New savings opportunities as Canadians say they are more financially responsible today than a year ago

belairdirect survey reveals 41 per cent of Canadians feel they are financially savvy and 65 per cent want to eliminate non-essential purchases

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2024 /CNW/ - Canadians are looking for savings anywhere they can find them. Seventy per cent of Canadians are looking to cut household expenses with 31 per cent saying they've given advice to family and friends, including finding small ways to save money, building a budget, using their cars less and finding the best deal on insurance.

Canadians are looking to lower their housing (74%) and car costs (69%), and many are keeping their vehicles longer and using them less. Canadians also say they are thinking about buying a used car instead of a new car, going from a multi-car household to a single-car household, and taking public transit more often.

A recent belairdirect survey shows the top five ways Canadians are cutting their spending:

• Cutting down on non-essentials including dining out less and waiting for sales (65%)
• Using coupons, discount codes, and loyalty programs (52%)
• Cutting down on grocery spending (41%)
• Cancelling unused memberships (39%)
• Adhering to a household budget that includes savings (32%)

Seventy-three per cent of Canadians know exactly how much they spend on insurance each month, while 60 per cent of Canadians bundle their home and auto insurance for better deals. An equal proportion express interest in learning more about insurance savings opportunities. Easy changes include choosing a smaller, more fuel-efficient car, installing an anti-theft system and taking advantage of driver safety analysis programs such as belairdirect's automerit, a usage-based insurance app that provides a personalized premium where participants can save on their premiums with safe driving behaviour.

"At belairdirect, we understand that everyone has different insurance needs, which is why we offer a variety of solutions to help customers save while protecting the things that matter most to them," said John Thompson, Deputy Senior Vice President, belairdirect.

"Our dedication to treating belairdirect customers as we would our own neighbours ensures comprehensive insurance coverage that simplifies their lives and protects what matters most. We work directly with our customers to offer them customized insurance plans that suit their evolving needs."

These findings emphasize the importance of understanding Canadians' attitudes and preferences when it comes to insurance and personal finance management. Insurance is too important to be complicated and that's why belairdirect works with its customers to find solutions that best fit their needs.

Here's how belairdirect is providing simple solutions to help Canadians save on insurance:

• automerit: Take control of how much you pay for car insurance. When automerit is activated, the belairdirect app assesses your driving habits in real time to offer you a personalized premium when your auto policy renews. 
• Web discount: Savings when quote is completed online.
• Group programs: Exclusive member discounts on car and home insurance for eligible group members with belairdirect.
• belairdirect agents: A team of dedicated agents who will ensure that you have the insurance coverage that best suits your needs and fits your lifestyle.
• Multi-vehicle: Drivers at the same address can save up to 15% on car insurance.
• Family and young couple: As your life stages change, always update your insurance provider to ensure you have the coverage that best meets your new needs. 
• Student insurance: Study with peace of mind knowing you're saving with belairdirect's student discount.

About belairdirect

belairdirect is a proud Canadian insurance provider who has been offering customers comprehensive insurance solutions for almost 70 years. You can count on belairdirect to deliver on our shared purpose of making insurance simpler and life easier for even more Canadians. Together, we will simplify your life by helping you protect the things you care about with innovative and personal insurance solutions that fit your needs. Founded in Quebec in 1955, the company offers a simple but complete solution, allowing customers to communicate with an agent by phone, online or in person. belairdirect was the first property and casualty insurer in North America to sell car insurance products online (www.belairdirect.com), attesting to the company's innovative character. belairdirect is a subsidiary of Intact Financial Corporation, the largest provider of property and casualty insurance in Canada and a leading provider of specialty insurance in North America (TSX: IFC - www.intactfc.com). belairdirect is a proud partner of Breakfast Club of Canada. For more information, please visit https://www.belairdirect.com or follow belairdirect on Facebook and Instagram.

About the Survey

On behalf of belairdirect, Hill & Knowlton used the Leger Opinion online panel to survey 1,502 Canadians over the period of October 24th to November 2nd, 2023. Sampling was done within age, gender, and region quotas. Length of survey was less than 8 minutes. Data was weighted on age, gender, and region according to 2021 census figures. An associated margin of error for a randomly selected sample of n=1502 would be ±4%.

SOURCE belairdirect

Media Contacts: Jennifer Beck, belairdirect, 1 844.495.7607, [email protected]; Carine Salvi, belairdirect, 1 844.495.7607, [email protected]