• Q. Why should I buy insurance?

A. It can take years and a great deal of hard work and money to acquire your family’s personal possessions. Where would the money come from to replace your property if it were destroyed? What would you do if a court ordered you to pay thousands of dollars because of damage to someone else’s property or injury caused by you. Insurance protects you against financial loss when these kinds of personal disasters happen. And they happen to people just like you every day.

• Q. How does insurance work?

A. For an agreed amount (the premium you pay) the insurance company takes on your risk of suffering financial loss. When losses do occur, they are paid out of the total pool of insurance premiums the insurance company has collected from its thousands of customers. In short, the premiums of the many pay the losses of the few.

• Q. How do I know what insurance to buy?

A. You should insure any valuable property that can be damaged, lost or stolen. You also need to protect yourself against the costs of property damage or injury you may accidentally cause to someone else.

• Q. How much will my insurance cost?

A. The cost of insurance will vary from company to company, based on their estimates of the number of claims expected and the cost to operate the business. When comparing quotes and coverages, always remember that what you are buying is not the piece of paper that you receive, but the service that you get at the time of a claim. Good service may cost a bit more, but it is well worth it when your claim is settled promptly to your satisfaction. That is where Wawanesa shines.

• Q. What do I do when I have a claim?

A. Contact your broker or company as soon as possible to advise that you have had a loss. See "Claim Process".

• Q. How can I save money on my insurance?

A. Increase your deductible. By doing this, you agree to pay a little more of the loss when you have a claim, but your maximum limit of coverage does not change. In exchange for accepting more of the risk on small claims, your premiums are reduced.

Install burglary alarm systems. By taking these precautions to protect your property from loss we offer discounts on your premium. See "Premium Discounts Offered" for other ways to save.

• Q. Do I need to tell you if I make significant changes or additions to my property?

A. Yes. Full disclosure of all details of the risk are needed in order for your insurance to be effective.

• Q. Do I need to tell you if I decide to use my property for commercial purposes?

A. Yes. Full disclosure of all details is necessary. Additional coverage will be required to handle the additional exposure of a commercial operation.

• Q. How do I pay my insurance premium via the Internet or telephone?

A.

1. You must have a Billing Profile set up with your financial institution (bank, credit union, etc.). Please contact the institution directly to have this arranged.
   
   
2. Using your financial institution's Internet or telephone banking service, select "Wawanesa Insurance" as the company name if you wish to pay for your home, auto, business or farm insurance. Do NOT select "Wawanesa Life" unless you are attempting to pay a life insurance premium.
   
   
3. You will be asked to enter your Wawanesa account number. Enter your seven-digit policy number, which can be found on your billing stub. For example, if your policy number is ANC 7654321 00, please only enter the first seven digits - 7654321. You should ignore the alpha-characters "ANC" and the last two digits "00". You must make separate payment for each Wawanesa policy.