Working with an insurance broker in Montreal gives you access to multiple insurers, expert advice, and claims assistance. However, to get the most from this relationship, it's essential to ask the right questions before purchasing coverage.
Quebec has unique insurance regulations, including a two-tier auto insurance system (SAAQ for public coverage of bodily injury and private insurers for property damage) and specific requirements for brokers. Understanding these nuances will help you evaluate whether a broker truly serves your interests.
This guide presents 20 essential questions, organized into five categories: credentials and qualifications, insurance company relationships, coverage specifics, claims and service, and costs and compensation. Each question is accompanied by an explanation of why it matters and what answers to look for.
Credentials and Qualifications
Before discussing coverage options, ensure that your broker meets Quebec's regulatory requirements. The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) oversees all insurance professionals in the province, and proper certification protects you from unqualified individuals.
1. Are You Licensed with the AMF?
Why This Matters: In Quebec, all insurance brokers must hold a representative's certificate issued by the Autorité des marchés financiers. This certification confirms that they have completed the required education, passed AMF examinations, and fulfilled a supervised probationary period. This ensures brokers are equipped to provide reliable insurance solutions and professional guidance.
What to Look For: The answer should always be ” yes”. Ask for the broker's name exactly as it appears in the AMF register so you can verify it independently at lautorite.qc.ca. The register confirms that their certificate is valid and shows which sectors (personal lines, commercial lines, or both) they are authorized to practice in.
2. How Long Have You Been Practicing?
Why This Matters: Experience develops judgment that formal training cannot fully replicate. A broker who has handled hundreds of claims understands coverage nuances and knows how to navigate insurer processes effectively.
What to Look For: There is no minimum threshold, but greater experience generally indicates deeper expertise. A newer broker, supervised by experienced colleagues, can still provide excellent service. Ask about their specific experience with your type of insurance need.
3. Do You Have Any Professional Designations?
Why This Matters: Professional designations indicate additional education and commitment to the profession. In Quebec, the Chambre de l'assurance authorizes two professional titles: Associate Insurance Broker (A.I.B.) for CEGEP-level courses and Chartered Insurance Broker (C.I.B.) for university-level courses.
What to Look For: Designations like A.I.B., C.I.B., or the national Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designation indicate formal education beyond minimum requirements. However, designations supplement, but do not replace, the mandatory AMF certificate.
4. Do You Specialize in Personal or Commercial Insurance?
Why This Matters: Personal lines insurance (home, auto) and commercial insurance (business liability, property, fleet) require different expertise. In Quebec, brokers receive certification in specific sectors: personal lines damage insurance, commercial lines damage insurance, or both.
What to Look For: Match the broker's specialization to your needs. If you need business insurance, ensure they hold commercial lines certification and have experience in your industry. For home and commercial auto insurance, a personal lines specialist with Montreal market knowledge is ideal.
Insurance Company Relationships
A broker's value lies in access to multiple insurers. Quebec regulations require specific disclosures about these relationships, and understanding them helps you evaluate whether the recommendations truly serve your interests.
5. Which Insurance Companies Do You Work With?
Why This Matters: In Quebec, brokers offering personal auto or home business insurance must be able to obtain quotes from at least three insurers registered with the AMF, none of which should belong to the same financial group. This regulatory requirement ensures genuine market competition.
What to Look For: A good broker should list multiple insurers from different financial groups. Ask about both standard market insurers and specialty carriers for unique or high-risk situations. Limited insurer access may indicate the broker cannot effectively shop the market on your behalf.
6. Do Any Insurers Represent More Than 60% of Your Business?
Why This Matters: Quebec's Regulation respecting damage insurance brokerage requires brokers to disclose if any single insurer represents 60% or more of their total personal lines premium volume. A high concentration with one insurer may indicate potential bias in recommendations.
What to Look For: Concentration is not inherently problematic; some insurers offer superior products or pricing. However, understanding this relationship helps you evaluate the broker's recommendations. A broker should proactively disclose this information before discussing your needs or recommending coverage.
7. Can You Access Specialty or Non-Standard Markets?
Why This Matters: Standard insurers may decline coverage for certain risks, such as high-value homes, drivers with poor records, older properties, or unique business operations. Brokers with relationships in specialty markets can find coverage when others cannot.
What to Look For: Ask about relationships with surplus lines carriers, specialty insurers like Lloyd's, or non-standard auto markets. Even if you do not currently need these markets, knowing the broker can access them provides security if your situation changes.
8. How Do You Decide Which Insurer to Recommend?
Why This Matters: Understanding the broker's decision-making process reveals whether recommendations prioritize your interests. Price alone should not drive recommendations; factors such as claim service, financial stability, and coverage breadth matter significantly.
What to Look For: A thoughtful broker considers multiple factors, such as coverage terms, exclusions, claims handling reputation, financial strength ratings, pricing, and fit with your specific situation. Be wary of brokers who simply recommend the cheapest option without discussing trade-offs or potential limitations.
Coverage Questions
Understanding what your policy covers and excludes prevents surprises at claim time. Quebec has specific coverage requirements and common endorsements that differ from those in other provinces.
9. What Does My Policy Cover and What Does It Exclude?
Why This Matters: Insurance policies contain exclusions that limit coverage. In Quebec, the auto insurance policy (Q.P.F. No. 1) is standardized and authorized by the AMF, meaning every policyholder has the same basic contract. However, optional coverages and endorsements vary widely.
What to Look For: Ask for a clear explanation of major exclusions. For home insurance, understand which water damage scenarios are excluded from base coverage. For auto insurance, understand the difference between Section A (civil liability) and Section B (damage to your vehicle) coverages.
10. What Water Damage Coverage Do I Have?
Why This Matters: Water damage claims are the most common home insurance claims in Quebec. However, standard policies typically cover only water damage originating from inside the dwelling (e.g., burst pipes, appliance leaks). Groundwater, sewer backup, and overland flooding require separate endorsements or coverage add-ons.
What to Look For: Ask specifically about sewer backup coverage, groundwater coverage, above-ground water (e.g., rain/snow entering through roofs or walls), overland flood coverage, and water service pipe coverage. Some insurers bundle these coverages, while others offer them separately. Note that properties in designated flood zones may be ineligible for flood coverage, depending on the insurer.
11. How Much Civil Liability Coverage Should I Carry?
Why This Matters: Quebec law requires a minimum of $50,000 civil liability coverage for auto insurance. However, this minimum is dangerously low; a serious accident causing property damage or bodily injury outside Quebec (where SAAQ does not cover bodily injury) can easily exceed this amount.
What to Look For: Most insurers and brokers recommend $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 in civil liability coverage. The premium difference between $50,000 and $1,000,000 is often minimal. Ask about umbrella policies if you need additional liability protection beyond standard limits.
12. Is My Home Insured for Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value?
Why This Matters: In Quebec, home insurance is based on rebuild value, not market value. Replacement cost coverage pays to rebuild or repair your home using similar materials without deducting depreciation. Actual cash value deducts depreciation, which could leave you significantly underinsured. Your credit score can also impact your premium rates.
What to Look For: Ensure your policy provides replacement cost coverage for both the building and its contents. Ask how the rebuild value was calculated and when it was last updated, as construction costs rise over time. An outdated valuation could leave you underinsured as construction costs rise over time.
13. What Endorsements Should I Consider Adding?
Why This Matters: Endorsements (also called riders or add-ons) extend coverage beyond the base policy. Common Quebec home insurance endorsements include comprehensive water coverage, earthquake coverage, identity theft protection, and scheduled personal property for valuable items.
What to Look For: A good broker proactively recommends relevant endorsements based on your individual situation. For example, if you own jewelry, art, or collectibles exceeding standard sublimits (often $5,000 for theft), you may need scheduled personal property coverage. Ask about the cost and benefit of each recommended endorsement.
14. Are There Coverage Gaps Between My Policies?
Why This Matters: If you have multiple policies (e.g., home, auto, umbrella), gaps or overlaps can create problems. A broker who handles all your coverage can identify where protection ends on one policy and begins on another.
What to Look For: Ask the broker to review all your coverage together and identify any gaps or overlaps. Common issues include personal liability limits that do not align with umbrella policy attachment points, property coverage that excludes items used for business, or auto coverage that does not extend to rental vehicles.
Claims and Service
The true test of insurance comes when you file a claim. Understanding how your broker supports you during claims and their ongoing service model reveals the real value of the relationship.
15. How Do You Support Clients During Claims?
Why This Matters: Claims advocacy is one of the primary advantages of using a broker, rather than buying directly. A broker who actively supports you during claims can help ensure fair treatment and proper settlement.
What to Look For: Ask specifically: Will you help me document the loss? Will you communicate with the insurer on my behalf? Will you advocate for me if I believe the settlement is unfair? Having the best commercial insurance brokers remain involved throughout the claims process and escalate issues when necessary.
16. How Quickly Do You Respond to Questions?
Why This Matters: Accessibility is important, especially during emergencies. Understanding the broker's communication style and response time expectations helps set appropriate expectations.
What to Look For: Ask about typical response times for routine questions versus urgent matters. Understand their preferred communication methods (phone, email, text). Ask what happens if your primary broker is unavailable and who handles your file in their absence.
17. How Often Will You Review My Coverage?
Why This Matters: Your insurance needs change as your life changes. A proactive broker reviews coverage regularly and ensures protection keeps up with changing circumstances.
What to Look For: Annual reviews should be standard practice. Ask whether the broker initiates these reviews or waits for you to request them. A good broker also shops the market at renewal to ensure you are still getting competitive rates.
18. What Should I Do If My Circumstances Change?
Why This Matters: Life changes (buying property, renovating, adding drivers, starting a business, acquiring valuables) may require coverage adjustments. Understanding when and how to notify your broker prevents coverage gaps.
What to Look For: Ask the broker to identify specific changes that require notification. Common triggers include property purchases or sales, major renovations, new drivers in the household, home-based business activities, high-value acquisitions, and extended absences from your home.
Costs and Compensation
Understanding how your broker is compensated helps you evaluate potential conflicts of interest. Transparency about fees and commissions builds trust in the relationship.
19. How Are You Compensated?
Why This Matters: Most brokers earn commissions from insurance companies when they place policies. This commission is built into all insurance pricing, whether you use a broker, agent, or buy directly. Some brokers also charge separate fees for complex accounts or specialized services.
What to Look For: A transparent broker willingly explains their compensation structure. Commissions typically range from 10% to 25% of the premium, depending on the type of insurance. Ask if they receive any additional compensation, contingent commissions, or incentives from specific insurers.
20. Are There Any Fees Beyond the Insurance Premium?
Why This Matters: Some brokers charge additional fees for services like policy changes, certificates of insurance, or complex risk analysis. Understanding all costs upfront prevents surprises.
What to Look For: Ask about any potential fees before committing. Legitimate fees should be disclosed upfront and explained clearly. For personal lines insurance (home and auto), most brokers do not charge additional fees. Commercial insurance may involve service fees for complex accounts.
Why These Questions Matter for Montreal Residents
Montreal's insurance landscape presents unique challenges and opportunities, making asking the right questions particularly important.
1. Quebec's Unique Auto Insurance System
Quebec operates a two-tier auto insurance system unlike any other province. The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) provides public coverage for bodily injury sustained in automobile accidents, funded through driver's licence and registration fees. Private insurers cover civil liability (property damage to others) and physical damage to your own vehicle.
This means the $50,000 minimum civil liability coverage required by law only covers property damage within Quebec. If you cause an accident outside Quebec, SAAQ does not cover the other party's bodily injuries, and your civil liability coverage must apply. This makes adequate liability limits crucial for Montreal drivers who travel outside the province.
2. Montreal's Water Damage Risks
Water damage represents the most common home insurance claim in Quebec. Montreal's aging infrastructure, heavy snowfall, spring thaw flooding, and severe summer storms create multiple water damage risks. Standard policies typically exclude sewer backup, groundwater infiltration, and overland flooding, requiring specific endorsements.
Certain areas, particularly on the north shore of Pierrefonds and Île Bizard, are designated flood zones where overland flood coverage may be unavailable. A knowledgeable Montreal broker understands these geographic risk factors and can offer advice accordingly.
3. Quebec's Broker Regulations
Quebec's regulatory framework provides important consumer protections. The requirement that brokers access at least three insurers from different financial groups ensures genuine market competition. The 60% disclosure rule creates transparency about potential concentration. The Chambre de l'assurance oversees professional conduct and continuing education.
Understanding these regulations empowers you to evaluate whether a broker truly serves your interests or simply directs business to preferred insurers.
Why Choose Qubit Insurance
At Qubit Insurance, we welcome these questions because we believe that informed clients make better decisions. As an AMF-certified damage insurance brokerage in Montreal, we prioritize transparency and client advocacy.
1. We Answer Every Question Honestly
We believe you deserve straightforward answers about credentials, insurer relationships, coverage details, and compensation. We disclose how we are paid and which insurers we work with because transparency builds trust.
2. We Shop Multiple Insurance Markets
We maintain relationships with multiple insurers serving the Quebec market, including both standard and specialty carriers. This access allows us to find coverage for a wide range of risk profiles and to compare options genuinely.
3. We Advocate During Claims
When you file a claim, we do not disappear. We help you document losses, communicate with insurers, and advocate for fair settlements. Our relationship does not end when you purchase a policy; it continues through every claim.
4. We Understand Montreal's Insurance Landscape
We know which postal codes face higher premiums, which neighbourhoods have elevated theft rates, and which insurers offer competitive rates for specific risk profiles. This local expertise helps us find the right coverage at fair prices.
Get Answers to Your Insurance Questions
Asking the right questions is the first step toward finding an insurance broker who truly serves your interests. A good broker welcomes questions because they demonstrate an engaged and informed client.
Contact Qubit Insurance for a no-obligation consultation. Bring these 20 questions and see how our answers compare. We are confident that our transparency, expertise, and client-first approach will earn your trust.
