Should University Students Get Contents Insurance?

It’s that time of year where the air gets crisper and the streets are alive again with buzz of new and returning students engaging in collegiate chatter while running around trying to get settled before the semester officially begins. While students register for classes, gather their course materials or catch up with friends over coffee, it may be easy to forget all about insurance for their valued contents. Whether one lives in a dorm or is renting a room or an apartment, holding insurance for their computers, laptops, sound systems, TV, etc., is a sure way to attain a peace of mind that they're covered no matter what life throws their way.

Why get contents insurance?

Did you know your landlord’s insurance does not cover your belongings in the event of an insured loss such as fire or water damage? You would be responsible for replacing all your lost items including clothing, electronics, furniture, etc.

Contents insurance for students is very affordable and can help protect you against unpredictable events such as theft, vandalism, fire, water and even flood damage. Many students are on tight budgets during the school year, and a loss of a laptop or smart phone could be devastating. That’s where insurance kicks in. Insurance is here to protect you for losses that are too large to cover on your own.

Who can get contents insurance?

Anyone who is renting a dwelling such as a dorm room, house, apartment or condo is eligible for contents insurance. Students receive special rates with Sharp Insurance.

What else does contents insurance cover?

Your contents or tenant’s insurance will cover you for any stolen items while you are at home or travelling anywhere around the world. It will also cover you for damages due to fire, wind, hail, theft, vandalism and now, you can opt to have flood coverage!

You are also covered for liability for up to  1 million or 2 million depending on your insurance package. Liability protects you in the event you accidentally cause damage to your unit or building, for example: you leave your curling iron on and cause a small fire; you would be responsible for damages to the building and other tenants. In this case, your insurance policy will kick in to cover these damages.

You also have liability for your actions. Say you’re playing baseball with your friends and hit a passerby with the ball; your policy will cover medical expenses and will defend you in the event you are sued for your actions.

Are you interested in getting an insurance quote for your contents? We are more than happy to help, click here to contact us.

What Affects My Monthly Edmonton Home Insurance Premiums?

In one of our earlier posts, we discussed how new drivers in Alberta must pay close attention to the type of car that they drive if they wish to save money on their car insurance premiums. Today, in the same vein, we will be discussing what exactly affects your monthly Edmonton home insurance premiums... and what you can do to lower them.

The first (and most obvious factor) that plays in your monthly rates is how expensive your house is. The more expensive it is, the higher your premiums will be, and vice versa. Likewise, the more costly your items are, the more money you will end up paying each month. To save money, make sure that your items are properly secured.

Another factor that has the potential to affect your home insurance rates is the neighborhood in which your home is located. While Edmonton is a relatively safe city (for the most part), the same can't be same for every single one of its numerous neighborhoods. Before purchasing a home, we highly encourage you to research the levels of crime associated with the neighborhood.

Lastly, how secure your home is can also affect your Edmonton home insurance rates. Your goal is to make sure that your insurance company doesn't see you as a liability. For that to happen, you have to secure your home -- both from thieves and from natural disasters. As an example, you'd be surprised how much money installing a security system could save you each month! (And of course, don't forget the smoke detectors...)

New Drivers in Red Deer: Why The Car You Drive Matters

Okay, so you're a new driver. That's pretty exciting, right? Of course it is! But here's the thing (and trust us, we're not here to dampen your spirits): Being a new driver in Red Deer can be rather expensive. How expensive, you ask? Well it depends on a few things... among the the car that you drive.

Yes, you read that right. What most new drivers in Alberta don't know is that the car that they drive directly affect how much money they pay on their monthly premiums. If you are a new driver and you still haven't purchased your first car, then heed this advice carefully: Pick the cheapest (functional) car you can find. Trust us, you won't regret it down the road. (No pun intended.)

The older your car, the less expensive it is to insure it. Likewise, the newer it is, the more expensive it is to insure it. Here's what we recommend that you do if you are not sure what exactly constitutes as "old": Spend some time researching the less expensive cars to insure in Red Deer and/or try and give a call to your prospective insurance company. We can't guarantee you that you will find what you are looking for, but trying never hurt anyone.

With that being said, don't be afraid if your monthly Red Deer insurance premiums are still high, even after purchasing the cheapest car available. You will not be considered a new driver for too long, and there exist numerous ways for you to lower your premiums without having to buy a new car. (We'll cover more of these in future posts.)

Good luck!

Follow Those Simple Advice to Save On Car Fuel in Calgary

Few things in life are worse than running out of fuel, or waking up one day to discover that the price of fuel has increased by several cents overnight. If you are a driver in Calgary, then driving smartly and saving on car fuel has become more important than ever. To make this easier for you, Sharp Insurance has compiled a list of the most helpful advice that you can follow.

So without further ado, here is how you can save on car fuel in Calgary:

1. Avoid driving in the rush hour: Nobody likes traffic jams. But if people were to actually calculate how much fuel their car uses during traffic jams, they would like rush hour even less. Whenever possible, avoid driving in the rush hour -- especially if you live in downtown Calgary.
2. Be smart with your trips: Ideally, you should be able to combine your trips into one daily big trip. Of course, we understand that life happens and that it's not always possible to do so, but trying can sometimes make a big difference.
3. Accelerate smoothly: Did you know that accelerating too quickly burns fuel at a faster rate? When you need to accelerate, do it smoothly. Remember that the ideal way to drive (and the less expensive one as well) is to drive at a constant speed.
4. Know when to change gears... and when not to: Using the wrong gear at the wrong speed can burn up more fuel and can actually strain the engine of your car. Brush up on your driving skills by learning when changing gears is necessary, and when it's not.
5. Make sure that your car doesn't carry necessary weight: Here's another fact for you: The heavier your car is, the more fuel it requires to move around. This is simple physics. Before hitting the road tomorrow morning, makes sure that your car is empty of necessary items that could weigh it down and cost you money.

Is My Edmonton Home Insurance Coverage Still In Effect While I'm On a Vacation?

With summer drawing to an end in Edmonton, all you late vacationers should be well on your way to your favourite destinations.

But before boarding the plane or loading your car, making sure that your home is in order should figure high on your list of priorities. If your house also happens to be covered under an Edmonton home insurance policy such as the one Sharp Insurance offers, then you may be wondering (and with good reason) whether or not that policy remains in effect while you are away on vacation.

Here's the thing: We can't speak for every company in Edmonton. This is why we urge you to call your insurance company before going on vacation. While there is no reason why your home would not be covered while you are away for a short period of time, longer vacations may require more than a call to your insurance company. This is why the earlier you take care of this, the better.

Our intention is not to scare you, but remember that while you are away, a number of things could happen to your house. Empty houses are a lot more vulnerable to being burglarized, for one. What we suggest is this: Regardless of how long your vacation will be, call your insurance company and let them know that your house will be empty for a while. They will let you know what you will need to do (if anything) to keep your Edmonton home insurance policy in effect while away.

Afterwards, we also suggest to ask one of your close friends or relatives to house sit for you or to at least collect your mail every day and check up on your home. This will give you additional peace of mind and might even go a long way towards solidifying a claim... though we sure hope you won't need to do that.

Fort McMurray Small Businesses and Insurance Coverage: Here Is What You Need to Know

As a small business owner in Fort McMurray, it might be hard for you to sift between the insurance policies that you need and the ones that you don't. But here's the thing: Doing so is absolutely imperative if you wish to see your company flourish in the city. You simply cannot have a successful company in Alberta (or anywhere else, really) without insuring it properly.

In the world of insurance coverage, the absolute basics take the form of a general liability insurance policy and of a business property insurance policy. Here's what you need to know about them:

General liability insurance policy: This policy offers you financial protection against claims of bodily injuries and property damage. Generally speaking, you can also expect this policy to cover damage caused by your employees. A common claim involves a customer injuring themselves on your premises and suing you later.

Business property insurance policy: While this policy is usually purchased by company owners who own business property in Fort McMurray, some self-employed people who work from home have also been known to benefit from it. As the name entails, this policy covers damage that has been done to your business premises. Common perils covered under this policy are: Fires, vandalism and thefts.

Commercial auto policy: Unlike "normal" auto coverage, commercial auto policy covers your business vehicles and protects your company from the impact of an accident. Like general liability insurance coverage, commercial auto coverage extends to cover your employees behind the wheel.

Product liability insurance policy: Lastly, if your business sells products, you might want to consider purchasing a product liability insurance policy. This policy, unlike general liability insurance policy, protects you from claims related to the products you sell. A common claim involves a manufacturing defect that ends up causing harm to a person.

3 Reasons Why You Should Request a Free Edmonton Construction Quote Today

Are you a construction worker in Edmonton? Then chances are that you know how important it is for you to be covered under the right insurance policies. But in the event that you don't, Sharp Insurance has compiled a short list of the reasons why you should request a free Edmonton construction quote today. If you are a construction contractor, we highly encourage that you read through it. 

1. Insurance coverage can save your finances... and sometimes even your career. Of course, there are many types of construction policies out there. It is your responsibility to go through them and find the ones that you need. As you do this you will come to realize that some policies can completely change your life. Regardless of whether you are a construction contractor or a construction manager, being covered under the right policies can save your finances, and your career.
2. Insurance quotes are free. And they are easy! Requesting a quote is a matter of a few clicks, and filing one out is a matter of 5 minutes or less. The quotes that Sharp Insurance offer come with no obligation whatsoever, so feel free to request one just to get a general idea of what to expect from us.
3. It gives you peace of mind. Peace of mind can be purchased, and for many workers it takes the form of a construction insurance policy. Construction workers are prone to injuries, and some of them are also prone to mistakes. Both injuries and mistakes can land you in severe financial troubles. Don't wait until things get that far. Request a free insurance quote today.

I Got Labelled As A Red Deer High Risk Driver! Do I Need to Change Insurance Company?

Yikes! That's quite a situation that you put yourself in. But here's the good news: Your current situation is NOT your final destination. Of course, nobody wants to associate themselves with the title of "high risk driver" in Red Deer, but know that this is not a lifelong sentence unless you make it one. In other words, you won't always be labelled as a high risk driver unless you actually go out of your way to be one.

Now to answer the original question: Do you need to change insurance company? It depends on several things -- among them how much you are currently paying each month and how much you would like to pay.

Here's what we suggest that you do: First, don't panic. As we said earlier, it's not a lifelong sentence. If you manage to keep a clean driving record for two years or so, your monthly premiums will eventually go back to normal. This is because insurance companies are only allowed to look at the last 2 years of a person's driving record.

With that in mind, we do suggest that you do your best to lower your insurance premiums until insurance companies in Red Deer cease to label you as a high risk driver. You can do this by combining your other insurance policies, raising your deductible, making sure that your car is safe from thieves... and in some cases, changing insurance company.

Whether or not you would personally benefit from changing insurance company is something that you will have to find out for yourself. Just remember that paying more doesn't always mean that you are receiving better service!

Do I Need To Create An Inventory of My Edmonton Home?

When it comes to Edmonton home insurance coverage, one of the most common questions associated with this type of coverage is this one:

Do I need to create an inventory of my home in Edmonton?

No, you do not need to create an inventory for your home, but we can all agree that you should probably do that. In fact, we can probably take it one step further and all agree that you should take a picture inventory rather than a paper inventory. If you are new to the great big world of insurance coverage, then chances are that you are wondering why you need to do so. The answer to that question is fairly simple:

How else would you prove to your insurance company that you owned certain items?

(Yes, we are well aware that we answered a question with another question, but we think this one was quite self-explanatory!)

As you may (or may not) already be aware of, it is not uncommon for home insurance policies in Edmonton to cover a house as well as certain valuable items that can be found within it. Should those items somehow be damaged or stolen as a result of an insured peril, proving that you owned those items and that they were in good condition before the insured peril struck your house is of the utmost importance.

And guess what? It can only be achieved with a picture inventory...

Just don't forget to label and to date each picture properly! :-)

Used Car Shopping in Red Deer? Here's What You Need To Know

Used car shopping in Red Deer can be tricky. We've all heard of people having less than pleasant experiences with used cars that they bought from some shady car dealers. To make sure this doesn't happen to you, Sharp Insurance has compiled a list of things that you should know before diving headfirst into used car shopping. So without further ado, here they are:

1. Expect to pay less on your Red Deer car insurance premiums. If you needed one more incentive to purchase a used car, then you have it! As most people know, the amount of money that they pay each month is directly affected by the type of car that they drive. Because used cars are not as valuable as newer models, chances are that you will be able to save some money on your insurance policy.

2. Not every car dealer is the same. Some are trustworthy and some aren't so trustworthy. Before purchasing a car from a car dealer in Red Deer (or anywhere else for that matter), make sure to know exactly what you're getting yourself into. In other words: Research, research and more research!

3. Taking your time is crucial when car shopping. Also, if you have a friend who is knowledgeable about cars it might be a good idea to ask him or her to accompany you when visiting used car dealers. Some tell-tale signs of past collisions can be easy to miss for the untrained eye.

4. Test drive EVERYTHING. Don't be shy. Test driving a car is absolutely crucial, regardless of whether a car is used or new. It can change your entire perspective and save you the trouble of having to return it a few days later.