How we write
Who writes and checks our articles, Insuropedia definitions and FAQs, where the information comes from, and what to do if you find a mistake.
The articles in our Learning Centre, the definitions in Insuropedia and the answers in our FAQs are written to help you understand how life, health and disability insurance work in Canada, so you can make decisions with clear information.
Who writes and reviews our content
Our articles are written by the Garrett Agencies team. Where an article has been reviewed, you’ll see the reviewer’s name and the month of the review under its title, with a link to their profile. Insuropedia definitions show the reviewer’s name and the month of the review in the same way. FAQ answers show “Reviewed by Garrett Agencies Ltd.” and the month of the review.
We may use drafting tools, including AI writing tools, to help prepare an article: to organize research, suggest a structure or tighten wording. They never decide what an article says. Every article is read and checked by a licensed advisor before it is marked as reviewed, and the advisor is responsible for its accuracy.
Where our information comes from
We rely on primary sources: the legislation and government pages that set the rules, and insurers’ own documents. Among them:
- the Income Tax Act and the Canada Revenue Agency, for how insurance, benefits and registered plans are taxed;
- provincial insurance acts, and provincial health ministries for what public health plans cover;
- canada.ca for Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan and other federal programs;
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, for the Super Visa;
- the Government of Canada’s travel advice and advisories;
- Retraite Québec, for Quebec’s workplace retirement savings rules;
- the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators’ guidance, for example on segregated funds;
- the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s consumer guides;
- insurers’ own policy wordings, certificates and plan documents.
Where a point depends on a source you may want to read yourself, we link to it. We don’t rely on other websites’ summaries of those rules. We write our own content. When we quote or rely on a source, we say where it comes from.
Independence
We’re an independent brokerage with access to more than 30 Canadian insurers. No insurer writes or pays for our articles.
We don’t publish sponsored content, and no insurer can pay to be mentioned or recommended. We include pages on the Engineers Canada insurance plans, underwritten by Manulife, because we’re the only authorized advisors for those plans in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and New Brunswick, and members look for that information. Manulife doesn’t pay for those pages or ask us to publish them.
We are usually paid a commission by the insurer when you buy coverage through us, and in complex cases a fee agreed with you in writing first; you can read the details, including bonuses and incentives, on how we are compensated. That doesn’t change what we write: if a product has drawbacks or a different option may suit you better, we say so.
Figures that change
Premiums, rates, limits, government thresholds and fees change often. We avoid quoting figures that date quickly. Where a number is needed to explain how something works, we say where it comes from and when it applies, and we check it when the article is reviewed. Worked examples and diagrams use illustrative figures, labelled as examples. They aren’t quotes.
What “last reviewed” means
“Last reviewed” is the date a licensed advisor last checked the whole article against current rules and sources. It is different from “updated”, which can mean a smaller change, such as a corrected link. We aim to review each article, definition and FAQ at least once a year, and sooner when a rule, a government program or an insurer’s product changes.
Mistakes and corrections
If you think something in an article, an FAQ or an Insuropedia definition is wrong or out of date, please tell us. Every article, definition and FAQ ends with a “Spot a mistake?” link, or you can email compliance@garrett.ca or call 1-800-661-3300. A licensed advisor will check it.
If we got something wrong, we correct it and update its review date.
General information, not advice for your situation
Our articles explain how things generally work. They aren’t advice for your situation: how a policy responds depends on its wording and on your circumstances, and the right coverage for you depends on things an article can’t know. If you’d like to talk about your own coverage, contact us. There is no cost to ask.
This page was last updated October 2026.
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