The city of Oshawa is located on the Lake Ontario shoreline in the province of Ontario. Oshawa is known for being the home of the headquarters for General Motors Canada as well as a number of major assembly plants. General Motors is one of the largest employers in the city, employing thousands of people both directly and indirectly. Oshawa is also famously known as the birthplace of Northern Dancer, Canada’s most famous racehorse.

Brokers and Agents in Oshawa

Auto insurance in Oshawa, Ontario follows guidelines set out by the Ontario government. If you’re shopping for car insurance, the first thing you need to do is figure out from whom you want to buy it. In Ontario, there are three ways to buy auto insurance. You can buy it from a broker, an agent or a direct writer.

-A broker is a person who looks at several different insurance companies and tries to get you the best price.
-An agent is someone who only sells insurance for a particular company.
-A direct writer is a company that sells insurance directly, without a third party like an agent or broker.

How Do I Choose?

Using a broker is a good idea if you don’t know what you’re looking for or what prices should be. An agent or a direct writer is a good choice for people who are already savvy in shopping for auto insurance. Whether you decide to go with a direct writer, broker or agent, the most important thing you should look for is someone who is willing to take time to actually talk to you and explain things clearly and simply. Also make sure that the company you use is licensed to provide insurance in Ontario. This is important.

140 Private Insurance Companies in Ontario

Some provinces provide insurance through the government, but in Ontario insurance is provided only by private companies. There are over 140 private insurance companies in Ontario. These insurance companies are required to provide the following things to the people they’ve insured:

-Help so they can heal from injuries related to car accidents.
-Support if they cannot work.
-Protection if they are sued.
-Repair to damaged vehicles.

Recent Changes to Auto Insurance in Oshawa

In 2010, the Ontario government instituted several new changes for Ontario auto insurance companies. These changes give consumers more options when it comes time to buy or renew car insurance. Benefits that were added or modified include medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits, caregiver benefits, housekeeping and home maintenance expenses, income replacement benefits, dependent care benefits and death and funeral benefits. Consult the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s website to learn more about these changes.

Car Insurance in the GTA

Other cities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) include the following: Ajax, Aurora, Brampton, Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket, Oakville, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto, Vaughan, Whitby, and Whitchurch-Stouffville.