PROLINK's Blog
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When It Rains It Pours: 4 Weather-Related Coverages You Might Not Know you Need
September 28, 2021 Flooding Mold and Pests Earthquakes Valuable Items Homeowners are feeling the effects of climate change now more than ever. Record-breaking numbers of severe weather events…
The Social Worker’s Guide to Professional Insurance
September 13, 2021 What’s Professional Liability Insurance? What’s Commercial General Liability Insurance? What’s the Difference? Do I Need Both? Won't My Organization Cover Me? So How Can I…
Why You Should Still Shop Around for Home & Auto Insurance—Even if You’re Already Getting a Good Deal
August 31, 2021 Get Better Rates Get Better Coverage Get Better Advice What is the bottom line? In life, there are things you know and things you know…
(Don’t) Put the Pedal to the Metal: What Ontario’s New Stunt Driving Laws Mean for You
July 30, 2021 What is stunt driving? What are the penalties? How does it affect insurance? What is the bottom line? Stunt driving in Ontario is out of…
Back to Normal? Helping Employees Prepare for Work After the Pandemic
July 14, 2021 Employer’s Top Reopening Challenges Supporting Employees For the last year and a half, remote work has dominated corporate conversations. From the rapid transition home to…
Here’s Why an Engineer Might Get Sued and What You Can Do About It
July 8, 2021 What is a claim? Biggest exposures for Engineers How Engineers can manage risks Engineering jobs can be complex, challenging, and difficult to manage, with long…
Summer Forecast 2021: How to Storm-Proof Your Home
June 25, 2021 Severe weather and insurance rates How to storm proof your home General storm prep Bottom line When it comes to summer, storms aren’t exactly top…
Sustainable Risk Management for Net Zero Buildings
June 8, 2021 Since the 2016 Paris Agreement, nations across the world have pledged to strengthen their climate change efforts, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and lower their…
Not So Fast & Furious: Here’s Why You Should Think Twice About Car Modifications
May 28, 2021 What are car modifications? Why do car mods affect insurance? How will it affect my insurance? What mods does insurance cover? What modifications will void…
The Consequences of a Breach: Can your business survive a cyberattack?
May 14, 2021 Regulatory Violations Financial Loss Legal Action Operational Disruptions Reputational Harm The Bottom Line Capital One, Microsoft, Marriott, and more—cyberattacks on major companies seem to dominate…
How Can Employers Navigate the Challenges of COVID-19 Vaccinations?
May 10, 2021 Can employers mandate vaccination? Is mandatory vaccination necessary or justified? Legal and ethical issues What are the logistical challenges? What should I do? COVID-19 vaccinations…
Life Insurance Doesn’t Have to Be a Lifelong Commitment—Here’s Why
May 4, 2021 What is Term Life Insurance? How does Term Life Insurance work? Term Life Insurance vs Permanent Life Benefits of Term Life Insurance How much does…
15 Insurance Tips for First-Time Homebuyers
April 30, 2021 Found your dream home? Congratulations! You’re probably looking forward to painting the walls, picking decor, and lounging on your deck. But before you move in,…
Prepare Now or Pay Later: How Can Businesses Mitigate the Risk of Ransomware?
April 29, 2021 The outbreak of COVID-19 and ensuing digital revolution has fuelled an outbreak of ransomware, a malicious software that infiltrates systems, encrypts data, and disables user…
Ransomware: Should You Pay Up?
April 22, 2021 How do attackers get you to pay? Consequences of a ransomware attack? Should you pay? Insurance and ransomware. When it comes to ransomware, there’s only…
Surviving the Other Pandemic: What’s Ransomware, Who’s at Risk, and Why?
April 15, 2021 What is ransomware? Why is ransomware so common? COVID and ransomware. How do attackers gain access? Who’s at risk (and why)? The Key Takeaways There’s…
12 Things You Shouldn’t Ignore Before Buying a Home
April 8, 2021 What is a home inspection? Do I need a home inspection? What should I look for? Other red flags The bottom line The real estate…
Overpriced and Undervalued Benefits? Look for These Three Common Culprits
March 15, 2021 Why Benefits Fall Short Finding the Right Benefits Plan Optimizing Benefits Benefits Plan Support Business Owners and HR Professionals know: the success of your business…
The Top 17 Auto Insurance Discounts Revealed
March 5, 2021 List of Auto Discounts How Much Can You Save? Owning a car doesn’t come cheap. There’s a lot you’ll be spending money on over the…
17 Home Insurance Discounts You Haven’t Heard Of
February 5, 2021 Insurance discounts are like drinks on the secret menu at Starbucks. They’re not hard to get, but only if you know they exist. And most…
Privacy Law Update: Are you ready for privacy law reforms?
January 20, 2021 Current Privacy Laws DCIA Proposed Changes DCIA & Privacy Breach Reporting DCIA & Businesses What is DCIA 2020? DCIA & Other Provincial Laws DCIA &…
All About PIPEDA: How do privacy laws affect my business?
January 20, 2021 How is Consumer Data Protected? Private Health Information Experiencing a Privacy Breach Breach Reporting Where does PIPEDA apply? Laws Applying to your Business What is…
Cyber Risk Trends 2021: 10 Threats to Watch Out For
January 18, 2021 Prevalent Attack Methods Top Uses of Stolen Data COVID-19 and Cyber Risks Looking Ahead What Can Businesses Do? How Can PROLINK Help? 2020 was a…
All About Cyber Insurance: What is it, What’s Covered, and Why Do You Need it?
January 7, 2021 What's a privacy breach? Privacy Breach vs Cyberattack Sources of Privacy Breaches What's Cyber Insurance? Cyber Insurance Coverage What's Not Covered? It’s no secret that…
Do’s and Don’ts For Protecting Your Valuables, Holiday Gifts, and More
January 5, 2021 Home Insurance Value of Possessions Selecting a Policy Reviewing Coverage Identifying Valuables Item Inventory Safeguarding Valuables Broker Assistance Whether it’s a diamond ring, a fancy…
Prepping your Business Property for Winter Slip-and-Falls
December 15, 2020 Develop a snow preparedness plan. Look into a snow removal service. Set up a snow maintenance schedule. Install security cameras. Keep a log. Get rid…
Your Commercial General Liability Coverages Explained
December 10, 2020 Bodily Injury Property Damage Personal and Advertising Injury Medical Payments Coverage Tenant’s Legal Liability Defence Costs Products Liability Employer's Liability Non-Owned Automobile Liability Commercial General…
The Top 6 Remote Work Security Concerns
December 4, 2020 Biggest Challenges of Remote Work Work From Home Forecast What Can Businesses Do? COVID-19 has drastically redefined how, when, and where work is performed. Most…
How Can Healthcare Professionals Manage the Risks of Virtual Care?
November 26, 2020 What is Virtual Care? What are the Challenges of Virtual Care? Best Practice for Healthcare Professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge…
All About Commercial General Liability Insurance: What is it, What’s Covered, and What’s Not?
November 5, 2020 What is Commercial General Liability Insurance? What does CGL Insurance Cover? What's not covered under CGL? Who needs CGL Insurance? Why do you need CGL…
The Biggest Insurance Mistake Homeowners Make
November 5, 2020 How much should I insure for? How does ACV affect my premium? Why not insure for my home’s ACV? How to get the right coverage?…
The Cybersecurity Stats You Should Know in 2020
November 3, 2020 How much does a data breach cost? What’s being stolen? How long does a breach last? Why are breaches so costly? What’s causing data breaches?…
12 MORE Ways to Save on Auto Insurance
October 9, 2020 You asked for it, so we’re back with 12 MORE ways to save on auto insurance! In case you missed our first piece on 12…
The 10 Biggest Challenges Faced by Interior Designers During COVID-19
September 28, 2020 Interior Designers are used to being adaptable. Every project is unique, after all. And design jobs rarely go according to plan. But the changing demands…
How to File an Insurance Claim in 5 Steps (or Less)
September 10, 2020 Even if you’re an expert at what you do, everyone makes mistakes. Despite your best intentions, sometimes it only takes a single documentation error, misstated…
12 Easy Ways to Save on Auto Insurance
September 1, 2020 It’s no secret that auto insurance premiums are on the rise. Even if you’re a perfect client with a clean claims history and zero accidents…
8 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Professional Liability Insurance
August 6, 2020 Insurance is just...one of “those” things. You know, “those” things that everyone pretends to understand but secretly has no clue about. Kind of like taxes…
How Can HR Professionals Manage the Risks of Returning to Work?
July 27, 2020 As an Independent HR Professional, it’s your job to expect the unexpected. You’re trained to anticipate all scenarios, put things in perspective, and keep your…
Coping with COVID-19: The Small Business Guide to Reopening, Relief, & Recovery
July 24, 2020 As we move into the next phase of Canada’s coronavirus response, employers are gearing to reopen their doors and/or move employees back into the workplace.…
How Can I File A Claim Under the OASW Plan?
July 23, 2020 Social work is all about communication. But despite your best intentions, what you communicate isn’t always what ’s understood. In the heat of the moment…
7 Things to Consider Before Buying Home Insurance
July 22, 2020 Buying a home is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, a seasoned pro, or just browsing…
How “free” is Canadian healthcare?
July 17, 2020 One of the best things about Canada? Our healthcare system. No matter what part of the country you live in, you have access to free…
Professional Liability Insurance: What is it, What’s Covered, and What’s Not?
June 11, 2020 We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: insurance is confusing. What’s a liability? What’s the difference between Professional Liability and Commercial General Liability?…
“Everyone gets hacked at some point. I’ll be fine.”: Data Breaches and Designers
June 10, 2020 We’ve all heard the stories. We all know the risks. But what does privacy breach really mean for an Interior Designer? When you rely on…
The Top 4 Most Common Business Crime Myths
June 9, 2020 Picture this: An accounts payable clerk in your firm receives an email from an existing vendor advising that they’ve changed banks. The email contains a…
Here’s Why Your Insurance Rates Keep Increasing For No Good Reason
June 9, 2020 It’s that special time of year again...it’s time to renew your home and auto insurance! But that pesky insurance company of yours has jacked up…
Business as Usual? The Employer’s Guide for Returning to Work
June 4, 2020 As Ontario moves into the next phase of coronavirus response, many employers are gearing to reopen their offices and/or move employees back into the workplace.…
What kind of businesses don’t need cyber insurance?
May 28, 2020 Have you ever wondered what kind of businesses don't need cyber insurance? Trick question! *88% of Canadian Businesses reported a privacy breach last year. *60%…
11 Cost Saving Tips for Home Insurance
May 5, 2020 Your home is your biggest investment. But that doesn’t mean protecting it has to cost a fortune. Reducing your homeowner’s insurance cost is no easy…
2020 Cloud White Paper: Cloud Insights, Statistics
April 27, 2020 The Cloud: Not Just a Place to Daydream Anymore While iterations of the cloud have been around for many years, it’s only recently that businesses…
“Silent” Cyber: The Risk You Haven’t Heard About
April 27, 2020 Cyberattacks are growing in frequency, intensity, and severity across the globe. Yet, many organizations are continuing to forego cyber insurance in favour of mistakenly relying…
How Can Businesses Blunt the Impact of Bad Debt during the Pandemic?
April 6, 2020 It’s no secret that the COVID-19 crisis has caused a massive disruption to our lives. Travel bans, border restriction, mandatory business closures, and orders to…
COVID-19: How to Keep Employees Cyber-Safe While Working From Home
March 30, 2020 As the global COVID-19 outbreak worsens, organizations are scrambling to keep their employees safe and their businesses running. Companies have had to shift entire operations…
Will Business Insurance Respond to COVID-19?
March 15, 2020 Our global societies are under attack. COVID-19 delivers the combination of infectiousness and mortality that the world has not seen in over a century. Yet…
Travelling Outside Canada? Did You Know That OHIP No Longer Provides You With Coverage?
February 25, 2020 It’s been a rough winter. Between the cold, wind, and snow, it’s the perfect time for a warm getaway. You pack your bags and head…
Only 50% of Canadians Know What to Do After a Car Accident: Do you?
February 24, 2020 There’s no denying it—whether it’s a fender-bender or a major collision, car accidents can be scary. But as hard as it is to go through…
Data Security & Privacy Breaches: What Mortgage Brokers Need to Know!
February 20, 2020 Mortgage brokers are among the most valued members of the financial services industry. That’s good news. The bad news is that cybercriminals target the financial…
The 5 W’s (and H) of Disability Insurance
January 29, 2020 What’s your most valuable asset? Is it your home or your car? Maybe it’s an investment or a rare collector’s item. Well, what about your…
Privacy Breaches: Over 28 Million Canadians Affected in the Last 12 Months!
January 23, 2020 The latest reports are in, and privacy breaches are on the rise across the country. Some of the most alarming stats? Over 28 million Canadians…
To Bundle or Not to Bundle: Should I Buy Home & Auto Insurance Together?
January 22, 2020 You need home insurance and you need car insurance. So why not bundle them together? Bundling is when you purchase multiple insurance products from a…
Healthcare is free, so why do I need health insurance?
October 28, 2019 Oh, Canada—it’s the land of free healthcare, right? Not quite. Yes, government plans provide access to all basic and medically necessary doctors’ and hospital services.…
Here’s How You Can Protect Your Home (and Your Savings) with Smart Home Technology
October 11, 2019 Echo, Nest, Ecobee, Alexa, Google Home—it seems like smart home tech is everywhere. But the real question is: what do all these upgrades mean for…
What’s an Insurance Broker, Anyway?
September 10, 2019 Broker, insurer: “po-ta-to”, “po-tah-to?” ...not exactly. With so many terms flying around, insurance is practically its own language. Who has the time to learn it…
Four Reasons Not to Get Identity Theft Insurance (and Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Them)
July 12, 2019 Picture this: it’s payday. Time to take care of those pesky bills! You log into your account and what’s this? Raptors tickets? A new flatscreen…
Vacation Insurance: Better Safe than Sorry
June 18, 2019 The temperature’s rising and you know what that means! Summer’s finally here and it’s time for some much-needed R&R. Vacations usually go off without a hitch,…
Five Things We’ll Worry About, So IDC Members Don’t Have To
May 21, 2019 Some of you may have only considered getting business insurance to satisfy client demands in the past. But business insurance is more than just a…
Planning to automatically renew your home insurance? Hang on a second. If you’ve made any of the following changes–talk to your broker!
May 17, 2019What do you do when you receive your home insurance renewal in the mail? Do you carefully scan your limits and deductibles, taking account of…
What is the “Right” Coverage?
May 12, 2019 For most people, dealing with insurance companies can be summed up in two activities: A monthly payment automatically taken out of the bank account; The…
How do you know that you selected the “Right” Insurance Company?
May 10, 2019 Client service is an art. But not every business has the right brush. Whether you’re making a claim, dealing with a lawsuit, or just clarifying…
What is the “Right” Price when it comes to insurance?
May 9, 2019 Shopping for insurance is full of contradictions: Different companies have different views of risk, and yet somehow, everyone has the same products for the same…
What We Can Learn about Canadian Privacy Laws from Casino Rama’s Pending Lawsuit
May 2, 2019In October 2016 Casino Rama suffered a massive breach exposing data on at least 10,990 people: patrons, employees, and even individuals who self-identified as having…
April Showers Bring May Flowers…And May Floods Too.
May 2, 2019 After a long, cold, and snowy winter, Canadians are desperately seeking spring. Most Canadians will welcome the change from: Bleak skies to blue skies; Brown…
When it IS a good idea to pick the cheaper insurance plan—and when it definitely ISN’T.
February 13, 2019When on the market for home or automobile insurance, what do you look for? Please don’t tell us you just want the cheapest possible option.…
New Year, New Road Rules: Ontario doubles down on distracted drivers!
January 14, 201990% of Canadians know that it’s illegal to use a handheld device behind the wheel. 40% of Canadians admit to doing it anyway. Distracted driving is…
Dodge white-knuckle driving this season!
November 18, 2018 How to prepare your car for our trademark Canadian winters: In general, Canadian weather is flakey, but winter takes it to a new extreme: snowflake-y.…
A dash of income here, a sprinkle of income there: A new recipe for income splitting to please the CRA’s demanding palate
October 28, 2018 In January 2018, changes to Canada’s “Tax on Split Income” (TOSI) legislation came into effect, introducing more stringent rules for private corporations. Corporations have until…
Why insurance rates are increasing and what you can do about it.
October 12, 2018To own a house in Canada, you need insurance. To drive a car in Canada, you need insurance. But what if no insurer is willing to…
Four Vehicle Features That Can Impact Your Auto Insurance Costs.
September 13, 2018Whether you’re buying a new 2018 model or just generally upgrading with a used vehicle, here are our top four vehicle features to keep your…
Plan A: Never get seriously ill in your life. Plan B: Panic?
September 13, 2018 Facing a serious illness is physically, mentally, and financially difficult. You need a real backup plan. 1 in 3 Canadians is expected to face a…
Heads Up! Coming soon to a country near you: data protection regulation with TEETH.
September 12, 2018But you don’t have European operations, so you don’t need to worry, right? Well, not exactly. If you have customers that live in the EU, or business…
Searching for Clarity in a World Obsessed with Cryptocurrency
August 23, 2018 Bitcoin was introduced into the global market in 2009 and changed the way we conduct business forever. Before the era of the blockchain, all currencies…
4 Ways You Can Protect Your Home While You’re On Vacation
August 14, 2018Summer’s almost over and you still haven’t gone on vacation. Everyone around you seems to be enjoying themselves. But it’s your turn now. Is your…
Got your Data in the Cloud? That’s nice.
August 8, 2018 But guess what: your liability and cyber exposure remain firmly planted on YOUR ground. Your organization is responsible for safeguarding all data and information you…
Renovating your home? Here’s what you need to know:
July 24, 2018In Canada, summer is synonymous with construction—both in our streets, and in our homes. The nice weather makes summer the opportune time to replace your…
Preventing your Cottage Dream from Becoming your Cottage Nightmare
July 7, 2018 Understanding the Fine Print on Your Seasonal Property Policy: The ice has melted on the lakes, signifying that cottage season is near. To different Canadians,…
What happens if your laptop is stolen?
June 25, 2018You know that moment of panic when you think you forgot to save your work? Well, what if you lost all of your work? And…
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