
Ellen Roseman: Insurance is personal finance’s blind spot
There's a big education gap when it comes to insurance and that can lead people to make very costly mistakes.
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The Personal was founded in 1974 and has headquarters in both Mississauga, Ont. and Levis, Que. It uses the name La Personnelle in Quebec, while it does business as The Personal in the rest of Canada. The Personal is a subsidiary of Desjardins, North America’s largest federation of credit unions.
The Personal primarily provides property and casualty group insurance (not to be confused with workplace group insurance, which offers health and life insurance) to members and employees of more than 700 organizations, such as professional associations, companies, alumni associations, retirement groups, and unions. You or your spouse must be a member of one of those organizations in order to receive the exclusive group rates offered by The Personal.
Anyone can apply, but they won’t qualify for the group rate unless they’re a member or employee of one of those organizations.
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Western region | — |
As a group insurer, The Personal offers preferred rates to members and employees of subscribing organizations. There are also a number of discounts available.
Identity theft assistance - This service is included with your home insurance policy. You can get free assistance from a lawyer to help recover your identity, or receive advice on how to prevent identity theft if it was stolen or you think it’s been stolen. However, it doesn’t cover any financial losses. Also, you will get access to a psychologist for a free one-hour telephone consultation to help with any stress that occurs as a result of your identity being stolen.
Alert program - The Personal gives policyholders free water and freeze detectors, meant to limit potential damage caused by a water leak. An alert gets sent to The Personal mobile app (available for iOS or Android devices) if the detector senses water or potential risk of freezing. You must have wifi in your home and a compatible smartphone or tablet. Additional detectors are available for $36 apiece.
Help with finding a recommended service provider - If you need work to get started quickly, The Personal has an online directory of emergency cleanup and home renovation experts in your area. The service providers offer a five-year warranty on work performed and will give you a detailed work plan so you can easily track their progress.
Yes, there’s an app for both iOS and Android devices. With The Personal's mobile app, you can file a claim, view or modify your policy, and get alerts for any weather systems that may damage your property.
Submitting a claim with The Personal can be done in one of two ways. You can either fill out an online form or call a claims advisor. The claims advisor will need various documents, including receipts, proof of ownership, and a list of damaged or stolen property. Keep any appliances that cause a fire or water damage so it can be examined as part of your insurance claim.
When bundling different types of insurance with The Personal, your premiums for each product will be lower. The Personal offers the following types of insurance:
There's a big education gap when it comes to insurance and that can lead people to make very costly mistakes.
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