Licenses and underwriters
Square One Insurance Services is an insurance agency (or brokerage) that serves several provinces in Canada. We’re authorized to issue, bill and service policies on behalf of the insurance companies (or underwriters) that we represent, and hold both business and insurance licenses for each province in which we operate.
On this page, you’ll find details about each license Square One holds, and which underwriters we work with.
Licenses held by Square One
Square One currently operates in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, and we’re licensed in each of these provinces. We also hold business licenses in other jurisdictions as part of our expansion efforts.
We are licensed and regulated by:
- Autorité des marchés financiers
- Alberta Insurance Council
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario
- Insurance Council of British Columbia
- Insurance Council of Manitoba
- Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan
Our client number provided by the Autorité des marchés financiers is 3002172755.
Differences between insurance agencies and insurance companies
An insurance agency (or brokerage) markets and sells insurance to customers on behalf of insurance companies that actually offer and write insurance policies. In exchange for premiums paid, the insurance company agrees to pay resulting claims insured under the policy. For facilitating the sale of policies, the insurance agency receives a commission or fee from the insurance company.
The terms insurance agency and insurance brokerage are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. An insurance agency usually represents only one insurance company whereas an insurance brokerage usually represents multiple insurance companies. If you have very complex needs, an insurance brokerage may be a better fit because it can present your business to multiple insurance companies. On the other hand, a good insurance agency will typically have the authority to accept a broader range of risks than an insurance brokerage.
Underwriters
The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia (Mutual Fire)
Mutual Fire was started in 1902 and is based in Langley, British Columbia. The company is licensed to do business in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. Mutual Fire’s operations are supervised by provincial regulators, with the BC Financial Services Authority assuming the lead regulatory role.
The Best’s Financial Strength Rating for Mutual Fire is A- (Excellent). This rating is assigned by A.M Best and it provides an independent opinion of Mutual Fire’s financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations.
Mutual Fire is a member of the Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation (PACICC). PACICC is a special program funded by Canadian property and casualty insurance companies to protect policyholders and claimants. If an insurance company fails, PACICC will automatically respond to your claim as long as your insurance company is a participating member. Basically, PACICC is much like the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation, which protects your savings in case a bank fails.
Download authorization letterImportant websites:
- The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of British Columbia
- BC Financial Services Authority
- Alberta Superintendent of Financial Institutions
- Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan
- Financial Institutions Regulation Branch of Manitoba
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario
- Property and Casualty Insurance Compensation Corporation
- A.M. Best
- Autorité des Marchés Financiers
ARAG Legal Solutions Inc. (ARAG)
ARAG Legal Solutions Inc. (ARAG) is the Canadian market leader and managing general agent specializing exclusively in Legal Expense Insurance. Working with brokers and corporate partners, ARAG creates access to justice solutions so Canadian individuals, families, and business owners can exercise their rights, preserve their budget, and be confident when facing an unforeseen legal event. ARAG Legal Solutions Inc. Legal Expense Insurance policies are underwritten by HDI Global Specialty SE. To learn more, please visit arag.com.
Don't just take our word for it. Here are some of the reviews that contribute to our average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. Want to read more? Visit our reviews page.
Square One is one of the only providers who would cover our in-home pottery studio. They were thorough and requested photos but they covered us. It’s been very easy to update our coverage as the business grows and we add more services and assets, and sales locations. I love being able to do these changes online and have easy access to check my policy. The service has been great so far.
Getting tenant insurance has never been this personalized. I enjoyed that you could truly cater to what kind of home you are living in. With a click of a button, the value of your insurance would change so you could see the quote change as you figured out what works best for you. Very intuitive and user-friendly.
I would like to thank our Claims Adjuster, Brad Rotto, for all the hard work he has done while working on our claim. Our unit flooded, and there was a lot of damage done by the flood. However, Brad was very helpful, replying immediately to any question we had (and we had many!), arranging for reimbursements right away and making the entire process uncomplicated and easy to understand. It has been a real pleasure working with Brad. This was one of the rare instances when the reality exceeded the expectations. Thank you, Brad, for the impeccable service and the support received throughout!
I have bought several home insurance policies over the years. Square One was the last and has been the best. I got my house insurance with them for a few years, and now for an apartment that I am buying. You do not need to do any shopping around, and you do not go wrong if you come here directly for a great customer service experience, great coverages, at low price.
Square One insurance is so easy! You can go back and change whatever you like, whenever you like. Very easy to read, no mumbo jumbo that you can’t understand, it’s great, I love it! Thank you Square One, it’s good to know you have my back.
I decided to switch to Square One for our home insurance needs. I love how I can modify my coverage online to see the effect it will have on my premium prior to making the changes. Everything seems so out in the open and the website and quote pages are very user-friendly. Joyce F. was excellent in helping me set up our new policy! She was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and patient in dealing with all my questions. She got back to me every time she said she would.
Needed to find a new insurance provider as the one I'd been using for years raised premiums by a huge amount for absolutely no reason and with no explanation. So I jumped online and found Square One. The quote process was quick, easy and clear. When I had a question I asked for an agent to call me and they were very prompt in meeting the determined callback time. The chatbot is helpful as well. My quote was significantly less expensive and I have better coverage. I'm already telling all my friends about Square One.
I know only what I've had to learn about home insurance and it is always a daunting process. I felt motivated at 12:55 am to finally go to Google and fight through a quote, and at 1:08 am I got the confirmation email of my new policy. I feel more confident in than any time I've tried to keep up with someone on the phone. The expert opinion line was so appreciated, and it was remarkably easy to customize a policy that will let me sleep easier, starting tonight!
After obtaining quotes from 5+ insurance providers I decided to go with Square One for a simple reason: they offered the coverage I wanted (and then some) for the best price out there. I needed to set up a call to finalize my policy and Carla Campbell was prompt, knowledgeable and courteous. Nobody should ever be excited about insurance, but right now I am.
Square One Insurance: Where service, pricing and trust meet. Excellent customer support every time, no waiting. The best price I have ever gotten for home insurance. Hunter, who helped me today, was terrific. It is nice to get off the phone and it has all gone perfectly. I'm so glad I made the switch to a company that knows what it is doing! Square One is that company. Ten stars!
Find out how affordable personalized home insurance can be in 5 minutes with an online quote.