3. I'm delusional about my own abilities behind the wheel and believe I may be the best driver on the planet. Plus this appeals to me as a placeholder for video games I no longer have time for.
4. I had questions about it, and before I recommended it to customers I wanted answers. Is it easy to use? Is it annoying? How do I enjoy the experience? All this stuff.
...."i'm also a client"
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If you're wondering what "telematics" is, check out this earlier post.
This one is focused on what it's like to setup and use the app. |
Getting Setup
APP
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This review is based on the use of 'MyBridge' app through Pembridge Insurance. There are a few companies out there using 'telematics' and their experiences are likely to vary.
My policy started in late September 2018, and I didn't actually start using the app until mid November. Typically it begins within the first 30 days of a policy.
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When you decide to sign up, you need to choose a cell phone number to use with it.
*Consider the impact of this decision if you have a work phone/work vehicle... otherwise you may not be accurately reflecting the use of your own vehicle.
Download the app on your phone, and when the policy is completed you'll receive a text with instructions.
After you enter the text message's PIN into the app it logs you right in.
You will need to 'allow access to Location Services' so it can read the GPS of the device. I normally dislike ever 'clicking yes' on these but it's the entire point of this app.
TRACKING TRIPS
Once I was into the app, I was hoping to take this for a test drive and see what it was all about.
What I learned was, there's really nothing left to be done. The experience is kind of a slow burn.
It starts tracking your driving in the first few trips once it calibrates, but takes 30 days of monitoring before it's able to guess at what discount you've earned.
Here's what a regular trip looks like.
The 4 purple circles on the bottom let you know how you did on each trip. If they're red, the app has detected an 'incident' and will factor that into your driving profile/discount.
A trip with an 'incident'.
You ARE able to EDIT and remove completed trips where you were not the driver. I liked this since it saves you from having to worry about constantly turning it on an off/on. Though I still do that because I'm way too into this.
The Experience
I wasn't sure how to feel about the fact it shows you EXACTLY where you were when an incident is recorded. At first I thought it was cool use of tech but later I wondered if I'd have preferred not to know.
"THERE?!...THAT was the incident??! This is rigged."
PRO: Transparency with the ability to recall what happened, and change the behavior going forward.
CON: Most people disagree with the penalty, or don't remember it happening which brings a bit of resentment towards anyone involved.
CON: Most people disagree with the penalty, or don't remember it happening which brings a bit of resentment towards anyone involved.
MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY: 'Incidents' feel much more personal than I'd expected. That was surprising.
FULL DISCLOSURE: My wife and I both started using the apps concurrently on separate vehicles and not surprisingly it's become a serious competition to me.
Tale of the Tape
Her car is automatic, mine is a standard. - ADVANTAGE ME.
She commutes in stop & go traffic, I get to avoid that. - ALSO ADVANTAGE ME
She's not into driving at all , and really doesn't even know how serious I'm taking this friendly competition. - MAJOR ADVANTAGE FOR ME
Results at Day 61
At the end of the first I've got a 25% discount at renewal and she's sitting at 22%!
My reaction SHOULD have been "that's great!" but all I can think is that I'm driving around like I'm delivering landmines for 3%??
RECOMMENDATION: Use her approach of forgetting this is even a thing. *Also if anyone is interested in action on her covering the spread on this...leave me a comment.*
Everyone starts at 30. Each tick below it I die a little inside.
OVERALL
So far, I'm actually quite impressed with it.
We saved a few hundred dollars THIS year by using it, and am on track to get more next year at renewal.
We saved a few hundred dollars THIS year by using it, and am on track to get more next year at renewal.
1. Setup was easy, and the app hasn't hurt my battery life.
2. It's been surprisingly liberal about giving out 'incidents'.
(I was cut off by a snowplow and it didn't even register)
(I was cut off by a snowplow and it didn't even register)
3. It hasn't really been a nuisance to monitor.
4. It has me actively thinking about driving safely.
It's probably not for everybody, but if you're on the fence and it suits your lifestyle I recommend giving it a whirl.
- MD
About the author
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