Guides: understand it before you insure it
Plain-language explainers on how each kind of coverage really works — including the parts nobody selling it wants to explain.
Core coverage
How each kind of coverage really works.
How life insurance actually works in Canada
Life insurance is a simple trade — but the details decide whether it's a good deal. Term vs permanent, how much you need, and why beneficiaries matter.
ReadTerm vs whole life: "buy term and invest the difference," examined honestly
The oldest argument in personal finance, answered honestly. When term wins, when permanent is the right tool, and where whole life gets oversold.
ReadYour work benefits, decoded
Group benefits are the coverage most Canadians rely on and understand least. What's in the booklet, and the three gaps almost everyone has.
ReadBeneficiary designations: the five-minute decision that avoids probate
Who you name as beneficiary can matter as much as how much coverage you buy. Named vs estate, contingents, minors, and keeping them current.
ReadWhat happens to your policy if your insurer fails?
Insurers rarely fail, but two industry-funded backstops protect Canadian policyholders if one does. Here are the Assuris and PACICC limits.
ReadThe four home-insurance gaps that cost the most
Standard home policies exclude some of the most likely and expensive losses. Overland flood, sewer backup, earthquake, and rebuild cost vs market value.
ReadCondo insurance: the deductible time bomb
Condo owners are insured twice, and the gap between the two policies has become expensive. Loss assessment, deductible chargebacks, and unit improvements.
ReadTenant insurance: cheap, and more important than renters think
Your landlord's insurance covers the building — not your belongings, and not your liability. Tenant insurance covers both, for a modest premium.
ReadPersonal umbrella insurance: a lot of liability protection for a little money
An umbrella policy sits on top of your home and auto liability and extends the limit — often adding $1–5 million — for a relatively small premium.
ReadSuper visa medical insurance: the compliance rules, plainly
To sponsor a parent or grandparent on Canada's super visa, they need private medical insurance that meets IRCC's rules. Get these wrong and the visa is refused.
ReadBuy it while you're healthy: how underwriting really works
Insurability is a use-it-or-lose-it asset. What underwriters look at, how nicotine and cannabis are treated, the MIB, and your genetic-testing protections.
ReadCorporate-owned life insurance for incorporated professionals
If you own a corporation, where a policy is owned changes its tax math. The CDA, common uses, and why this is a get-a-professional decision.
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Life events
What changes — and what to add or drop — around big moments.
New baby: the insurance moves that actually matter
A baby is the biggest jump in most families' life-insurance need — and a good moment to fix the gaps you've been ignoring.
ReadBuying a home: insure the mortgage the smart way
Say no to the reflexive mortgage-insurance checkbox until you've compared it to personal term, and get the home policy right from day one.
ReadGoing self-employed: you just became your own benefits department
Leaving a job means leaving your group coverage. What used to be automatic — life, disability, health — is now your responsibility.
ReadDivorce: the insurance details that get missed in the paperwork
Update beneficiaries everywhere, watch irrevocable designations, and re-run your needs — your income, dependants, and obligations all changed.
ReadRetiring: when to keep coverage, and when to drop it
Retirement is one of the few times the honest advice is often 'you can cancel that.' Life, disability, and travel — what to keep and what to drop.
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Don't buy this
Anti-recommendations. The products the math says to skip.
Extended warranties: the math says skip most of them
For most products, an extended warranty is a bad bet — a large markup to insure a loss you could comfortably self-insure.
ReadBalance protection on your credit card: usually a bad deal
Credit-card balance protection is among the poorest-value insurance products sold in Canada. Here's why, and what to do instead.
ReadFlight insurance and per-trip add-ons: mostly theatre
Standalone flight/accident insurance is a classic low-value, high-emotion product. Trip cancellation can be worth it — check what you already have.
ReadPet insurance: run the numbers before you fall in love with the brochure
Unlike balance protection, pet insurance is legitimate insurance — but whether it pays off depends heavily on the fine print and your risk tolerance.
ReadPhone and device insurance: convenience at a steep price
For most people, device insurance and monthly protection plans lose money over the life of the device. Check what you already have first.
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