Secondary to the databases — but essential. Short primers that make the wording and underwriter records usable.
What a bond is, who the three parties are, and how claims actually work.
Open primer →Shared language for penal sum, obligee, indemnity, and more.
Open glossary →Forms 900/901 and the 990/994 family, citizenship policy links, and S.2232 status — verify at official sources.
Open guide →Co-surety capacity, US vs Canada bond-size norms, and how subcontractor default insurance differs from traditional surety.
Open guide →Post-construction grid and power financial guarantees — cash, LOCs, and surety alternatives where utilities accept them.
Open briefing →Ontario prompt payment and adjudication are live; BC’s Construction Prompt Payment Act has Royal Assent but is not yet in force.
Open briefing →Basic 10% holdback and mandatory annual release since January 1, 2026 — Form 6, pay windows, and broker watch-outs.
Open briefing →What a modern surety desk watches — market climate, IIJA timing, bank LOC vs surety, and commercial book notes — plus the living roster.
Open pack →What a wording is, performance vs payment vs labour & material, and the public US / Canadian form families — verify the specimen in hand.
Open guide →