Insurance Broker in Markham: Compare & Save
Insurance broker in Markham for life, critical illness, disability, health & dental, travel and Super Visa coverage. Compare 30+ Canadian insurers, no fee, Ontario-licensed.
Straight answer: an insurance broker in Markham who is genuinely independent compares life, critical illness, disability, health and dental and travel insurance from many Canadian insurers, recommends the one that fits, and is paid by that insurer. You pay no fee, and the premium is the same as if you’d bought from the company directly.
Hayes Family Insurance is a family brokerage founded in Ottawa in 1996 and licensed for all of Ontario. We work with Markham households by phone, video and e-signature, comparing 30+ Canadian insurers at the same national prices a broker in Unionville or on Highway 7 would quote.
This page is for anyone in Markham, from Unionville, Markham Village and Thornhill to Milliken, Cornell, Berczy, Wismer, Cachet, Angus Glen and Box Grove, who wants to understand what a broker adds, what to look for, and how remote service works.
Who we help in Markham
Markham is one of York Region’s largest cities and is often described as a technology hub, with a dense cluster of tech and corporate head offices, life sciences firms and professional services along the 404 and 407 corridors. It also has a high proportion of newcomers and multigenerational households, sizable communities with roots in China, Hong Kong, South Asia and elsewhere, and some of the higher-value housing in the GTA. A few groups come up constantly.
Tech and corporate employees. Group benefits at larger employers are often good: life at a multiple of salary, long-term disability, health and dental. The catch is that they end at the next job move, and job moves in tech are frequent. Stock-based compensation can also make income lumpy in ways a group disability plan doesn’t capture. A personal term policy and, where income is high, individual disability coverage fill the portable gap. See group vs. individual life insurance.
Professionals and business owners. Markham has a large base of physicians, dentists, accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and incorporated small business owners. Many have no group plan or a thin one. For them the conversation is about disability insurance with an own-occupation definition, critical illness coverage, and in the case of incorporated owners, whether the corporation should own the policy. That last point is worth an accountant’s review, and we’ll say so.
Families with large mortgages. Detached homes in Berczy, Cornell, Angus Glen and Cachet carry substantial mortgages, often serviced by two incomes. Both earners need life coverage, and bank mortgage insurance at closing is rarely the best way to get it. Our page on life insurance in Markham covers the housing context and indicative rates.
Multigenerational families and visiting parents. Grandparents living in the home, and parents visiting from overseas on a Super Visa, are both common in Markham. The first raises questions about final expense and health coverage for older family members; the second requires proof of emergency medical insurance before the visa is issued. Our guide to Super Visa insurance requirements and cost has the specifics.
Buying direct vs. through a broker
Start with what doesn’t change. For a given policy from a given insurer, the premium is identical whether you buy through a broker, from the insurer’s captive agent, or on its website. Commissions are built into pricing regardless of channel. Skipping the broker earns you no discount.
What changes is how many companies you get to see. Insurers price the same person differently, commonly 30% or more apart for identical coverage, because each has its own tables for age, build, blood pressure, diabetes, family history, cannabis use and occupation. A single-company channel shows you one number. A broker shows you the range and, just as important, knows which insurer to approach if you have a health history so you don’t collect a decline.
Direct is a fair choice for small, short, simple coverage. Beyond that, the comparison is where the money is. The full trade-off is in insurance broker vs. buying direct.
Coverage at a glance
| Coverage | Markham household it suits | What to compare across insurers |
|---|---|---|
| Term life | Dual-income couple with a mortgage; parent of young children | Rate by term length, convertibility age, how each insurer treats your health profile |
| Critical illness | Tech employee with group life but no lump-sum cushion | Number of covered conditions, survival period, return-of-premium options |
| Disability | Physician, dentist, consultant, incorporated owner | Occupation class, own-occupation definition, elimination period, benefit period |
| Health and dental | Family without a group plan; early retiree; contract worker | Drug maximums, dental levels, paramedical limits, guaranteed-acceptance options |
| Travel and visitor | Frequent flyers out of Pearson; parents on a Super Visa | Pre-existing condition stability clauses, deductible, monthly payment plans |
Choosing a broker: what matters
- Independence you can measure. How many insurers, and will they show several quotes together?
- Needs before products. Mortgage, income, dependants, existing group coverage and health should all come up before a product name does.
- The whole toolkit. Life-only brokers can’t tell you whether disability or critical illness is your larger gap.
- Plain talk about pay. Ontario advisors must disclose insurer compensation. Permanent products pay more than term; the recommendation should still be what fits.
- Relevant experience. Business-owned policies, high-income disability, a health condition, or a previous decline: ask what they’ve placed and where.
- Still there in year ten. Beneficiary changes, coverage increases, conversions before a term ends, and claims.
- Licensed. Next section.
Verifying an FSRA licence
Everyone who sells life and health insurance in Ontario, independent or captive, must be licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. FSRA’s website carries a free public registry: search the advisor’s name, confirm the life and accident and sickness licence is active, and check for conditions. A minute, at most.
Do it for anyone, including us. Kevin Hayes, Cameron Hayes and Alex Diakun are all on the registry.
How remote service from Ottawa works
Our office is at 343 Preston Street in Ottawa. We don’t have a Markham location, and we’d rather explain the process than pretend otherwise.
- A phone or video call of 15 to 30 minutes, evenings included, to understand your situation.
- A written comparison from 30+ insurers, emailed with a recommendation and the reasons behind it.
- An application completed by phone or online and signed electronically, which every insurer we represent accepts.
- Any medical requirement handled by a paramedical nurse who visits your home in Markham at a time you choose.
- Policy delivery by email, a walkthrough call, and the same phone number for the life of the policy.
Since insurance is licensed provincially and priced nationally, a Markham office can’t obtain a different insurer, product or rate. What you’d give up is a face-to-face meeting. If that’s important to you, choose someone local and check them on FSRA first.
Indicative costs
Illustrative monthly premiums for a healthy non-smoker. These are ranges, not quotes, and your rate depends on age, health, smoking status, coverage amount and insurer.
| Age | $500,000 term life, 20-year | $100,000 critical illness, 20-year |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | about $22–$30 | about $25–$45 |
| 40 | about $32–$48 | about $45–$80 |
| 50 | about $70–$110 | about $90–$160 |
Disability premiums depend on occupation class and benefit design, and are typically higher for high-income professionals simply because the benefit is larger. Health and dental depends on plan level and family size. Super Visa coverage is priced by the visitor’s age, deductible and pre-existing condition coverage.
How Hayes can help
We’re independent, family-run, licensed across Ontario, and paid by the insurer you choose, so the comparison and advice cost you nothing. If your employer plan already covers you well, we’ll say so. If a straightforward term policy is the answer, that’s what we’ll recommend.
Compare quotes from 30+ Canadian insurers in about two minutes, free and with no obligation, or contact us to book a call.
Frequently asked questions
Are insurance rates different in Markham than elsewhere in Ontario?
No. Life, critical illness and disability insurance are priced nationally by each insurer, based on your age, health, smoking status, occupation and coverage amount, never by city or postal code. Home and auto insurance are priced by location, but those are separate products from the coverage a life and health broker places.
Do I need to meet an insurance broker in Markham face to face?
No. Every major Canadian insurer accepts applications by phone or online with electronic signature, and any medical exam is done by a paramedical nurse who comes to your home. We serve Markham clients from our Ottawa office; the process, the insurers and the prices are the same as through a local storefront. If you prefer in-person meetings, that's a fair reason to choose a local broker, and we'd say so.
Can a broker help with Super Visa insurance for parents visiting Markham?
Yes. Super Visa applicants must show at least $100,000 of emergency medical coverage, valid for at least one year from entry, from a Canadian insurer or an approved foreign insurer. We compare several Canadian providers, including plans that cover stable pre-existing conditions and offer monthly payments, and can arrange a quote and policy quickly.
How do I check whether an insurance broker in Markham is licensed?
Search the advisor's name on the public registry of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA). It lists every licensed life and accident and sickness agent in Ontario, whether the licence is active, and any conditions. Legitimate brokers expect to be looked up.