Your situation
Discounts you might qualify for
Tick anything that applies — we'll build a personalized list of discounts to ask each insurer about.
Your recommended coverage
What to ask for when you get quotes — and why.
Third-Party Liability
Required$1,000,000
Your province's legal minimum is $200,000, but serious-accident lawsuits regularly exceed it. Carry at least $1M ($2M is ideal) — the jump usually costs only $20–$40 more per year.
Accident Benefits
RequiredStandard (set by your province)
Mandatory in Ontario. Covers medical care, rehab, and income replacement after a crash — coverage amounts are set provincially.
Collision
RequiredCovers your car in an at-fault or single-vehicle crash
Your lender requires collision while you owe money on the car — dropping it breaks your loan or lease agreement.
Comprehensive
RequiredCovers theft, vandalism, hail, fire, and animal strikes
Your lender requires comprehensive while you owe money on the car — dropping it breaks your loan or lease agreement.
Deductible
Recommended$500
Keep your deductible at $500 until you have $1,000 set aside — you do not want to be unable to afford a claim.
Add-ons to consider
Accident Forgiveness
OptionalProtects your premium after a first at-fault accident
Often free after several claim-free years — ask your insurer whether you already qualify before paying for it.
Ontario at a glance
Private insurers- Who provides coverage
- Private insurers (rates regulated by the province)
- Fault system
- No-fault, with the right to sue for serious injuries
- Minimum liability required
- $200,000
- Winter tires
- Insurers are required to offer a winter-tire discount (~5%) — ask for it.
Where to buy
Compare at least 3 private insurers — a broker can shop many at once, or try direct insurers like Belairdirect, Sonnet, or PC Insurance.
Typical range in Ontario · provincial average, not your quote
$1,500–$2,000/yr
Use this only to sanity-check whether a quote is in the right ballpark. Your actual premium depends on your age, driving record, exact vehicle, postal code, and coverage choices — a young driver or a high-theft vehicle can run far above this range.
Discounts to ask for
Run through this with every insurer — you only get these if you ask. Print this page to take it with you.
- Get at least 3 quotes before every renewal — loyalty rarely pays, and switching commonly saves $500–$1,000+.
- Don't auto-renew. Insurers commonly nudge loyal customers' renewal premiums above what they'd quote a new customer for the same coverage — re-shop every renewal.
- Add tenant or home insurance and bundle it with auto for a multi-policy discount (5–15%).
- Install winter tires and ask for the discount. Insurers are required to offer a winter-tire discount (~5%) — ask for it.
- If you can, pay annually instead of monthly to skip monthly financing fees (saves 3–8%).
Your renewal game plan
Renewing is where most people overpay. Work these steps when your renewal notice arrives — in order.
- When your renewal notice arrives (usually about 30 days before your renewal date), treat it as a prompt to shop — not a bill to pay on autopilot.
- Compare your renewal premium to last year's. Rates often creep up even with a clean record and no tickets, so an unexplained jump is your cue to shop.
- Check what changed on the renewal: did a discount drop off (winter tires, telematics, loyalty), or did your deductible or coverage quietly change?
- Re-evaluate collision and comprehensive as your car ages. Once it is paid off and worth only a few thousand dollars, the premium can approach the payout — dropping them may make sense.
- Get 3 fresh quotes for the same coverage limits and deductible — a broker can shop many insurers at once, or try direct insurers online.
- Tell your current insurer you are shopping and ask them to match or beat your best quote — retention discounts are common once you mention leaving.
- Decide before your renewal date. If you switch mid-term instead, ask the insurer you are leaving about short-rate cancellation fees first.
This planner gives general coverage guidance for education only — it is not a quote and not insurance advice. Minimum-coverage rules, available discounts, and pricing vary by insurer and change over time. Confirm requirements with a licensed broker or insurer in your province before you buy, and read your policy's declarations page.
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