Maybe you’ve seen their name while shopping around for insurance for your car, heard one of their ads, or already use Desjardins for home insurance or banking. Whatever the reason may be, you might be considering getting Desjardins car insurance.
But are they the right fit? Do they offer the coverage you need at a price that works for your budget? If these are the kinds of questions you’re asking yourself, here’s what to do next.
Start by doing your research (like reading this article!) and weighing the pros and cons based on your own priorities. What might be a dealbreaker for one person could be perfectly acceptable to someone else.
Then, compare the quote you get from Desjardins with at least three others. Just be sure you’re comparing quotes with similar coverage types and limits—otherwise, you’ll be comparing apples to oranges.
If you don’t have the time or confidence to do that yourself, you can always use a car insurance broker like YouSet, which has algorithms that can do that and more in less than 4 minutes.
| Pros | Cons |
| Second biggest P&C insurance group in Canada | Restricted to Desjardins products and pricing |
| Buy in person | Must call to buy an online quote |
| Online or in-person claims | Limited online reviews |
| Range of financial services and products | Single-insurer bundles may limit savings |
✅ Second biggest property/casualty insurance group in Canada
In the past 75 years, Desjardins has become a household name in the Canadian insurance market. Today, it ranks as the second-largest property and casualty insurance group in the country. For many customers, that kind of size and market presence can offer added confidence and a sense of stability when choosing an insurance provider.
❌ Must call to buy an online quote
Although Desjardins offers online quotes, you’ll usually be prompted to call and speak with a sales representative to complete your purchase. For those who prefer to get a quote, make customizations, and check out entirely online, that extra step can be off-putting.
✅ Buy in person
It is becoming increasingly rare to find in-person service, and yet Desjardins continues to offer face-to-face services through a network of local agents. Bear in mind, though, that the agents at these locations only sell Desjardins products, so it will be entirely up to you to do your due diligence and ensure you’re getting the best value.
❌ Restricted to Desjardins products and pricing
For car insurance purchased through a Desjardins agent, coverage is underwritten by Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company. If purchased directly from Desjardins, it is underwritten by Certas Direct Insurance Company.
Since both underwriters are part of the Desjardins Group, your choices are limited to their products, pricing, and discounts. This restriction means you won’t have the flexibility to shop multiple carriers, which can sometimes limit your ability to find the best rate.
✅ Online or in-person claims
Desjardins allows policyholders to file and manage car insurance claims online, via a mobile app, by phone, or in person when repairs are made at an approved repair shop. This flexibility lets customers choose the method that best suits their needs for reporting and tracking a claim.
❌ Limited online reviews
With so many car insurance companies and brokers to choose from, many Canadians rely on online reviews to help guide their decision.
But because Desjardins is such a large organization—with several lines of business and independent local agents—it can be difficult to find consistent, company-wide reviews. Most feedback you’ll find is tied to individual agents or offices, making it harder to get a clear picture of the overall customer experience.
✅ Range of financial services and products
In addition to home and car insurance, Desjardins offers a variety of personal financial services, including wealth management and retirement planning. While this might seem convenient, it doesn’t always outweigh the potential cost savings and flexibility you could find by exploring alternative car insurance providers.
❌ Single-insurer bundles may limit savings
Desjardins advertises bundling discounts of up to 35% on homeowners insurance (with smaller savings for condo owners and tenants). But bundling with a single insurer isn’t always the best way to maximize savings. It’s smart to explore the potential of mixing and matching policies from different insurers—or working with someone who can—and see if that leads to better value overall.
Desjardins vs. YouSet car insurance
While getting a car insurance quote from Desjardins is a good starting point, the only way to know for sure if it’s the best possible price out there is to compare it with quotes from other providers. Fortunately, YouSet can help you do just that in less than 4 minutes.
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.
