Matt Santagapita - Insurance Broker

10/11/2026

Heavy rain or a spring thaw pushes water into your basement from outside. Is it covered?

Not necessarily. Overland flood coverage is typically an optional add-on, and standard home insurance usually doesn’t include it. It’s also different from sewer backup, which covers water coming up through your drains.

Here’s the part many people don’t expect: whether overland flood coverage is offered can depend on your address and on the insurer. Some addresses are offered it with conditions, and some may not be offered it by certain insurers.

In my latest post I cover:
✔ What overland flood coverage is, and how it differs from sewer backup
✔ Why availability depends on location
✔ How to check your floodplain mapping
✔ Questions to ask about limits, deductibles and waiting periods
✔ What to do after a flood

Read it here: https://519blog.com/overland-flood-insurance-ontario/

Questions about your own policy? Message me or call 519-657-5500.

Matt Santagapita, RIBO Licensed Broker, Merit Group Insurance Brokers

#519

Overland flood insurance in Ontario: what it may cover, why availability depends on your address, and how to check your flood risk.

10/09/2026

Listing a spare room online? Working from home and seeing clients? 🏠

Before the first guest or client shows up, it’s worth a quick conversation with your broker. A standard home policy is generally designed for a household living in the home, and paying guests or business activity may change that. IBC guidance says to tell your insurer before you start.

My latest post walks through:
✔️ What to disclose and when
✔️ Home business vs. short-term rental, and why they’re different conversations
✔️ Endorsements vs. commercial or rental policies
✔️ Why your city’s licensing rules are separate from your insurance

Read it here: https://519blog.com/airbnb-home-business-insurance-ontario/

Questions about your situation? Call or message me at Merit Group Insurance Brokers, 519-657-5500.

Informational only. Coverage varies by insurer and policy wording.

Home insurance for Airbnb or a home business in Ontario: why a standard policy may not fit, what to disclose, endorsements and why city rules differ.

09/18/2026

Come support Byron Optimist with us. It's what community does.

09/16/2026

1973 Corvette Stingray. Still turns heads over 50 years later. 🏁

You love it more but drive it less — so we cover more but charge you less. Classic car insurance built for how these cars actually get used, at a lower rate than standard coverage.

Get a quote for your collector car → https://519blog.com/quote/vintage-cars/

09/10/2026

🚗 CLASSIC CAR SPOTLIGHT: 1967–1969 Chevrolet Camaro

This is one of those cars that can turn a Sunday drive into an event. Permanent crown jewel of Ontario’s classic scene. Highly pursued for summer cruising and local show-and-shines.

Thinking about insuring a classic or collector vehicle? I can help you explore your options through Hagerty Canada.

Request a classic-car quote: https://519blog.com/quote/vintage-cars/

09/10/2026

"Nobody got hurt" doesn't mean "nobody can sue you." 💼💸

One of the biggest blind spots I see with Southwestern Ontario business owners is assuming their General Liability (CGL) policy covers everything.

It doesn't. CGL covers slips, falls, and property damage. But if a client claims your advice, a missed deadline, or a scope misunderstanding cost them money, you need Professional Liability Insurance (Errors & Omissions).

Most claims don't come from dramatic negligence—they come from ordinary, day-to-day business friction.

In this article I break down:

- Why a solid contract is a start, but not a financial shield
- How legal defense fees can drain your business before a judgment is even made
- Who actually faces this exposure

If your business delivers services or advice that clients rely on, it's time to check your coverage gaps.

👉 Read the full breakdown here:

Confused between your BOP and E&O coverage? Here's how professional liability insurance Ontario businesses rely on actually works, and who needs it most.

09/02/2026

A small act of kindness can go a long way. Please consider supporting this fundraiser and sharing it with others. Sign up and come see me on the 17th hole for our Hole in One sponsorship!

Proud to work with a company that believes in giving back to the communities we serve: The Merit Group Insurance Brokers.

Some of you don't know that the Byron Optimist Sports Complex is privately owned. We do not receive money from the City of London. This park is run by volunteers. We are in need of repairs and new lighting for the park. The city has told us there is no funding available. We do all the work without assistance from Parks and Recreation.
We are having a Charity golf tournament to help raise funds.
There are great sponsorship opportunities, as well as great advertising for business. It takes a community to raise a child. Help us build our community, save the park and have a place for our kids to play and be safe.
We have 2,000 kids that use this park every week and there are no other parks in Byron to facilitate them.
Help support the park, the City doesn't!
Gerry Smith
Vice President
Byron Optimist Sports Complex Inc See less

08/31/2026

📚 As the new school year kicks off, here's something worth five minutes of your time, Ontario parents: your auto policy works differently than it did a few months ago.

As of July 1, 2026, a lot of the accident-benefit protection that used to be built into every policy automatically is now optional. If you don't choose it, you don't have it. For families with a young adult heading to school — often not working, often with no disability coverage of their own — two of those optional benefits really matter:

Non-Earner Benefit — support if an injury keeps a non-working student from living a normal life.
Lost Education Expenses — reimburses tuition and costs already paid if an accident forces them out of their program.

Here's what I'd want every parent to know: these benefits are inexpensive — often just a few dollars a year each — but the gap they leave if you skip them is not small. The cheapest policy is now the one with almost nothing on it, and it's easy to end up there by default without realizing it.

You don't need to be an expert. You just need to make the call on purpose. Not sure what's on your policy? Let's take a look 👇
🔗 https://519blog.com/quote/auto/

Starting July 1, 2026, the way you buy accident benefits on your Ontario auto policy is different. Not "tweaked." Different. For as long as most of us have

08/30/2026

Your commercial property policy pays to rebuild after a fire. Rent, payroll, and the loan payment do not pause just because the doors are boarded up. That gap is what business income insurance is built to close, and it is one of the most misunderstood coverages a Southwestern Ontario business owner carries.

It is not a standalone product. It rides on your commercial property policy, so it only responds to perils that policy already covers. A grease fire next door that shuts you down for four to six months is the kind of thing it is meant for. A pandemic shutdown, overland flood, or a hydro outage usually is not, unless you have asked for those specifically.

The other trap: payments often stop once you resume operations, even from a temporary location at 60% of normal revenue. And the claim is only as strong as your books.

I walked through what it typically covers, what it does not, and the questions worth asking before you need it:

https://519blog.com/business-income-insurance-ontario/

This is general information about how coverage typically works in Ontario, not advice about your policy. Coverage varies by insurer and by business.

How business income insurance works for Ontario small businesses, what it covers, what it doesn't, and the questions to ask your broker before you need it.

08/12/2026

There's a specific smell that tells a London homeowner exactly how bad their week is about to be.

You open the basement door after a big August storm, and before you even see anything, you smell it — wet drywall, soaked underpad. Then you get to the bottom of the stairs and see the waterline on the boxes.

The question everyone asks next is "Am I covered for water damage?" — and it's the wrong question. On a standard Ontario home policy, water isn't one thing. It's at least four different things, and which one hit your basement decides whether you're filing a claim or writing a cheque.

Here's the short version: a burst pipe inside your house is usually covered. Sewer backup and overland flood are two separate, optional add-ons — and most policies here in London include neither by default. Buying one doesn't give you the other.

The City of London's Basement Flooding Grant Program will cover up to 90% of a backwater valve or sump pump install, which helps prevent damage. But prevention and insurance coverage are two different jobs. You want both.

I wrote up the full breakdown, including exactly what to look for on your declarations page this week: 👉 https://519blog.com/london-home-insurance-water-damage-flood-coverage/

Not sure what's on your policy? Send it my way and I'll read it with you.

Most home insurance in London, Ontario covers neither overland flood nor sewer backup. A licensed broker explains the difference and how to check yours.