Visit www.getprepared.ca for more information on how you and your family can get prepared for an emergency.

Skills:*Experience batching ICBC documents, *level 1 licence & TAM also an asset. Please submit your resume if you are qualified & looking for these morning hours.

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Thank you to our wonderful team and all our clients in helping us celebrate our 40^th Anniversary!

Often when we think of vacant we think of old dilapidated buildings, unoccupied for some time or hotels that still have a room available for a nights stay.  In the world of insurance, vacancy happens fast and you take on immediate risk if not prepared.

Scenario

Jack and Jill have a home rented to a tenant that has given them notice informing them they will be moving out at the end of the month.  Since the tenant moved out they have been scrambling to get the place painted and cleaned up but they don’t have any prospective tenants.

Little do they know…  The day the tenant moved out with no intention of returning, the home is now considered vacant and coverage has already been reduced significantly.  In fact, with most insurers coverage is immediately reduced to exclude losses from burglary, water damage and vandalism including glass breakage.  And, after 30 days there is no coverage at all!

You can imagine their shock and anger when they call their broker only to find out their broken glass and vandalism claim is not covered because the home is considered vacant by the insurance company.

Time to get creative

Now that we know the insurance policy can limit the types of losses it insures, what do we do
about the burglary, water, and vandalism exposures?  You can start by turning off the water and flushing the toilets.  If it’s wired for an alarm, make sure it’s set and consider having it monitored.  Put the lights on timers and vary the times at which you come and go.  You may even want to consider moving in temporarily to ensure all the coverage is maintained greatly reducing the possibility of an uninsured loss.

Call us!

If your rented home or condo is going to be vacant for longer than 30 days make sure you contact your broker to arrange for coverage.  We may also be able offer some advice that can help eliminate a claim from happening.  For more information on your current insurance situation please give us a call to discuss.

WINFALL PUTS LIFESAVING TOOLS

When you buy WinFall Lottery tickets, you help put lifesaving, life-enhancing tools in the hands of skilled medical teams at Peace Arch Hospital. Every day, hundreds of people come to our hospital. Some come for x-rays. Some come without warning by ambulance, while others come to celebrate a birth, or to say goodbye to a loved one. All rely on the hospital’s

excellent medical teams and on the equipment they use.

When you need help, the hospital’s medical teams are here for you. Help them by buying WinFall Lottery tickets.

Each year, Peace Arch Hospital and Community Health Foundation funds hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical equipment. With your help and the others who buy WinFall Lottery tickets, we can do it again this year.

www.PeaceArchHospital.com

Peace Arch is our Hospital, and this year we are giving back by participating in the HSBC Securities Great Pumpkin Run/Walk. This event is fun, and it will help bring life-saving medical equipment to Peace Arch Hospital.

Gather your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours to fundraise, run or walk, and join us for a fun-filled event for the entire family. You can choose from a 1K or 5K route.

Please follow the link for more info and to register now.

http://www.greatpumpkinrunwalk.com/

Read the full article at Canadian Underwriter here.

As we reported back in March, travel insurance can be purchased directly from our website 24hours a day and coverage for people in this age group starts at only $1.50 per day.

Once your teen has passed a knowledge exam and vision test, they can get behind the wheel – with some restrictions. Driving is especially risky when you lack experience as a new driver. Not only are new drivers more prone to crash, one in four of their crashes result in an injury or fatality.

Here are ICBC’s top five tips to help you teach your teen how to drive smart:

No. 1 – Set the right example: Driving lessons start much earlier than you may realize – your children will observe your actions and attitude from a very young age. To set a good example, remember that most driving slip-ups result from lapses of attention – stay away from anything that takes your mind from the road whether it’s a cell phone, food, coffee or make-up. When your teen’s in the learner stage, you’ll get a copy of ICBC’s Tuning up for Drivers guide with their licence. Review it with them – it’s a great hands-on guide for new drivers and their supervisors. This is a good time for parents to brush up on the rules of the road and work on any bad habits.

No. 2 – Get in the experts: It’s certainly a good idea to give your teen as much driving experience as possible, so consider also giving them the opportunity to take some lessons with a professional driving instructor. Many driving school courses include classroom time and road safety theory. More importantly, a driving school instructor can be objective without the emotion involved in many parent-teen relationships. If you do choose this route, remember to stay involved and discuss what they’re learning.

No. 3 – Remember the restrictions: As a parent, you should know the restrictions of the Graduated Licensing Program and make sure that your teen sticks to them. The newest restriction bans GLP drivers from using cell phones and all electronic devices while driving, including hands-free. Some of the other key restrictions of the novice stage are:

• You must always display your green ‘N’ sign on the back of your vehicle when driving.
• You cannot drive with any alcohol in your body.
• You are limited to one passenger (immediate family exempt) – unless you are driving with a supervisor 25 years or older that has a valid, full driver’s licence.

No. 4 – Put it in writing: You may want to consider creating a family contract and set of house rules that are in line with the GLP restrictions. Go to icbc.com and create your own family contract that sets out your expectations of your teen, the responsibilities you want them to show on the road and the consequences for breaking those rules. Like any contract, it should be a two-way deal – as a responsible parent, you should agree to drive your teen home if they’ve been drinking to stop them from being tempted to drive impaired.

No. 5 – Gearing up: The type of car your teen learns to drive on can make a big difference. It’s best to learn how to drive on a vehicle that’s a manageable size and has good visibility. Stick to an automatic transmission until your teen has mastered the basics. A great way to help build your teen’s confidence is to start out on roads with less traffic and avoid rush hour congestion.

As a final bonus tip, if you’re letting your teen drive your car, don’t forget to check that you have the right insurance coverage for that kind of use. If your vehicle is rated in an experienced rate class (all drivers in a household with at least 10 years’ driving experience) then the rate class will need to be changed.

Visit icbc.com for more tips for parents and resources for teens like video driving tips, which you can subscribe to online.

You can also download a new practice knowledge test app for smart phones free from the Apple App Store or visit icbc.com to try the online practice knowledge test.

• ICBC will not accept any forms that have errors, crossing off, or are altered in any way
• Complete the ‘Sellers’ section of the transfer form.  Be sure to include the vehicle description, purchase price, mileage, date of sale, and your signature
• Print your name and address exactly as it appears on your driver’s license
• Once the transfer form is completed and signed by both parties, remove the ‘Sellers Copy’ and retain for your records
• Give the buyer the remaining copies of the transfer form, and your most recent SIGNED computer printed Vehicle Registration(bottom portion of your insurance document)
• Keep your Owners Certificate of Insurance (top portion of your insurance document) and license plates, if you are not transferring the insurance to another vehicle, the plates must be cancelled in order to receive a refund from ICBC.

Buying a Vehicle?   Important information to know:

• ICBC will not accept any forms that have errors, crossing off, or are altered in any way
• If the vehicle will be primarily used in a participating AirCare territory, a current passed AirCare certificate may be required
• 12% tax on the purchase price is payable by the purchaser, unless an exemption applies
• Proper identification must be presented upon registration (valid BC driver’s license or BCID).  If you do not have BC identification, one Primary and one Secondary piece of ID will be required; please ask us for more Information
• Purchasers under the age of 18 require a parent or guardian to sign the transfer form in the applicable area.
• A void cheque, with the purchasers name computer printed on it, will be required if enrolling in a monthly payment plan.  If under the age of 19, a parent or guardian must be present to sign on the Payment Plan Agreement
• If you are planning on transferring existing plates and insurance to the newly acquired vehicle, bring the Owners Certificate of Insurance and License, and the license plates with you to our office
• Generally, all ICBC debts must be paid before licensing and registration of a vehicle