As the trusted name behind one of Canada’s oldest roadside assistance programs and a popular provider of car insurance, many homeowners, renters, and condo owners turn to CAA for their home insurance needs.
Yet with so many other home insurance providers in Canada to choose from, is CAA—or an alternative provider—the right choice for you? That’s a decision only you can make.
In this article, you’ll learn more about CAA insurance for your home, the potential pros and cons to consider, and how it’s different from an insurance broker like YouSet. That way, you can make the most informed decision and choose a provider that matches your needs and expectations.
How is YouSet different from CAA?
YouSet combines the convenience of an online platform with the advantages of a licensed insurance broker, while CAA is a direct-to-consumer insurer that underwrites and sells its own policies.
As such, there are key differences between YouSet and CAA to consider, which you can see outlined clearly in the table below.
| YouSet | CAA | |
| Type of provider | Digital insurance broker | Direct-to-consumer (D2C) insurer |
| Products | Home, tenant, condo, and car | Home, tenant, condo, car, pet, travel, health, and life |
| Number of insurers | 18 insurers (Full list of YouSet insurers) | 1 insurer (themselves) |
| Price comparison | Side-by-side comparison, shows multiple quotes | No comparison, only shows one quote (their own) |
| Underwriting | Does not underwrite policies | Direct writer (underwrites its own policies) |
| Checkout | Online checkout or by phone | Call to purchase |
| Claims | Claims handled by the insurer, additional support from YouSet, as needed | Claims handled directly by CAA |
CAA home insurance pros and cons
Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or condo owner, if you’re considering CAA for home insurance, then it’s important to understand what it offers and what it doesn’t. This is key to helping you determine if it aligns with what you’re looking for in a home insurance provider.
Pros
- Discount for CAA members
- Includes emergency travel medical insurance
- Optional coverage for electronics and appliances
- Access to phone assistance helplines
Cons
- Restricted to CAA products and pricing
- Cannot checkout online, phone call required
- Regional club model
- Bundling savings may be limited
Discount for CAA members
If you’re already one of the approximately 7 million Canadians who are CAA members, you can get a 10% discount on home insurance. However, if you’re not, the discount might not hold much value, as you’d need to pay for a membership to access the savings.
Restricted to CAA products and pricing
Since CAA home insurance policies are underwritten by the company’s own insurer, you are limited to their products, prices, and discounts. In contrast, when you shop with a broker like YouSet, multiple carriers are considered, ensuring a broader selection and increasing your chances of finding the best possible price.
Includes emergency travel medical insurance
CAA home insurance includes emergency travel medical insurance, covering unexpected accidents, illnesses, or injuries while travelling, with up to $5 million in expenses. Depending on how much you travel or your needs, this might be an added bonus.
Cannot checkout online, phone call required
Although you can get a home insurance quote through your regional CAA Club’s website, the option to purchase a policy online may not be available in all regions. In many cases, you’ll need to contact a CAA sales representative by phone to complete your purchase.
Optional coverage for electronics and appliances
CAA gives homeowners the option to add coverage for electronics and appliances in the event of unexpected mechanical, electrical, or pressure system failures. Since your home’s systems, like kitchen appliances, washing machines, dryers, air conditioning units, and media equipment, can all be costly to repair or replace, this coverage can provide peace of mind by helping with the associated costs.
Regional club model
Given CAA’s structure as a federation of regional clubs, home insurance is typically purchased through your local club rather than a single national website. This means the process and available options may vary depending on your region.
Access to phone assistance helplines
CAA home insurance includes free access to five specialized assistance helplines on legal matters, identity theft, home maintenance, personal life issues, pet health, and general health concerns.
Bundling savings may be limited
Bundling home and car insurance with CAA can save you money, as advertised. However, bundling with a single carrier doesn’t always offer the most savings possible. Rather, a mix-and-match approach to bundling, where products and pricing from multiple carriers are considered and combined, can help you maximize your savings and find the most cost-effective solution.
CAA vs. YouSet home insurance
After getting a home insurance quote from CAA, it’s wise to compare quotes from an alternative provider, such as YouSet, to see if that’s truly the best price you can get or if there’s a better deal available.
Since 2017, YouSet has been making it easier for Canadians to buy home and car insurance online. Why spend hours manually comparing quotes when our proprietary technology can do it all for you in less than 4 minutes? Not only that, but we’ll also have Canada’s top insurance providers competing for your business, ensuring you get the best price year after year. With over 300,000 users and an average online review rating of 4.9 stars, YouSet is a broker well worth considering.
Best price year-after-year
YouSet’s algorithms are designed to do one thing - find you the best price. Not just the first time you buy, either. If your price increases at renewal, we’ll alert you and even help you re-shop with another carrier.
Transparent renewals
Anytime a YouSet insurance policy comes up for renewal, our team will make sure you’re paying the best price possible for your policy. If that’s no longer working, we’ll help you re-shop another carrier for a better deal.
Mix-and-match approach to bundling
YouSet is the only digital broker in Canada that automatically compares the cost of bundling home and car insurance from a single carrier against the cost of mix-and-matching home and car carriers. Whichever option offers the maximum savings is the one we present to you.
Buy, manage, and renew your policy online
How much easier would it be if you could purchase a policy, personalize it to fit your needs, make modifications to it, and renew it, all without having to make any phone calls or wait on hold? With YouSet, you can do all that and more with our self-serve features.
Highly reviewed by Canadians
With an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google, the general consensus among YouSet users is that YouSet is making it easier to find affordable insurance and buy it online at the best price year after year.
We do the searching, you get the savings
