Half of Canadian snowbirds not checking insurance policies before taking off

Only about half of Canadian “snowbirds” who head south in the winter are verifying their insurance needs before leaving home, according to results from a new TD Insurance poll.

Only half of those in the survey of Canadians 50 and older said they checked their travel insurance policy before leaving for vacation, and only 16% said they checked with their insurance provider to see if they needed to update their policy, according to TD.

“Snowbirds have a unique set of insurance needs, different from most Canadian travellers,” noted Dave Minor, a vice president at TD Insurance.

“Not only do they need to understand exactly what their travel insurance policy covers, but they may have to review auto, recreational vehicle, and home insurance policies – for both their property down south and back home – before they travel.”

Nearly half (46%) also believe that their auto insurance policy will cover them in they’re driving outside of Canada, which isn’t always the case, the insurer noted.

Only 12% of those surveyed also said they checked their home insurance policy to ensure their primary residence would be covered while on vacation, according to the poll.

“Snowbirds need to call their insurance provider if they are taking their vehicle outside of Canada or the United States or if they plan to rent a vehicle for more than 30 days,” Minor said.

“They should also consider increasing their liability limit given that claims in the United States can be expensive, and discuss that with either their provider or insurance agent.”