For most people, this is their house, their car, and their contents. It can also include your boat, trailer, caravan, motorbike and mobile home.
On the business side, it is your commercial buildings, plant, and equipment, vehicles, stock and transport of stock, directors, and officers covers as well as professional and public liability.
As well, an endless list of other situations you may have.
What are the issues you face insuring your things?
The largest one is getting the amount of cover right. The very close second is the right sort of cover for your situation.
Underinsurance is a common problem at claim time. With the more recent rebuild value approach to house insurance, this is a significant area of risk for underinsurance though over insurance is also possible.
The statistics would suggest if you have not had a close look at the rebuild value of your property you could be one of the 75% who is underinsured. Our blog article may be of interest to you.
When it comes to insuring your stuff, there are several milestones and stages through life that should trigger you to review your risk management. Starting from an early age, having consideration for risk is healthy for your future wellbeing, both personally and financially.
As an adult, this starts somewhere between age 16 and 18. For the most part, you will come under your parent's covers, but sometimes relying on the old's isn't going to cut it.
The key events that should prompt you to review your general insurance cover:
- Getting your first car or bike, likely mum and dad will help, though having your own insurance is an important start to both being covered properly and establishing your insurance history.
- Getting a flat or renting a house, be it as a student or you have left home for good you need to look at contents insurance, this atricle of our's is a good place to start Time to hunt for a flat, get some insurance too.
- Buying a property, when this time comes house insurance is a requirement if you have an associated mortgage and strongly recommended to protect your hard work and earnings if it is freehold.
- Getting engaged, and married; expensive items start to be accumulated, and rings can be especially challenging to insure correctly.
- Having kids, now it is time to start considering the additional property you have accumulated.
- Buying and selling property; the risk is changing, and things like contents covers need to be reviewed to account for the growth in personal effects you own.
- Kids are coming of age, learner drivers, and more expensive toys. Vehicle coverage for under 25's needs to be added back in, and contents cover reviewed.
- Investment properties, business's started, side hobbies that have become income earning or aspirational items like boats, bikes, collector cars, and airplanes, all bring with them their own special circumstances that need insuring.
- On the other side of all of this, as you look into retirement, your risk to insurance companies is seen to have improved with people over the age of 50, 60, & 65 now able to access discounted rates due to their age. While we frown upon agism, the insurance industry does have a dispensation from the human rights act to discriminate on age and gender, but not ethnic or religious factors.
All of these situations, and more, we are able to discuss, advise, and arrange coverage for. Talking to an adviser will help you understand your risks and enable you to make better decisions.
Give us a call today and we'll keep you on the right path with this