Umberto Andreis was born in Vatican City on September 28, 1937.  His father, Tullio, was First Secretary to the Holy See and although he was the son of an important official, Umberto Andreis was determined to emigrate to Canada. He landed in Halifax on October 25, 1954, and his passport became the subject of the attention of both the Canadian authorities and the Press. Umberto Andreis’ arrival in Canada was taken as a historical event. What was behind all this attention?

It happened that no Vatican citizen had ever before requested a passport to be issued for the purpose of leaving the Vatican to go and live in another country! In fact, young Andreis had to wait for a specific law to be passed that provided for such a passport to be issued. Logically, his passport carried the number ‘1’.

In 1964 Umberto opened an insurance company, the HALL & ANDREIS INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. The prestige of the brokerage spread to St. John, Calgary, and Vancouver – coast to coast!

The honesty and competence with which he conducted his business, earned him the admiration of essential clients, and they can count on the leading Italian industrialist of Toronto.

The success is the fruit of an astute and careful policy of management in the insurance field, built up over the years. The client can rest assured that his every need, on every occasion has been intelligently covered.

In 1965 Umberto married Monique in the magnificent Cathedral of St. Michael, and they have two children, Tullio and Patrizia with whom he joined in 2011 to create Andreis Insurance Brokers.

In 2015 Umberto reached out to “the boys” Michael & John and decided to join Oracle RMS as a branch focused on commercial insurance. Umberto Andreis was associated with the construction industry for over 50 years and helped companies looking for commercial insurance secure their business assets as well as multi-million dollar projects. Michael & John had the opportunity to work with a true legend in the industry who they learned so much from and to whom they owe a debt of gratitude. Umberto was truly a pillar in the Insurance and Italian community and will be fondly remembered at Oracle RMS.

As a business owner, it goes without saying that up-to-date licensing and insurance are an essential part of caring for your commercial vehicles. But did you know that seasonal weather changes can have a dramatic effect on your tires? Read on to learn how the changing seasons can impact your tires and, by extension, your company’s bottom line.

1. Air Pressure

When it comes to air pressure and your tires, there are two risks that you want to avoid at all costs:

Inflation and overinflation.

During warmer weather, the air in your tires can expand and overinflate. Meanwhile, when the temperature cools off in the winter, the air pressure in your tires tends to go down.

Whether you have too much air pressure or too little, however, your tires are at risk of blowing out and holding up your business. 

2. Increased Wear and Tear

Along with air pressure-related risks, seasonal changes can also shorten the lifespan of your tires through wear and tear. 

Driving summer tires during the winter, for instance, can make your tires more inclined to crack. And by the same token, the mechanisms that make winter tires an ideal choice for navigating icy road conditions can put more of your tire in contact with the road.

Changing your tires every year could save you money in the long run.

3. Decreased Performance

When push comes to shove, top-notch handling and braking are features that commercial drivers often take for granted with their work vehicles. If your fleet’s tires are rapidly wearing down, your staff members could struggle to navigate turns or brake in a timely fashion. This in turn can lead to compromised performance and safety concerns. 

Best Practices for Managing Seasonal Changes and Your Tires

The good news about managing commercial vehicle tires is that most problems can be solved with careful planning. To that end, here are some of our top tips:

• Test your air pressure regularly 
• Exchange summer or all-weather tires for winter tires at the appropriate time
• Keep your insurance updated

Protect Your Business By Having the Right Vehicle Tires for Every Season

Whether you’re braking to getting from point A to point B, your fleet’s tires are an essential part of your day-to-day operations. However, weather changes don’t just affect road visibility and delivery speeds – they can have a profound effect on driver safety and longevity. 

Want to take your risk management strategy a step further? Contact Oracle RMS to discuss your commercial vehicle insurance policy today. 

For many people, the words “insurance policy” and “insurance contract” can be used interchangeably. But not only do insurance contracts have well-established definitions — they come with their own set of contractual obligations. 

What exactly is an insurance contract and how does it work? Keep reading to find out.

What Is an Insurance Contract?

In basic terms, an insurance contract is a legally binding agreement between the insurance provider and the person who’s taking out insurance. 

Insurance contracts will often have the basic components of a standard contract in the form of offers, acceptance, and consideration. But they’ll also have industry-specific rules that require policyholders to have both an insurable interest and a legal reason for having the policy. 

If it all sounds complicated, you don’t have to worry, however. Many aspects of the insurance contract, like paying your premiums or being old enough to enter a contract, will often be met naturally through the standard insurance acquisition process. 

What Does It Mean to Have an Insurance Contract?

We’ve just covered the basics of insurance contracts, but none of that answers the basic question of what the contract means for you. Here’s how insurance contracts tend to affect the major players involved in insurance policy purchases:

1. The Broker

Your broker essentially functions as a middleman between you and your insurance provider. Because your broker doesn’t actually issue or sign up for insurance, they aren’t a party to the contract. This in part allows your broker to give you objective insurance advice.

2. Insurance Carrier

When your insurance provider decides to extend a policy to you, they’re not just helping you get your car on the road — they’re subjecting themselves to multiple legal obligations. For instance, if you’re accused of negligence and you’ve got the correct insurance coverage, your carrier may be legally required to finance your defence or pay your settlement costs. In Ontario, the carrier is considered a party to the insurance contract.

3. The Customer

If you’re reading this, you more than likely fall under this category. As the policyholder, you’re the other party to the insurance contract. Misreading your terms or skipping payments can affect your coverage options, your premiums, and even your expected payout. 

To that end, here are our top insurance contract tips:

• Make sure the information in your insurance application form is accurate 
• Review your policy on a quarterly or annual basis 
• Ask your broker or agent about your insurance options

Need Insurance? Contact Oracle RMS!

As a company, we’re committed to making sure that our clients get insurance contracts that are fair, robust, and affordable. Whether you’re looking for auto insurance or business insurance, our team does it all. 

Contact Oracle RMS today.  

Owning a heritage building isn’t like owning a regular house or office space. Why? Because heritage properties are an important piece of Canada’s architectural history.

How can you preserve your property? Are there any tricks of the trade that can make the process easier? Keep reading to see our five best heritage property maintenance tips.

1. Have Historical References

Imagine being asked to recreate a Da Vinci painting or a Michelangelo statue without a reference photograph. For most people, that would be an extremely difficult assignment.

Heritage property owners face a similar problem with their buildings. Many of these structures have distinct architectural features that need to be preserved. Blueprints, photos, and sketches can be an invaluable guide as you oversee the maintenance and restoration of your building.

2. Look For Matching Materials

With heritage buildings, deterioration is a fact of life. As such, it’s not unusual for window frames and exterior walls to require additional TLC. To maintain the property’s original feel, you’ll want to match your building materials as much as possible. If the oak staircase needs repairs, for instance, you’ll want to restore it with the most similar wood available.

3. Do Regular Maintenance

A maintenance schedule can make it easier to preserve your heritage property. Common checklist items include:

• Looking for signs of moisture damage, foundation shifting, and wood-consuming insects;
• Having flashing installed to protect your chimney from water damage; and
• Ensuring the area around your building has adequate drainage

In addition, if big-time renovations need to be done, you’ll want the contact information of a few skilled tradespeople and contractors.

4. Be Careful With Renovations

If future building owners decide to do their own restorations, how hard would it be to undo your changes? If your changes were to go forward as planned, how would they affect the integrity of your building?

Some changes, like running water or working electricity, may be necessary. But because heritage property renovations can have far-reaching implications, you’ll want to handle stylistic adjustments with care.

5. Have Updated Insurance 

Sometimes, even when you’ve done your best, disaster can still strike. A tornado could destroy your building or a visitor could hurt themselves while on your property. The right commercial insurance policy can help with repair costs, legal fees, and more.

Insure Your Heritage Property With Oracle RMS

With heritage properties, insurance is an essential part of maintaining a risk management strategy. Request your FREE commercial insurance quote today!

If your building went up in flames tomorrow, how would your place of worship recover? Not just financially after adding up the cost of pews, stained glass windows, sound systems, and construction – but also in terms of reputation.

Now more than ever, it’s essential for religious organizations to have solid fire safety practices. Read on to see how you can better protect the safety of your staff members, attendees, and guests.

1. Check Your Fire Alarm System

When a fire has broken out in your building, every minute counts. After all, even a small delay can lead to increased smoke damage and late evacuations.

For these reasons and more, it’s a good idea to do regular annual checkups on your fire alarm system. In addition, you may also want to make sure that your fire-adjacent equipment, like your carbon monoxide detectors and your smoke alarm, is in working condition.

2. Have a Working Security System

Arsonists are known for opportunistically starting fires in places of worship.

If your organization doesn’t have security cameras or a system for greeting newcomers, now is the time to create one. These two measures alone can ensure that potential troublemakers won’t have the freedom to wander around in your building.

3. Audit Your Building 

Sometimes the best way to fireproof your building is to do a proactive internal audit. A few of the options at your disposal include:

• Having your building’s electrical wiring evaluated by a qualified electrician;
• Being aware of any trees or foliage that could be a potential hazard in the event of a fire; and
• Moving combustible materials away from your main building

By identifying these risks early, you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

4. Have the Right Insurance

When a fire has damaged your organization’s building, your insurance policy makes a major difference.

Here at Oracle RMS, we’ve partnered with Ecclesiastical Insurance, a leading provider of charity and faith-based insurance coverage, because we want organizations like yours to have tailored insurance solutions. We’ll help you find amazing insurance at the best rates possible.

Keeping Worshippers Safe With Oracle RMS 

When people visit your place of worship, their physical safety is just as important as their emotional and spiritual development. Between the fire safety tips we’ve just provided and your Oracle RMS insurance, however, protecting your facility and your membership has never been so straightforward.

Request your FREE commercial insurance quote today!

Are you an Amazon seller? Here’s what you need to know about insuring your e-commerce business.

According to Amazon, merchants who are making at least $10,000 a month are required to take out a $1 million insurance policy. But even if you’re new to the platform and waiting on your first sale, you may still want to consider taking out insurance.

Want to learn more about how insurance can help your online business? Read on to find out.

Why Insurance Matters for Amazon Sellers

Expanding your reach on Amazon’s platform does have its perks — after all, who doesn’t want to have more sales, more revenue, and more customers? But along with that uptick in sales volume, there are more opportunities for things to go wrong. By insuring the products you sell to Amazon shoppers, you can protect yourself, your finances, and your business with relative ease.

What Type of Insurance Should You Consider?

In our experience, there are at least three insurance options that Amazon sellers may wish to consider:

1. Product Liability Insurance

If someone is seriously injured or killed while using your product, you could be forced to defend yourself in court. While you can’t predict when a product will malfunction or when those manufacturing defects might cause a serious injury, product liability insurance can cover the cost of injury claims, medical expenses, legal fees, and more. 

2. Commercial General Liability Insurance

Most business insurance packages will include some form of commercial insurance. Why? Because it’s versatile enough to handle slip and fall accidents, business interruption, and car accidents involving commercial vehicles. Whether you work in an office, a factory, or everything in between, commercial general liability insurance can give you peace of mind in your day-to-day operations.

3. Umbrella Insurance

When you calculate the cost of medical bills, judgment amounts, and legal fees, $1 million might not be enough to fund a lawsuit from start to finish. Umbrella insurance acts as a top-up fund for the rest of your insurance. Even if you hit the limit of your insurance policy, umbrella insurance makes it possible for you to continue your lawsuit without having to pay for it yourself. 

Protect Your Amazon Business With Oracle RMS

When you’re doing business as an Amazon seller, your business faces a number of risks. Here at Oracle RMS, our brokers are invested in your success. We’ll go over your business model and your risk profile before recommending an insurance solution that’s been designed with your needs in mind. Request your FREE commercial insurance quote today.

Are you thinking about selling your car but not sure if you’d be making the right decision? Oracle RMS weighs in. Read here to see our advice.

Do you want to make four or five figures in a hurry? 

People throughout the country are cashing in on the vehicles sitting in their driveways and garages — and they’re getting sales at incredibly high prices.

Does selling your vehicle make sense right now? Should you sell? Read on to find the answers. 

Why You Should Sell Your Car

In any other year, used cars don’t have to be sold right away. But this situation is different. Here’s a list of three reasons to consider selling your car sooner rather than later:

1. There Are Less New Cars Available for Sale

When the pandemic first began, many car companies slowed down production to limit the spread of COVID-19. In practice, this has meant that fewer new cars have been available for buyers to purchase. And as a result, more and more people have been turning to the used car market for their vehicle purchasing needs.

2. Material Shortages

The gaming and entertainment sector isn’t the only industry that has had its productivity hamstrung by supply chain issues — the semiconductor, rubber, and computer chip shortage has made it impossible for car manufacturers to make more vehicles in the post-COVID era. This, in turn, has contributed to the price increases we’ve been seeing in the used car market. 

3. Current Market Conditions Are Set to Continue

Even if these supply chain problems were all fixed tomorrow, it would still take time for car manufacturers to ramp their production schedules back up. And thanks to these extended car production times, the used car seller’s market will likely keep going for a while.

What You Should Know About Selling Your Car Now

• Wait to Buy a Replacement: The sky-high prices in the used car market could put a lot of money into your pocket. But if you purchase your replacement car right away, you could find yourself paying premium prices for a depreciating long-term asset. If you can sell now and wait until the next buyer’s market to buy a new car, you’ll get to enjoy the financial benefits of selling high and buying low.
• Update Your Insurance: Because used cars are selling for high prices, insurers are offering higher payouts. Oracle RMS will work with you to ensure that you have the automobile insurance you need.

Driving Forward With Oracle RMS

Whether you’re selling your car now, next month, or next year, the right car insurance policy will help you protect the investment you’ve made in your vehicle. Request your FREE auto insurance quote today!

Rust kills vehicle values while shortening their lifespans. Here’s how you can rust-proof your car.

Whether you have an SUV or a muscle car, there’s one thing that all car owners can agree on:

They want their cars to last as long as possible. But when you’re driving on Canadian winter roads, the wear and tear can have a palpable effect on your car. Keep reading to learn more about rust.

Rust and Your Car

In basic terms, rust is what happens when oxygen and iron meet and start the oxidation process. But on top of this natural progression, factors like road salt, moisture, and dirt can all speed up the development of rust.

You don’t want this to happen for two reasons:

1. Rust can eventually make your car less functional; and
2. Rust can bring down the value of your vehicle

As such, it’s highly recommended that vehicle owners take the time to protect their cars from rust as much as possible.

Rust-Proofing 101: Your Ticket to Protecting Your Car

There are a few ways that you can rust-proof your car. These include:

1. Undercoating

Simply because the bottom of your car is the most exposed to the elements, many car owners opt for undercoating. Done right, this treatment is typically good for a year.

2. Penetr-Oil® Rust Protection

This treatment protects hard-to-reach places while preventing rust from forming. One application can last for several years.

3. Permanent Rust Protection

As far as anti-rust treatments go, permanent rust protection is as durable as it gets. It can coat everything from your side panels to your trunk, and with occasional touch-ups, you can get ten years out of your permanent rust treatment.  

Here’s How You Can Protect Your Car From Rust

Besides getting anti-rust treatments applied to your car, there are a few practical day-to-day ways that you can extend the life of your car:

1. Wash and wax your car regularly to prevent salt and dirt from sitting on your paint
2. Protect your car from the elements by keeping it in a garage or under a tarp
3. Treat rust spots quickly 

Whether your car is brand new or you’ve had it for a while, it’s always a good idea to make sure that your auto insurance policy is up to date. That way if you’re ever involved in a collision or some other worst-case scenario, you can be confident that you’re in good hands.

Protect Your Car With Oracle RMS

Here at Oracle RMS, we’re committed to helping our clients get fantastic auto insurance coverage at an equally fantastic price. Request your FREE auto insurance quote today.

The DIY van home craze has been spreading like wildfire. Read here to learn more about insuring your mobile home. 

When you’ve got your heart set on taking an affordable cross-country road trip, upgrading a van might seem like the perfect way to create your dream mobile home. As eye-catching and cozy as van homes may be, however, a lot of people don’t realize that DIY camper vans are notoriously difficult to insure. 

How can you protect your property and your investment as you travel? What steps can you take to make the insurance process go as smoothly as possible? Keep reading to find out more.

Why Are DIY Van Homes So Hard to Insure?

The answer ultimately comes down to the fact that insurance providers have a strong preference for valuables with set replacement values. As such, van homes that have been built by professionals are often fairly easy to insure.

From replacement costs to risk factors, custom van homes are harder for insurance companies to pin down. This in turn often makes it difficult for DIY van homes to get the coverage they need.

What Steps Can You Take To Insure Your Van Home?

All of that being said, there are some strategies you can use to make insuring your van home easier:

1. Speak to an Insurance Broker Before You Begin

At the end of the day, your best chance of getting mobile home insurance for your DIY van home is to speak with a broker as soon as possible. These trained insurance professionals will be able to discuss your insurance options as well as the dos and don’ts of your van conversion efforts.

2. Track Your Receipts

Because insurance companies aren’t able to go online and look up the book value of your van home, you’ll have to provide as much documentation as you can. As you look at buying those curtains or that toilet, don’t forget to collect your purchase documents, maintain a spreadsheet, and take pictures of your ongoing conversion process.

These are all details that can help your insurance broker figure out how to price your purchase. 

3. Don’t Forget About Your Personal Belongings

Even after you’ve insured your van home, your personal items might not be covered under the same general policy. But here’s the good news:

If you want your mobile home insurance to include items like your clothing, electronics, and furniture, our comprehensive plans have been designed with your insurance needs in mind.

Protect Your Van Home With Oracle RMS

Are you looking to insure your DIY van home? Request your FREE mobile home insurance quote today!