Update Your Insurance If You’re Headed Back to the Office
Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on, some workers in Canada are heading back to the office. Whether you’re returning to a five-day commute or mixing up your work week with remote and in-person days, chances are you’ll be driving more than you have in a long time.
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Preparing for the return to normal will not only require a mental and emotional shift, but it will also require figuring out logistics such as your car insurance policy. While you were sheltering in place or working from home, you may have altered your car insurance policy to reflect your situation. If so, now is the time to update it as you hit the road again.
“It’s time to increase coverage back to commuting and/or business needs. Failing to report these changes could cause consequences later on,” warns LowestRates.ca writer Joel Kranc.
Update number of drivers
If the number of people driving your car has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, you must notify your insurance carrier. In order to have the proper coverage, your policy must accurately reflect who will be driving your car in your household, says Kranc.
Report change in mileage
Your insurance provider uses many factors to determine your policy’s rate, one of which is your projected annual mileage. The pandemic probably threw your estimate out the window, which means it may not be accurate anymore.
“That number may have decreased significantly during the pandemic if you were working from home, but will most certainly go up as you return to work. You need to update your policy to reflect this new number, and the change could affect your rate,” explains Kranc.
Adjust your deductible
Did you raise your deductible during the pandemic because your car was sitting idle more? If so, you might want to review your deductible before you get back to driving more regularly. With more time on the road, you’re at greater risk for an accident, and you want to make sure you have the coverage you need.
Be sure to follow these tips before you start regularly going into the office.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.