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Read all about how to get cheaper car and life insurance from our blog section. |
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Archive for August, 2011
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
It doesn’t seem a moment since car insurance experts were warning of the hazards of summer driving but soon those low suns, greasy roads after a downpour and dust will be a distant memory. Instead you will have to look out for the hazards of autumn, and there are plenty of them to consider when you are on the road.
The first and most obvious autumn hazard that could potentially jeopardise your car insurance premiums by forcing a claim is leaves on the road. The leaves are already starting to fall this year as the temperatures begin to dip and the air becomes damper. At the moment they are settling on the pavements and verges of the road but it will not be long until they begin to fall on the road. When they do, you will find that the roads become slippery, especially as the leaves get wet and begin to break down. It is quite easy to lose your grip on the road if you drive over a patch of them so being aware is a must.
So what else could jeopardise your car insurance? Well, water on the road is another hazard. Britain obviously gets wetter when autumn arrives but puddles of water are more hazardous this year as a result of the potholes left over from last winter. Some councils have failed to maintain their roads and so puddles of water may mask cracks, potholes and hazardous road surfaces that could damage your car.
All of the above issues can cause seriously problems for drivers in the autumn, especially if they have to claim on their car insurance as a result of it all. However, by being aware, you can cut the risk factor in half and keep that no claims bonus in tact for another year.
Posted in Car Insurance | 3 Comments »
Saturday, August 27th, 2011
Could you honestly put your hand on your heart and say that you completely understand the jargon that underpins life insurance products today? Most people cannot and this has been a problem for quite some time, especially for those who have taken out policies to cover them and ensure their families were provided for. Luckily enough, though, there is now a campaign in place, known as the Plain English Campaign, to encourage insurers and banks to make their policies transparent.
This particular campaign was only launched this month and is targeting some of the jargon used on a daily basis by life insurance providers with a view to making it more obvious as to what the individual policy offers. For example, although terms like “term life insurance” are pretty self explanatory, some of the other jargon and clauses are not. One such clause is that of critical illness. Everyone knows that it will not cover you if you have a pre-existing condition but if you have symptoms of a condition then that counts too, meaning that you cannot claim if you have any signs of a potential illness.
This is just one example of where life insurance moves out of the realm of consumer friendly and into that of so confusing that it puts people off. It does need to be simplified and it looks like many policies will be in the future too. With that in mind, it is worth taking a look around the market to check what is available for you. There are plenty of options available, the range of which is designed specifically to provide something for everyone. It is certainly worth looking at and the APH comparison engine can certainly help you because there are plenty of policies out there. Compare the top providers and you may well find what you are looking for.
Posted in Life Insurance | 129 Comments »
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
After having recently moved house and found that our premiums have gone down a little, I started thinking about exactly how home insurance is calculated. Nobody knows exactly unless they write the algorithms on the computers that calculate and finalise individual quotes, but that is not to say that there are a few general pointers that offer you a guideline on how high or how low your home insurance premiums will be.
For example, home insurance companies will ask you whether you have a working alarm in your home. They very rarely actually ask you if you use it but the fact that you have one in your home indicates that it may be more secure than a home that does not have one. Furthermore, burglars are often put off breaking into certain homes if they have an alarm box on the front. The home insurance company may also ask you if you have further security systems in place because some homeowners are now having protection devices like CCTV put in place to deter potential burglars and vandals. This will also reduce your premiums.
Another thing that will help you to reduce your home insurance premiums is having dead bolts on the doors and locks on the windows. Failing to have either will increase your premiums significantly because they are easier to break into than those homes that do have these security features.
A final point that is taken into consideration is your postcode. If your local area has a high crime rate or has flooded in the past then you are likely to have to pay more. You can do nothing about these points but you may well be able to offset the extra costs by making sure that your home is as secure as possible. In addition to lower home insurance premiums, it will also give you that extra peace of mind.
Posted in Home Insurance | 3 Comments »
Sunday, August 21st, 2011
With it being late August and all, you have probably not put much thought into your car and how it is going to cope with the coming winter months. Why would you? After all, the snows last year were a one off, right? Wrong! Given the fact that Auckland in New Zealand has had the first snow in 80 years there during the winter months, it is a fair bet that we will be suffering from cold temperatures and more snow storms this year. So are you thinking about your car and your car insurance now?
Car insurance is a major point of interest in the winter months because many providers do not offer certain extras like roadside recovery and some of the cheaper providers charge an excess for vehicle recovery after an accident. Furthermore, many do not offer cover for simple things like keys breaking off in locks when they have frozen. This can be very expensive to fix so now may be the time that you check your policy to see what your car insurance offers, especially if it is coming up renewal time for you.
When you do renew your car insurance, make sure that it can offer you the winter provisions and features that you need, such as lock and key cover, breakdown cover and accident recovery just in case. You can make sure that it is within your budget and has the features you need. The trick is to use a comparison engine like APH to make sure that you get the best possible deal for your money. It can take a while if you go around and get individual quotes but eliminating that by using a comparison engine could save you time as well as money. It takes a few moments in the comfort of your own home so prepare for winter now!
Posted in Car Insurance | 106 Comments »
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Climate change has been debated for years now as experts, environmentalists and various other parties have tried to understand it, determine what it does and figure out whether or not it is a real entity or whether it is just a figment of the imagination. Although most people have now acknowledged that it exists, even if it is cyclical in nature as history has proven, many are still unaware of the problems that it can cause when it is truly examined. For example, a recent study has proved that it has an incredible impact on home insurance, believe it or not.
Climate change is essentially the changing of the temperature and weather conditions around the world, which explains why our seasons became less defined a decade or so ago but we are experiencing more extreme weather conditions in terms of drought and snow. It is this disparity that is causing problems with home insurance, or at least for those that have buildings insurance anyway, because the risk of subsidence is far greater than ever before. The extremes are destabilising the soil beneath many homes and causing major shifts, which can damage foundations and cause houses to slip to a far greater extent than you may realise. This can elevate home insurance quotes if your area is in specific danger of slipping.
So what can you do to preserve your home insurance? Well, you could get a surveyor in to check your risk or do a little research online to check where you stand. However, if the entire area is at risk then you may expect your premiums to go up in the near future so always look around to make sure that you have the cover you want at a price you can afford. You need good cover for subsidence so avoid taking cheap over quality.
Posted in Home Insurance | 150 Comments »
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Multi car insurance is one of the newest products on the car insurance market today and has easily become one of the most popular with households having more than one car at the same address, especially those who have young drivers there and do not want to break the law by fronting for them. However, you should know that multi car insurance does not always lower insurance premiums. It does bases on factors like age and driving record but it may actually elevate them if there are certain cars in your household, namely a BMW 3.5, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes C Class or Range Rover Sport. These cars are the most stole in the UK right now.
Fast, powerful, well built and incredible in terms of performance, all of the cars named above are highly sought after by thieves who look to get a hold of the keys rather than breaking into them. However, no matter how you look at it, they are all expensive to insure anyway, even more so now the information has been released about the crime and theft rates. Multi car insurance companies, in fact all car insurance companies, do use data like that to adjust their quotes. As a result, you should expect to increase your payments every month to ensure that you have the protection that you need.
Popular cars will push up multi car insurance premiums if they are also popular with thieves but the extent to which it will push them up largely depends on who is driving it. Whether you have a good record or not will make a difference. However, no matter which car you ultimately choose to have, multi car insurance may still ultimately save your household a little cash so it is worth looking at as a very real option.
Posted in Multi Car Insurance | 61 Comments »
Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Life insurance is often perceived as being one of those policies that the young invest in. Those with young families choose cover to provide if they should ever pass away suddenly. Homeowners in their 20s and 30s choose to own a life insurance policy to cover their mortgage so as to ensure that their partner or spouse would not have to worry about the remaining balance if they found themselves an income down. However, attitudes towards life insurance amongst the over 50s is slowly but surely changing with policies specifically for those in their senior years now available and offering excellent value for money.
Under 50s life insurance policies are very different from those for over 50s. For a start, they tend to offer very little in terms of return, with most offering under £5000 back, but they are also perfect for those with health problems because they do not require medicals either. Initially offered as a funeral fund policy, they are also perfect for those looking to leave a bit behind for the family. There are very few clauses at all that prevent people from taking out such a policy but it is certainly still worth looking around.
Life insurance is not something that only applies to a certain group of people. We are all going to die at some point and it is simply a way of leaving something behind for those who rely on you. Whether you are 25 or 75, it is certainly worth looking into the possibilities available. There are many providers of all sorts of cover so check out your options and, most importantly, get the quotes you need to see which ones will suit you best. After all, you never know whether some will suit your family as well as your wallet better than others.
Posted in Life Insurance | 1 Comment »
Friday, August 12th, 2011
Have you ever been tempted by certain offers that are advertised by various car insurance providers on TV. “Find a better deal and we will give you £50!” “Switch to us and we will beat your renewal quote!” “Why not try us and get £100 today!” All of them sound absolutely fantastic but they tend to offer a sort of false economy. They are specifically designed to attract car insurance customers and often also serve to mask the faults behind a certain policy. Of course, every policy is designed to suit someone out there but would you really be happy with £100 to lure you to a company only to find that you have an excess of £500? Thought not. This is only an example but you catch the drift.
More and more companies are starting to offer cashback or vouchers to entice more customers to them when their car insurance is up for renewal and such an offer is often met by a greater number of policies being approved. However, there are so many problems with this and too many people settling for an average or poor car insurance policy as a result.
If you can get the car insurance policy you want and can afford then you have the best possible cover for you. If that comes with a bonus then even better, but never choose the bonus over and above the policy itself because that is a sure fire way to get burned. Incentives are just what the label suggests but they do not indicate the quality of cover available so your best course of action at renewal time is to compare car insurance quotes and go from there. If you have the policy you want then you automatically get peace of mind and that is worth more than any cash or voucher incentive available.
Posted in Car Insurance | 15 Comments »
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Have you watched much of the news about the rioting over the last few days? If you have not then where have you been??? It has literally been plastered all over the TV and newspapers for several days now. Plenty of people have been affected by it and will continue to be but if you are one of the many people that have had their cars burned or damaged as a result of the rioting then do you know where you stand in relation to your car insurance?
Car insurance providers undoubtedly put their head in their hands when they were looking at the damage because many will have to pay for cars that are no longer a viable transport option. However, some are apparently already refusing to pay out. Some of the cheapest providers actually have clauses in their cover that states that they will not pay out for incidence like mass violence and other such oragnised affairs. This is not confirmed as yet but you never know whether it is true or not until you hear it directly from the provider.
It should be worth noting though that car insurance providers will put your premiums up when renewal time rolls around because you will have had an area upgrade as far as the likelihood of crime is concerned. If you claim then you will be more likely to do so in the next 12 months but even if you have not then some providers will increase your quotes because someone near to you may have done. You cannot win either way. The only thing to do is to compare car insurance before taking out a quote. This is the only way that you will find a policy to suit you and an affordable premium that suits your wallet as well!
Posted in Car Insurance | 11 Comments »
Monday, August 8th, 2011
Are you a student? If you are the the likelihood is that you live either in student housing off campus or a dorm on campus. Either way, your room is prime fodder for thieves these days because students are more technologically savvy than ever before. In fact, a recent survey found that students are taking an average possessions value of £2,652 with them when they head away to university. This is no bad thing because it means that you are able to enjoy your time at uni and relax as well as working hard. However, there is a problem when it comes to home insurance because the simple fact is that most students do not have any.
There can be little doubt that expensive gadgets are responsible for the vast majority of value each student carries in terms of belongings. For example, 80% of students have a laptop with a further 14% having a desktop and 4% having a tablet. In addition, many have a mobile phone, camera, jewellery, PDA, iPod, iPad and many will also have designer clothing of some sort. This all adds up to a whole lot of cash… and a whole lot to lose if you do not have your stuff covered by a good home insurance policy.
Every student needs some sort of home insurance to cover their possessions and thinking you will not get broken into and stolen from is not an option. The simple fact is that you could lose everything that means something to you at uni and not be able to afford to replace it so getting cover is definitely a way to keep even deeper poverty at bay! There are some fantastic providers of regular home insurance and also specialist student insurance so it is definitely worth checking it all out today to see what little you would have to pay for peace of mind.
Posted in Home Insurance | 103 Comments »
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