melloInsurance

Serving our clients, Serving our community

Lyndon Block

Congratulations, you’ve Graduated!!! Now what?

This is a monumental moment in your life. You have graduated high school and are on to the next chapter of your life. This is the part of the novel that you get to write. You get to “choose your own adventure,” so to speak. However, there are a lot of voices out there telling you what you should do, your mom, your dad, your brother or sister, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your grandparents, your guidance counsellor or teacher. The question remains, what do you want to do? Hopefully this blog helps clarify what you should do, now that you’ve graduated.

Most people will tell you, “You need to go to university or post-secondary.” And while there is much value to secondary education, you can spend a lot of money doing it. It’s very important to know what schooling is right for you so you can focus your $$$ in the right direction. Jumping into “Med School” or “To be a lawyer” or “Teacher” sounds like the right and “responsible” thing to do, but if 3 years in, you feel like it’s not for you, that is a lot of time and money spent in a direction that may not be beneficial to you.

Getting a job is always a good idea. Even if it is part time or an intern role. Getting some on the job experience can help add to your resume, no matter what job field you may wish to enter. If you can get a job in an area that you enjoy, this can help you decide if this is something you are passionate about and wish to pursue further, and you’ll likely be getting paid for doing it. Then you can apply for additional education to further advance yourself into a more promising career.

Volunteering, travelling or working abroad. You’ll need to have some savings to do this, but working abroad or volunteering can be an amazing way to find out what your calling is. Sometimes we need to separate ourselves from our bubble we have lived in, to see what is out there. There are many groups to connect with that will do volunteer work in countries all over the world. If you still want to earn a paycheck while travelling, you can apply for a “working visa” and get paid in a country that you wish to explore. Travelling the world really helps broaden your perspective and helps you grow with more life experience. Take photos, start a blog and remember what you learned during your travels.

Investing in your passion. Whether you love painting, writing, acting, playing basketball or the piano. This is a time where you need to invest in what gives you energy and makes you happy. What you love to do. There will be plenty of time to work when you’re older and have more responsibilities. For example, if you love sailing or rock climbing. Try getting certified in those fields and lead hikes up mountains to rock climb or take tourists on sailing trips. This is a time to do what you love while you have the time and flexibility to do it. You may be putting “life” on hold, but these experiences can not be replaced. These are the stories you’ll be telling your friends, and likely your kids, for years to come.

There are so many options out there, being a nanny, doing research projects, or becoming an entrepreneur. What works for you, only you will know. Find out what you’re passionate about and figure out how you can make a living out of it. The one thing we want out of this world is happiness, and it doesn’t always come easy, so find out what sparks that in you and work your butt off to attain it.

How to get your homebuilt trailer or trailer without a serial number, on the road.

In Saskatchewan, we are the “Jack of All-Trades” province. We know how to handle warm summers, long winters, heavy snowfalls, heavy equipment and relentless mosquitos. We are not afraid to get our hands dirty, whether it’s pulling wrenches or plowing a garden. With that same mindset, people are taking it upon themselves to build their own trailers – Homebuilt trailers.

There are many ways to design and create your homebuilt trailer. When you start your build,  it is important to follow the Saskatchewan Regulations for Vehicle Standards. In this guide, it indicates the safety requirements you have to follow when building a vehicle (dimensions, material, brake lights, turn signals, etc).

Now that you’ve built your road-worthy trailer, how do you get this registered so that it is legal to drive on our “Holey” highways? #potholeprovince.

  • We need to apply for a serial number (VIN) to your new trailer. In order to do this, you need to apply through assignedvin.ca. This is new as of 2020 as SGI recently partnered with VIN Verification Services Inc to provide this service to their customers. 
  • Every VIN examiner is a former or current law enforcement agent. These staff members are experienced and have substantial training in their field. The collective knowledge represented by VIN verification services includes investigations related to stolen vehicles, cloned or fraudulent VINS, polygraphy, economic crime and organized crime.
  • Sometimes we have trailers that no longer have a serial number, they’ve worn off over time or the decals have fallen off. When this happens, you may need to contact assignedvin.ca or your local law enforcement to find out the proper protocol is.
  • Once it is registered, we always recommend adding additional liability coverage to this trailer, that way if it ever disconnected while driving, or some other situation arose, that the trailer caused injury or damage to someone’s property, you would have adequate coverage.

Make sure you have adequate limits and coverage for your trailer. Sometimes values go down, sometimes they go up. You can choose your value, make sure it is as accurate as you don’t want to pay too much or be underinsured. SGI’s standard personal trailer deductible is $500. You can bring this down on your auto pak as well, if you choose to.

If you have a trailer, you are thinking about purchasing a trailer or you are wanting to build a trailer, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Call your broker ahead of time, to help advise you on the process, so you are prepared for the obstacles. Take Care.

Purchasing a vehicle outside of Saskatchewan?


Many people take the opportunity, of our neighbours out west, to purchase a vehicle at a lower price. However, there may be some implications when doing so. We have outlined the process of what it takes to purchase a vehicle out of province, as well as the regulations you need to follow when bringing the vehicle back into Saskatchewan.

One common misunderstanding is that you will save money on the PST. This is not the case. When you bring in your bill of sale to register your vehicle with SGI, you will be asked if the PST was collected on the vehicle (which would be indicated on the bill of sale), if it does not show the collected PST by the seller, you will be charged PST on the red book value or bill of sale value, whichever is greater (some exclusions apply). If you have questions about PST, visit our PST blog here or contact the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance.

You will also likely want to do a lien check and VIN search on the vehicle to make sure there aren’t any outstanding liens or damage/claims status on that vehicle.

You’ve made the deal and purchased a vehicle. How are you bringing it home?

Here are a few options to consider.

  • Permit – You can purchase a temporary insurance card (TIC) from our office prior to purchasing your vehicle out of province. The TIC insures you for 7 days for your newly purchased vehicle. This can be applied to any (one) vehicle you purchase – So if you change your mind and purchase a different vehicle than you originally planned, this TIC will still insure it. Then you can take that Temporary Insurance Card and your bill of sale, into an Alberta registry (or other province) to get your permit to legally drive home. The TIC is approximately $11 for this type of transaction.
  • Plate – SGI has allowed a temporary 28 day registration for vehicles purchased out of province. This is not available to all vehicle types, so make sure you ask prior to purchase. This plate allows you to travel legally back into Saskatchewan. You will not be able to renew this registration after it expires, unless you’ve completed the required inspections (if applicable).
  • Plate transfer – If you are trading a vehicle in, to an out of province dealer, you can take your plate off your traded in vehicle and put it on the newly acquired vehicle. With this transfer you have 7 days of coverage without having to notify SGI. You need to keep a copy of your bill of sale showing the disposal of your old vehicle and the acquisition of the new one. You need to keep a copy of your old registration and you will need to also purchase the temporary insurance card ahead of time to be insured out of province for 7 days. The TIC for this transaction is approximately $2. So it is relatively inexpensive.
  • If you are a dealer and have access to a dealer plate, you can use this to put on your newly acquired vehicle, however the dealer plate can only be used for 48 hours out of province. So keep that timeline in mind.

I’ve got the vehicle home, now what?

  • You will likely need to complete the “First-Time Registered (FTR) inspection for the newly acquired vehicle as it was purchased out of province. SGI requires that the vehicle be inspected to meet their vehicle standards and safety requirements. SGI explains the different types of inspection requirements here.
  • Some vehicles that are brought into Saskatchewan are exempt from undertaking an inspection. If the owner of the vehicle is moving to Saskatchewan and the vehicle was previously registered in AB or BC, they could potentially use the inspection exemptions under the New West Partnership Agreement created in 2010 between Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan, which is: If the light vehicle is less than 4 years old from the date of manufacture or has been inspected by a NWP government inspection program in the last 90 days they are exempt from an additional mechanical inspection in Saskatchewan. 
  • Don’t know where to start with an inspection? Here are some certified vehicle inspection stations.
  • Once you’ve completed the inspection (or you were exempt), you can bring in the bill of sale, NVIS (if it is a brand new vehicle) and inspection certificate into an SGI Issuing office to get your vehicle registered and insured. Purchasing an extension policy should be part of this process as you will want additional liability and you’ll likely want to lower your deductible, purchase glass coverage or add replacement cost coverage to your new vehicle.

What if my vehicle fails inspection?

Unfortunately, if the vehicle fails the inspection, this will be on your dime to fix. You will need to make the recommended repairs and take your vehicle for a second inspection. This is why it is important to do a VIN search prior to purchasing to see if there could be any potential issues/damage with the vehicle prior to purchasing it.

Can I tour around the countryside on my 7 day in-transit permit?

You’d have to ask the jurisdiction you’ve purchased the permit from, but typically the in-transit permit, is designed to get you from Point A to Point B and you aren’t allowed to deviate from the most direct route home. You do not want to be touring around on a permitted vehicle way off course and have an accident, this could cause serious issues during the claim process.

Many questions arise from the sale or purchase of a vehicle outside Saskatchewan. It is important to always contact your broker prior to leaving to make sure you have the necessary documents in place ahead of time. We want you to enjoy your new purchase, so let us help you cross your t’s and dot your i’s, so you aren’t scrambling during the sales process.

Contractors Insurance – Let us build a policy to fit your business

Being a contractor, you have your hands into a lot of different pies. Whether it is new construction, demolition, renovation, trenching, landscaping, or building roads, homes, commercial shops or apartment buildings. You need to know a lot of information about building codes, fire codes, and there is always OHS breathing down your neck. (Which is important for safety, so don’t take that comment in vane).

The last thing you want is to have something go wrong on a job-site and find out you don’t have any insurance coverage. This could be theft of tools, negligence on the job site and damaging someone else’s property or having the building you are constructing burn down. This is why it is important to carry a contractor’s insurance policy. We have easy, simply designed insurance products to make sure you are properly covered for your contracting business. SGI Canada has the toolbox floater for those who are operating out of their trucks and trailers.

This toolbox floater covers the following:

  • Tools and supplies whether on the job site or in the shop.
  • Replacement Cost coverage on your tools
  • Up to $2 million liability in protection in case you are sued for property damage or personal injury due to your negligence.
  • Get a quote here!

If you have a more complicated business which has a shop location, a few crew-chiefs and a number of employees. You may want to increase your package to a Commercial Contractor’s Policy. We have many insurance companies that have great contractor’s policies. We have a great “Contractor’s Choice” policy. You can read about the options here. There are 3 levels of coverage depending on the type of contractor and the value in coverage the contractor requires. On top of the basic coverages for your: shop insurance, tools, equipment and business interruption insurance; the top tier package – “Contractor’s Choice Plus” – includes additional coverages such as:

  • Bonding
  • Business Contents
  • Business Income
  • Extra Expense Coverage
  • Rip & Tear Coverage (For Concrete, etc.)
  • Signs
  • Contract penalty coverage
  • Crane Liability
  • Loss of use for machinery and equipment
  • Property off premises and in-transit
  • Etc, Etc, Etc.

Contractors may also be responsible for insuring the building they are constructing. We can offer builders risk insurance policies to insure the dwelling under construction or commercial building and make sure it is properly insured during the course of construction. This policy also covers on-site liability and we can add contents coverage as well to insure appliances and other contents are insured during construction. Please contact us to find out more about builders risk coverage.

Construction is complicated and there are many things going on every day. You may not have time to make sure you have all the necessary coverage. We can help you with that. Please reach out and we will take care of this so it is convenient for you and you can focus on what matters to your business.

 

Spring allergies, are there any natural remedies?

Spring is an exciting time. Birds are chirping. Golf courses are getting prepared. Snow is disappearing and we can start our forgetfulness that winter ever existed. Time to enjoy our great summer. However, some of us have allergy issues as the snow mould reveals itself, plants begin to bloom and dust/pollen start to float around. What can we do about it?

There are some great over the counter drugs that can quickly help you with such issues: Claritin, Reactine, etc. However, if you’re looking for a more natural remedy, here are some suggestions:

  • Change your air filter in your home. Check if you  have a high quality hepa-filter installed in your furnace. These remove 99% of particles that are 0.3 microns in size. However, not all furnaces have the force to blow through such a thick filter, therefore you have to check into the MPR rating to find an Allergen Defense Furnace Air Filter. The Filtrete MPR 2200 has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon for an elite one or Nordic Pure if you are looking for more quantity.
  • Butterbur can be consumed as a tablet or in tea form. The extracts are used for headaches, fever and nasal allergies. It blocks the chemicals that cause swelling in the nasal passage, similar to an antihistamine but without the drowsiness. Other options to consume: Stinging Nettle Leaf tea or sip some Apple Cider Vinegar.
  • Probiotics – these are most known for our gut health and balancing our bacteria; probiotics have shown support to the immune system in children who suffer from allergic rhinitis (hay fever).
  • Nasal irrigation – flushing your nose with a “Hydrasense” system or “Neti Pot” will flush out the mucus and other bacteria caught in your nasal passage.
  • Breating in eucalyptus oil – this scented oil that comes from dried leaves of the plant, provides allergy relief due to its ability to reduce inflammation. It was beneficial to those who had respiratory issues such as asthma.
  • Acupuncture – this chinese medicine has proven to be effective in muscle tension relief along with helping patients with allergic rhinitis.

These are just some suggestions that may help you with this transition from winter to spring. Talking to a naturopath or doctor will provide much better results for any allergy issues you may have. This is generic information for everyone, where they will provide you with more specific advice that will directly apply to you and your needs. Take care of yourself and we will talk to you next week.

Do I need Flood Coverage, what is it good for?


With the warm weather, which is amazing by the way, comes the potential risks of “run-off” season. All the snow from our backyards, the roads and ditches to the top of the mountains is all going to be melting very quickly. With temperatures reaching 10 degrees by the weekend, it is safe to say this snow will all be gone in a hurry. This opens us up to the risks of flooding.

Many towns and communities are not designed or prepared for the event of a flood. Every year it seems like a new community is in distress to flooding circumstances. Recently, social media has been blowing up about the flooding in Nebraska. It is heartbreaking to see the people, homes, towns, animals that are all affected by the high waters and the damage it is causing. I’m sure nobody thought this would happen to them, and it is happening.

“So what can we do about this?”

There are small things that can be done to prevent damage to your home and vehicles. Such as removing snow from the perimeter of your home and shoveling off your roof to prevent ice damming, collapse and water seepage issues, connecting your downspouts and directing them away from your dwelling. Taking this a step further, during the spring and summer months, make sure the landscaping and slope of your yard is directed away from your home.

Another preventative measure would be to install a sump pump in your basement (if you haven’t already). By having a sump pump, it will remove the ground water from the high water table below your dwelling, and pump it out onto your lawn. This way any potential seepage issue of  water coming through your foundation, is eliminated. Adding a battery backup is important in case the sump pump is needed during a thunderstorm/downpour of rain and the power cuts out.

An in-line backup water valve is also important to prevent sewer backups. Sometimes the cities and town storm drain systems are unable to keep up with the water pouring into the system. This could cause a simultaneous backup of multiple homes around town/city. By having an inline valve, it will force shut when water comes back up the sewer pipe. This will block water from re-entering the dwelling and preventing a sewer backup.

Lastly, you can purchase sewer/water protection coverage on your home policy. This coverage is available with most insurance companies. The amount of coverage and the price varies on: your location, your previous claims history and the history of the dwelling you reside in. If the home has a history of water claims, coverage for sewer backup or flood may be difficult to obtain, so it is important to have the above preventative measures in place. If you haven’t had a claim, and you have the above measures in place, please notify your broker as you may be able to reduce your premium for the water protection coverage.

Heavy rains, spring run-off and a high water table are some common cases of flooding and seepage issues. Risk management is important to prevent these types of losses. If you have any questions about these coverages, please contact your broker or feel free to give us a call. We want to make sure you have the best coverage available to you to properly protect your assets.