What clients would rather do than review home insurance policies

How can you persuade your clients to read their policies thoroughly?

It’s not easy, says a new survey conducted by Léger for Allstate Canada, which finds 81% of insurance clients would rather fill out their tax returns than read their insurance policies front-to-back.

Another 53% of respondents say they’d rather assemble a furniture kit using instructions that aren’t clear, and 47% say they’d rather have a dental filling replaced. The survey was fielded between March 20 and 22, 2026, with 1,525 responses.

“This says to me there are aspects of insurance that competes for attention within the lives of Canadians, and it can often lose,” says George Ljubicic, agency manager at Allstate Canada, in a press release.

“Most people want to feel confident about their coverage, but insurance documents aren’t always written the way people talk or think about their homes. That’s why meeting customers where they are, with simple explanations and real human support, really matters.”

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In terms of clients understanding what they read, the report finds 64% of respondents tell the survey they do understand some aspects of their policies. But it also finds just 42% of respondents are able to identify at least two accurate coverage statements – out of five offered in the survey – without selecting one or more incorrect options.

The company notes the gap between those saying they understand at least some parts of their policies, while still selecting incorrect coverage statements, suggests the industry could help clients by providing more reader-friendly documents and broker and agent support to ensure questions get answered.

Another, separate, survey commissioned by Allstate last year finds Canadians are likely (49%) to contact their brokers or agents with questions. Others opt to call insurers’ customer service lines (44%) or go to their websites (35%). Just 30% say they get their answers by directly reading their policies.

That second survey was fielded July 7 to 14, 2025 and received 1,515 responses from residents of Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, or Nova Scotia – 156 of whom were Allstate customers.

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On the bright side, a majority of respondents (82%) indicate they review their policies during the year, usually at renewal, at time of purchase, or when the coverage takes effect. But for those saying they don’t read their policies, 67% indicate they’d prefer to speak with someone – and 22% say they simply find their policy documents too hard to understand.

“Making insurance simpler doesn’t mean oversimplifying – it means being clear and more human,” Ljubicic adds. “Insurance documents that are easier to understand, paired with real guidance, can help Canadians feel confident that their coverage actually reflects their needs.”