Amidst an economy of rate increases and deductable adjustments resulting from substantial losses to flooding in Alberta this year comes some good news. Wawanesa insurance announced today that they are increasing limits in two areas of their base property insurance policy.

Pain and stress can end up causing physical, mental or emotional issues. Often this physical or emotional pain significantly impacts our health, happiness and overall quality of life. Learning how to relax can lessen the impact that this pain has on your life.

The Pain Cycle

Perhaps the first step to healing ourselves is learning to understand how our bodies react to and deal with stress and pain. Once pain occurs, whether from an injury or other source, your psychological reaction to it can have a strong effect on its intensity and duration. For some people, pain can become a vicious cycle: pain causes anxiety and tension, and anxiety and tension cause more pain. Many common health disorders, such as migraines, involve tension as a contributing source of the initial pain. By using relaxation techniques, one can release tension, greatly reduce certain types of pain and sometimes actually prevent the pain from occurring. Relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises, are simple methods you can use to relax and break your pain cycle.

Filling up your gas tank may seem like a pretty simple task, but if you were to watch people at the pump you'd begin to notice some nuances to how every one does it. For example: you may be the type of person who plays the market and only puts $20 in, hoping that prices will go down next time you need gas. Or you may fill your tank right up stopping when the pump clicks off. OR you may be the one who always tops up the tank even after the pump has stopped once.

Research shows that those who are physically active are likely to live longer, healthier lives.

The benefits of physical activity include:

It's flu season again and time to start thinking about getting vaccinated. Health Canada recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu shot each year. Still, many people refrain because they wrongly believe one or more of the following myths.

Myth #1: The flu isn’t so bad.

Fact: The flu can lead to serious illness, including hospitalization for pneumonia or other complications – even for healthy people. Plus, even without complications, a normal bout of the flu can keep a person out of work or school for several days.

Myth #2: The flu vaccine will make you sick.

Fact: The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu, although you may get side effects like a sore arm, low fever or achiness. Side effects are mild and short-lived, and definitely better than getting the flu.

Auto Insurance by Province

Aviva Insurance announced a new winter tire promotion that could save you $100 on Winter Tires from Kal Tire.

The leading cause of death for males in Canada is cancer – followed closely by heart disease. Combat this statistic by adhering to a healthy lifestyle.

1. Watch What You Eat

What you eat and drink can make a significant difference in your overall health. Eating five or more fruits and vegetables a day, little saturated fat and avoiding trans fats can improve health, reducing the risk of cancer and other chronic disease.

2. Know Your Risks

Your parents, grandparents, work and home habits, environment and lifestyle all contribute to your health and health risks. These factors may put you at an increased risk for certain diseases or conditions. Since you can’t change many of those factors, focus on addressing any behaviours you do have control over, such as your diet, activity level or quitting smoking. Make as many healthy changes for your body as you can.

Deciphering all of the parts of your auto insurance policy can be a difficult task. Here, we’ve broken it down section by section so you can understand the information that is included in each part.

A 2013 study showed that 65 per cent of Canadians do not take the time to review their auto insurance policy every year. Don’t fall into this group!

Declarations Page

The declarations page of your auto insurance policy provides an overview of all details of your contract. Included on the declarations page are the following:

• Name of the insurance company
• Your name and address
• The policy number
• Effective and expiration dates of the policy—your policy covers you between these two dates
• Description of all vehicles included on the policy, including year, make and model
• Coverage information—expect to see the different types of coverage you have selected listed here along with your deductible and the limits for each line of coverage
• Premiums—this is how much you will pay each month for coverage
• Premiums will be listed by vehicle as well as by coverage type.
• Name of the lien holder—this is the person or institution that issued your car loan
• If you paid for your vehicle without a loan, this area will be blank.
• Name of the loss payee—this is the person or entity that is entitled to all or part of the insurance proceeds when a claim is paid out
• Any special conditions or changes made to the policy

When you receive a copy of your policy, it’s important to review all of the information on the declarations page for accuracy. Keep a copy of your declarations page in your files in case you find yourself with questions about your policy. If you change or revise your policy at any time, a new declarations page will be issued to you reflecting the changes. Make sure to review and keep this new declarations page as well.

The Insuring Agreement

The remaining pages of your policy document are called the insuring agreement. The insuring agreement section of your auto insurance policy explains the risks you are covered for, the people covered under the policy and the amount of time the policy covers you for. The purpose of the insuring agreement is to state the terms of the policy explicitly and clearly, leaving no room for misunderstandings.

Definitions

The insuring agreement always includes a definitions page. This is where the “fine print” of your policy is located. The definitions page defines vocabulary you will find in your policy to make it easier to understand. It also states your rights as the policy holder.

Conditions

Your responsibilities and the responsibilities of the company insuring you are outlined here. Conditions include payment requirements, the proper steps for filing a claim and the process for resolving disagreements. If you have any questions about the conditions of your policy, make sure to contact Armour Insurance Group Ltd. right away to prevent issues.

Exclusions

This section of the insuring agreement lists the events and circumstances which are not covered as part of your policy. The intent of the exclusions section is to make your policy as clear as possible and prevent any surprises in the event of a claim. A solid understanding of what your policy excludes is crucial in determining any additional coverage you may want to purchase. Contact Armour Insurance Group Ltd. if you need any clarification on the items that are excluded from your policy.

Make sure to set aside some time each year to review your policy and ensure that the limits and coverage you have selected are right for you. Evaluate your needs based on your provincial regulations, the value of your car, the money you have in savings and the amount of risk you feel comfortable taking. Then, make sure to read the entire insuring agreement—especially the exclusions—to guarantee that you are covered in every situation that is necessary for your lifestyle. If you have questions about your auto insurance policy, contact Armour Insurance Group Ltd. today!

If changing eating habits was easy, everyone would be fit and healthy. One key to making lasting improvements is to make changes in stages. Start with something simple and stick to it for a week. After your family has mastered one change, add another.

Some Ideas to Get You Started

• Eat breakfast.
• Substitute water for one sugary drink each day.
• Eat one to two more fruits or vegetables each day.
• Plan a healthy snack for each day of the week.
• Switch to a low-fat version of a favourite food.
• Plan three meals and two snacks every day.
• Plan a home-cooked meal, which usually has fewer calories and more reasonable portions, and costs less than typical meals eaten at restaurants.