Westland Insurance

When talking to your insurance broker about purchasing auto insurance, it is important to keep the following in mind:

1. What’s not covered:  Use your insurance broker as a resource and ask what ISN’T covered by your auto policy.
2. Be honest:  Neglecting to disclose information can cause a lot of problems for you in the future.
3. Consider your risk tolerance before increasing your deductible:  It might be tempting to reduce your premium by increasing your deductible, but you should ask yourself how much you can reasonably afford to pay out-of-pocket if you had a claim today.
4. Pay your policies on time:  Forgetting to pay your policy can lead to cancelled insurance. Your credit history can impact your ability to buy insurance from another company.
5. Ask about discounts:  Different insurance companies offer different products and discounts. Make sure you ask your broker about available discounts for your specific situation.

Find out more about car insurance at Westland Insurance in Calgary today.

Are you wondering about how and when to start talking to your kids about drugs?  The experts all offer the same advice:  start talking to your kids before someone else does.  I always found it hard to believe that we should be starting these conversatiosn with 8 and 9 year olds, since we live in a safe neighbourhood in Calgary.   I also hadn’t seen any signs of drug use  in our elementary school and my kids hadn’t started asking about them on their own. 

Despite my reluctance to start the conversation with my 7 and 9 year kids, my husband and I read an article written by the experts on the importance of talking to your kids about drugs at a young age.  After convincing me that it was a good idea, we enrolled our son in a “Say No To Drugs” Course through Child Safe Canada.  I felt a little silly sending my 9 year old, but it certainly opened up a whole new level of dialogue in our house that wouldn’t have started if I had waited until he brought it up himself.  With the recent death of a 15 year old Calgary teen from an ectasy overdose, it has reminded me that it is easy to let these conversations fade away and it is time to have further discussion with my kids. 

According to the Calgary Police Service, parents should follow the following tips when talking to their children about drugs and alcohol.

Listen Carefully

If you take the time to listen carefully, student surveys show that your children will be more comfortable talking with you and have a better chance of remaining drug free. 

Role Play How to Say No

Talk about potentials situations where your kids might be offered drugs and alcohol.  Instead of just talking about it, actually take the time to role play different scenarios on how they can say no.  A scripted response, such as “No thanks, I don’t drink beer and  I need to stay in shape for hockey” can go a long way in helping your kids assert themselves in future situations.

Encourage Choice

Give your child a chance to make responsible choices and decisions.  Kids need to have opportunties to develop their decision making skills so that they can become good decision makers when it comes to drugs and alcohol.  Sheltering your kids will not help develop decision making skills.

Provide Age Appropriate Information

Do not overwhelm children with too much information.  Start talking to a 6 or 7 year old about health and taking care of their bodies.  Explain to your kids that we do things like brushing our teeth and eating healthy food to look after ourselves.  Point out to these young kids that people also do things that are unhealthy to their bodies, such as taking too much medicine when they aren’t sick.

At 9 or 10, you can expand on information that shows up on TV or in the world around you.  If alcohol is mentioned on a TV show, you can have a conversation about the negative impact drinking has on your body.  Older kids can be given more detail on specific drugs or information from some of the events you have witnessed in your own life.

Establish a clear family position on drugs

State your family philosophy on drugs and alcohol from the beginning.  Tell your children that drugs and alcohol can hurt them and will not be tolerated.  Make sure that you mention that you have these rules, because you love them and you want them to be healthy.

Be a good example

Remember that children are more likely to follow what you do than what you say.  You set the tone for kids and it might be a good idea to hold off on having that beer the minute you come home from work.  Explaining your habits and showing your kids a healthy example of moderation are important steps to take.

Discuss what makes a good friend

Minimize the impacts of peer pressure by talking to your kids about what makes a good friend.  In early years, you can start by pointing out that good friends are kind, have things in common and share their toys.  In later years, you can expand by discussing respect and looking out for each other.  Explaining to teens that a good friend does not pressure their friends into trying drugs and alcohol will eventually beocme an extension of the conversations you have been having with them all along. 

Build self-esteem

Having high self esteem will definitely decrease the risks of a teen turning to drugs and alcohol.  As parents, we can help build self esteem by remembering to offer lots of praise, spending quality time with our kids, focusing feedback on their actions and never forgetting to say I love you.

Repeat the message

After talking to your kids once or twice it is easy to forget to keep these conversations going.  Lessons about drugs and alcohol are important and should be had on a more frequent basis.  Keep the discussion going and take advantage of opportunities to discuss drugs and alcohol as they come up. 

The above steps will go a long way in opening up the lines of communication with your kids.  Be prepared though.  I was amazed at the level of questioning from my 9 year old after attending the Say No To Drugs Course.  In fact, the subject of those questions would make a good blog topic:  How to respond to your kids if they ask you directly if you have ever tried drugs before?  Wow, where is the course for the parents??

**Child Safe Canada offers a Say No To Drug Course for Teens and Pre Teens at several locations in Calgary.

According to Cam Clay of Westland Insurance in Alberta, it is a good idea to check with your insurance broker before you renovate your home or condo.

Cam recommends contacting your insurance broker to determine if you are properly protected in case your home gets damaged or someone gets injured while working on your property.  Your Westland broker will ensure you have adequate liability to cover the number of workers on your property throughout the project.

An additional recommendation from Mr. Clay is to make sure you hire contractors carefully.  Contractors should be licensed and have proper liability insurance covering the type of work they will be performing. Homeowners should ask about whether or not the contractor’s employees are covered by Workers Compensation.  Cam has seen situations where a contractor has not had the proper insurance and a loss has occurred.  This can lead to a long and complicated claims process for the homeowner.

After your renovation is complete, your Westland broker can work with you to determine if your policy limits should be adjusted.   It is important that your policy covers the cost of rebuilding your property and all upgrades should be included in the overall cost.

Renovating can be a stressful time and the brokers at Westland Insurance are here to ensure you are covered during and after your home or condo renovation.  

Find out more about the implications of remodelling your house and your individual policy at Westland Insurance.

Despite all the talk about purchasing products on the  internet, the vast majority of people continue to prefer buying their insurance from a real person versus online.  The internet has emerged as an incredible tool for consumers, but it doesn’t eliminate the preference for the human approach when buying complex products such as insurance.

A recent survey from Accenture, polled 2,500 North American customers and 65% plan to purchase their insurance from a broker or agent in the next year.  Even when broken down by age group, 60% of 25 – 34 year olds prefer dealing with a person they can contact by phone or e-mail.  Where insurance consumers really stand to gain from the internet is allowing consumers to research their choices before picking up the phone to make a home, auto or travel insurance purchase.

At Westland Insurance in Calgary, we have committed to the internet by offering more and more content, articles and information through our website than ever before.  Although we are embracing the internet as a tool, we continue to build on the foundation of personal service that has made us a success.

With a full staff of insurance professionals and many companies to choose from, Westland is able to meet the top purchasing criteria for consumers as identified  by the Accenture survey.  Despite all the technology and varying pricing, consumers decide on where to purchase by the availability of personal service, speed of problem resolution and having products and services to meet their individual needs.

Susan Adams and her team of insurance professionals at Westland Insurance in Calgary can assist with purchasing home, auto, umbrella and business insurance today.

Have you thought about what happens to your OAS and CPP when your spouse passes away.  Here are a few points to consider:

1. When you are retired and should you pre-decease your spouse, your spouses Old Age Security (OAS)  stops and your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) survivor benefit will reduce.
2. Should you personally be receiving maximum CPP, you would receive non of your spouses CPP.
3. Should you personally be receiving say, $700.00 per month CPP, you would be topped up to the maximum of say, $960.00 per month.
4. A couple depending on CPP and OAS could experience a very big surprise should one pre-decease the other.

It’s important to ensure your home insurance covers you for the costs related to identity theft – a serious crime which is currently on the rise in Canada. These costs can be significant if you’re targeted by a thief who, not only steal’s your good name, but also impacts your long term credit rating and legal standing. 

Without proper insurance coverage, you could be on the hook for losses including lost income as well as costs like loan re-application fees, legal fees and credit report fees required in order to restore your identity. 

Home insurance coverage protecting you against identity theft can include:

• Reimbursement of costs related to the crime
•  Expert advice from a representative to assist you through the identity restoration process 

Contact Westland Insurance in Calgary to find out more about identity theft insurance and how to add coverage to your home policy.  Or, call 403-264-8008 to talk to one of our experienced insurance professionals.

Westland Insurance – Your best coverage is our only policy.

Susan Adams

Westland Insurance in Calgary is pleased to announce that Susan Adams has joined us as the latest member of our insurance team.  Susan is an insurance specialist in home, auto and high net worth insurance.

Susan started her insurance career in 1982 at her family owned insurance brokerage in London, Ontario.  Together with her family, she worked in all aspects of the brokerage eventually taking over the day-to-day operations in 1985 when the office automated to computers.   Her father agreed to put computers in the office as long as “one of them did not end up on his desk!”

Running the London brokerage is where Susan’s aptitude for administration, management and accountability in an insurance brokerage was developed and perfected.  The family brokerage was sold in 1992 when Susan married and moved to Toronto with her new husband who works for CP Rail to this day.

Susan has been a licensed insurance agent in both Ontario and Alberta for 29 years having worked at several insurance brokerages in different capacities during this time.   Most recently, Susan was the Personal Insurance Manager for a branch Brokerlink Office in SW Calgary (West Market Square) where her early family brokerage days made her especially suitable for that position.  While there, she managed and serviced a large Chubb Clientele where she grew to love working amongst Calgary’s elite business executives, their wives and their assistants.

Susan is a high net worth insurance specialist and has assisted many clients insure their high performance vehicles, unique properties, vacation homes and personal assets.  She hopes to continue offering her expertise to Westland’s Chubb Clients.

Susan is looking forward to working with clients old and new in her new role as Director of Operations for Westland Insurance in Alberta.  Find out more about High Net Worth Insurance at Westland in Alberta.

Annette Broomfield, Personal Lines Broker

My name is Annette Broomfield and I am the newest member to the remarkable staff at Westland Insurance in Calgary.  I am excited to get to know the clients at Westland and hope to meet some new ones too.

My greatest passion is in taking care of my clients and making sure they get the lowest quote with the best possible service.  I am dedicated to helping my clients choose the products that are right for them.

I am fluent in French and have over eleven years of experience in the insurance industry as a broker.  I enjoy working with the French community and always enjoy meeting new people.

With car insurance premiums on the rise, it’s important to know where to find savings.   At Westland Insurance in Calgary, Alberta, we recommend you ask your broker or insurance agent about these savings possibilities:

• Loyalty discount:  Many insurers will discount your policy if you’ve been a continuous customer of a single insurance company or broker.
• Low mileage discount:  If you’re an infrequent driver, ask about a low mileage discount.
• Collision Coverage:  Removing the collision coverage on your vehicle if it is an older car.
• Driver education discount:  You may qualify for this discount if you’re newly licensed and have taken an approved training course.
• Age discount:  Some insurance companies offer discounts as customers pass certain age milestones. Make sure to ask your insurer about what ages, if any, qualify for this discount.
• Safety devices – Adding after market security upgrades like theft deterrent systems to your car can reduce your insurance premiums. 
• Multiple policies – Consider purchasing multiple policies such as auto, homeowner or tenant’s insurance from the same insurance company as a way to save money.
• Higher deductible: You could consider raising your insurance deductible in order to cut down your premiums. But this is only advisable, if you know you’ll be able to easily pay the deductible in the event of an accident or claim.
• Driving record – Speeding tickets, accidents and other more serious driving offenses will cause a hike in your rates.

To find out more about auto insurance and applicable discounts, go to www.westlandinsurance.ca/insurance-quotes/auto-insurance or call 403-264-8008 to talk to one of our experienced insurance professionals.

Westland Insurance – Your best coverage is our only policy.

I am Lucille Jakubowski and have been a broker in Calgary for almost sixteen years. My area of expertise is asset protection for high net worth individuals.  I truly enjoy serving executives and individuals with specialized insurance needs, custom homes, unique vehicles and luxury assets such as art,  jewellery and wine collections.

It may sound like a cliche, but I am passionate about insurance!  There are many legal and technical intricacies to consider with even simple policies.   Over the years, I have become an expert in specialized insurance products like those provided by Chubb Insurance.  I enjoy the complexities involved in helping my clients protect their personal assets while simplifying the insurance process for their busy lifestyles.

Experience isn’t everything – so I have completed two broker designations during my career – the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and the Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) . I am very proud of these accomplishments and truly feel that the extra knowledge gives me the confidence to be an Alberta  insurance professional Alberta clients can trust.

I have been working at Westland Insurance in Calgary since January 2010, and coming here has been one of those great life decisions that I pat myself on the back for!  The management and staff are completely supportive, and this makes it possible for me to focus on best service for our VIP clients.

Click here to find out more about insurance for high net worth individuals at Westland Insurance.

Westland Insurance – Your best coverage is our only policy.