for auto insurance, pm me

The Insurance Brokers Association of Canada and its Member Associations represent over 30,000 insurance brokers across Canada.

First define your needs and parameters, such as type of car that you want to buy and the coverage you think you will benefit by and ask a few of the brokers as to what it is that you have to pay for the type of policy needed and who all are covered in the family. See if the deductibles make any difference. See what suits your pockets. See what car you can afford and the coverage that you need. Cut your cloth according to the size. First two and three years the depreciation of a vehicle is a large amount. Take that into consideration while searching for a decent vehicle.

Then find the Insurers. There are a few brokers that will not sell policies from other Insurance companies. They are dedicated to one company, such as Co-op, All State.... These are company owned and have blinders on them.

Some brokers handle all kind of insurances and Mutual funds etc., and even they might not carry the company that you would like to get insured with.
The search is now narrowed down to a company or two and the List of brokers have to be obtained from the insurers. Now you work basackwards.

Here is a general location and whom to contact and an institution that some of them have gone through in their initial teething days.
http://www.yourinsurancebrokers.com/on-brs.html

http://www.ibac.ca/Pages/English/Consumers/Default.aspx

The body that oversees them: http://www.ontarioinsurance.com/english/insurance/

Also look into the YELLOW pages and the Canadian Desi ADS too.

Hope this helps.

Freddie.