Posts Tagged ‘home insurance’

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Don’t become a victim to shed theft!

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Get the garden security in! Our gardens are once again at threat by those green- fingered bandits! The summer of produced a surprising increase in garden crime of 63% according to the article “Protected your home against theft? Don’t forget your shed!” The insurance providers Halifax anticipate a further increase of garden related theft for this year.

Not only are our garden tools and equipment at risk, so too are our trees! The garden security specialists Gardien reported the theft of a couple of bay trees last month in Manchester! It is a reality that anything situated outside that is in full view of the opportunist criminal mind such as statues and even crazy paving. The security specialists additionally reported five sheds in Hertfordshire broken into in the last month. (Lock up those sheds good and proper if you live in Hertfordshire!)

It seems the time has come to look at serious crime prevention measures for our gardens as well as our homes. Many of us who enjoy tinkering about in the garden of an evening have plants to the average value of seven hundred pounds! Shed owners have a tendency to squirrel away goods to the value of little short of a thousand pounds so with this in mind isn’t it of little wonder that those career criminals come sniffing round. Not only do we keep anything from bicycles to lawnmowers in our sheds, this is where the tools are kept that are best suited for a housebreak! The security of our gardens and indeed our sheds cry out for attention!

Green crime on the increase, the garden centres are reporting break-ins too! But how little comfort there is in the fact that private gardens are not the only targets of the ‘green-fingered’ criminal. A Watford garden centre recently reported the theft of a specific variety of plants leading to speculation that the culprits were landscape gardeners stealing to order!

While the average cost to replace stolen garden goods is over three hundred pounds, many of us are guilty of not checking our home insurance policies. Checking our insurance cover is especially appropriate as some companies cover gardens as standard while others do not! If your current insurance policy does not cover your garden, a garden insurance tack on may only cost as little as thirty pounds per year! Cover for your garden is worthwhile in that it not only covers theft of goods but may pay for garden design expenses in the event of criminal damage.

In addition to a good garden insurance policy, ensure your garden security is instantly improved with simply additions such as lights and well-placed thorn bushes.

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Sidestep burglary – move to Dudley!

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

The credit crunch is forcing people to consider economising by making cuts to their insurance. Conclusions drawn, however, from a recent Virgin Money survey were that people living in certain areas should not hastily cancel their policies. Research has revealed certain geographical regions are worse for burglary, criminal damage and flooding than others and the results (in some cases) are surprising.

According to the article “The most likeliest places to be burgled” if you live in Doncaster, Nottingham, Sheffield and Middlesborough you really ought to be shopping for home insurance. Recent findings have revealed a burglary concentration in these towns compared with England and Wales maintaining that residents of these places should think twice before cancelling their insurance policies.

Do you live in a safe part of England?

The safest areas in England and Wales are (in order of the safest first) Kensington and Chelsea, Dudley, Poole, Brighton and Hove, Wandsworth, Lewisham, City of Westminster, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Southend. These towns and boroughs scored highly in terms of safety by taking into consideration the criteria of ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ presence, levels of police officers on patrol in an area as well as data held at the National Office of Statistics, the Home Office, the Association of Police Authorities and the Environment Agency.

To say that the Kensington and Chelsea borough was a burglar free zone would be an untruth! This is an area of considerable wealth and so a magnet for any thief with ambitious tendencies. The findings of this Virgin Money survey can prove somewhat confusing, with Kensington and Chelsea (regarded the safest place to live) regarded as less of a flood risk and criminal damage target experiencing high levels of burglary. Overall however, insurers regard this particular borough as ‘low risk’ therefore keeping premiums low for the residents.

Where the location of your home hugely affects your insurance premiums, in order to economise you need to ask yourself if you live in a safe area.

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Tesco set to create jobs in banking!

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Amid today’s climate of downsizing and bankruptcies, a wave of new businesses being launched makes a refreshing change from all the doom and gloom! According to the article “Glasgow set the standard as Tesco set to open 30 banks” the supermarket giant Tesco are set to reverse the job loss situation in the UK’s financial services sector. Well done, Tesco!

At a time when the general public are becoming disillusioned with banks, Tesco are hoping to attract customers with their excellent reputation as a popular and familiar family brand. Plans to open thirty banking establishments across the nation began with the launch of the very first branch within its Glasgow superstore. Following on from its pilot branch a further twenty-nine branches are set to be up and running before 2010, beginning with Coventry, Blackpool, Bristol and Brislington.

Following on from the success of Tesco financial services, it is only a matter of time before the range of services expands. Many of us already in possession of Tesco brand home insurance, pet insurance, credit cards and more will be able to take advantage of the full banking package at the leading supermarket. Plans to expand are running on full throttle as once these designated Tesco banking branches are up and running, we will then be able to apply for a Tesco current account within a short sharp eighteen months. In addition to the more familiar products of insurance and credit cards, the store’s plans include much more including mortgages.

Offering a service that is traditional and conservative, it is hoped that customers will enjoy Tesco banking’s somewhat old fashioned approach. In their efforts to provide a banking service that supports customer loyalty, Tesco have reported an increase by a hundred percent of money deposited with them in the last six months. Five hundred thousand customers now bank with Tesco thanks to a recent drive in conjunction with RBS. Ever since going it alone having bought out the banking giant in July 2008, the sales figures speak for themselves. Saving accounts opened in one month alone (last December to be precise) equalled those achieved in a whole year (2007). With this in mind, it seems Tesco can rest assured they are giving customers what they want and providing a better service.

Finally, more good news was recently announced, that Tesco aim to recruit around two hundred employees to operate its financial services headquarters in Edinburgh.

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You may regret cancelling that boiler insurance!

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Hang the expense because boiler insurance is very necessary. It may seem like an unnecessary cost especially considering all your other outgoings, but imagine how dreadful it would be if your boiler was to pack in right in the middle of a harsh winter. Boiler insurance offers peace of mind and is a necessary expense despite tightening our belts (on the scale that we all are). According to the article “If the heating suddenly packs up, who will get you out of hot water?” a large number of boiler insurance policies are currently being cancelled because of the credit crunch.

According to the price comparison website, uswitch.com, over a million households have switched off their boiler insurance cover. Is this a false economy as we consider the overwhelming statistics? Over thirty percent of boilers will actually break down within six years of its installation. The repair bill for a boiler averages out to about £220 and a brand new boiler will cost £2,500. Could we be making a mistake in cancelling our boiler insurance in an effort to cut costs?

Breakdown contracts are not however favoured by the consumer organisation “Which?” who claim it is cheaper to call out an engineer than to pay for insurance cover.
The people at “Confused.com” argue boiler insurance is worth the money however. Boiler insurance does tend to vary according to your provider so it is important to check exactly what you are covered for.

There are a number of ways to ensure your boiler is protected including through your energy supplier, through a new product warranty or through your home insurance. If your provider is Esure, you can elect their Home Emergency cover as an addition to your buildings or home contents provision for an additional £44.99 a year. With Home Emergency, not only your boiler is covered but also your plumbing, drainage, domestic power and main heating are protected too.

If you are after specific boiler insurance, which includes an annual service and emergency boiler professionals, the price varies between £5.99 and £8.99 a month. There seems no end to the list of providers to choose from so you would do well to shop around for the best deal.

For household with an aging boiler waiting to break down, an energy efficient replacement could cost as little as £800 and can save you over a hundred pounds in bills. When you do proceed in getting a new boiler, your priority is to ensure it is checked regularly for carbon monoxide omissions.

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Insurance cover proves hard to get as terrorism continues to grab the headlines.

Friday, December 5th, 2008

As another terror campaign hits the Indian city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) we find ourselves asking ourselves the question, are we insured for terrorism? According to the article “Terrorism: the more attacks, the less insurers covering you for it” ‘terrorism insurance’ is difficult to find.

Norwich Union, immediately the 07/07 bombings hit London with a terror campaign, were observed amending the home insurance policy content. Their new wording stated clearly and concisely that terrorism acts were not to be covered. No fewer than sixteen large insurance companies followed suit stating clearly that terrorism could not be insured against.

Despite the likelihood of a terrorist attack being very small, when they do happen, all the usual risk models go out the window. In terms of monetary and financial value, insurance is engineered to protect against the threat of the probable to the very improbable. Terrorist attacks are considered extraordinary events and so it is difficult for any insurance company to realistically account for it. One terrorist attack is capable of being highly catastrophic within a concentrated and minimal period of time and so is difficult to measure.

The cost of the damage of the IRA attack on the Manchester Shopping Centre in 1996 exceeded £200 million while the Canary Wharf bomb attack caused over a hundred million.

The government are looking at ways to encourage our insurance companies with some sort of encouragement to provide terrorist cover. Once such incentive is to get insurance companies to pool their resources. According to an article in the Telegraph following 9/11, negotiations have taken place instigated by the government between insurers and something called Pool Re. Pool Re is a scheme whereby insurance companies and the Government join forces to provide a guarantee that any losses brought about by acts of terrorism to enterprises will be covered.

In the meantime, it is very difficult to come by terrorism insurance although the situation does seem to be in a state of elementary metamorphosis. Although terrorism cover is practically impossible to come by, you may be able to achieve it through your travel insurance policy (check your small print for confirmation!)

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‘Tis the season to be… wary (of fires!)

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Fire accidents in the UK every year average 45,000, equating to a whopping annual bill of millions of pounds worth of damage (not to mention the risk to health and safety – 300 people were killed in house fires in 2006). According to the article “Sharp increase in house fires during winter months” the likelihood of us placing a claim on our home insurance for fire damage increases by sixty one per cent in December. We need to be ever vigilant for fire hazards during the winter months because if ever you were likely to have a fire, it would be now, during the Christmas season.

As a result of analysing trends of fire claims between September 2007 and August 2008, Direct Line discovered first of all that it was the Summer that produced fewer fire claims than any other season and that secondly, fires become more common as we head towards the winter. They found that average total fire claims increased by 25% throughout the autumn and increased by 50% in the winter.

With statistics revealing the likelihood of fire incidences being much lower in July and August than any other time of the year we can all be on our guard as we prepare to embark upon the season with the worst house fire occurrences.

Thinks to look out for in order to prevent a house fire are our Christmas lights. They may look pretty but fairy lights and illuminations are the worst fire contributors of the lot! Next ensure your open fire is secured and not left un-manned and the same applies to oil burners and candles.

Take the proper precautions when smoking indoors. During the winter months, we would rather keep warm when we are puffing away so there is a tendency to fall asleep with a cigarette left burning.

Fires are additionally caused during the winter through faulty electric blankets, heaters and other electrical items. Do not leave them on unattended for long periods of time or you will risk a fire starting.

Thanks to campaigns to increase awareness of fire hazards and the presence of smoke alarms, we are on our way to protecting our families and preventing incidences of fire in our homes. Direct Line who have been monitoring the trends in fire claims throughout the year are now taking positive steps and providing safety information for their customers. One such significant piece of fire safety advice is that a smoke alarm should be placed on every floor in your home to detect swiftly any threat. By testing your smoke alarm every week in case the battery runs out and discarding old Christmas tree lights you are on the road to good home fire safety. Other fire safety measures include not smoking in bed, not overloading power sockets, keeping matches and lighters away from children, not burning candles near curtains, under shelves or on the bath and always having a fire escape plan.

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Get those presents insured this Christmas!

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, as they say, so now is the time that we ought to check our Christmas present insurance according the moneysupermarket website in the article “Unwrap the right cover this Christmas!”

Even amidst all this doom and gloom brought on by the credit crunch, Christmas brings out the generous side in people and we can find our cupboards suddenly packed with expensive present items. These added valuables are rarely remembered on the home insurance however.

Now is the time to make sure those extra valuables are covered for the pickings are about to get extremely rich for the house burglars. They’ll be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of Christmas so you need to make sure you are prepared. All the more important is that you are not under-insured, say the money supermarket, having to pay out huge excesses because you have misunderstood your cover.

The good news is that insurance companies increase your home contents cover automatically but by how much, it can inevitably vary. Generally at Christmas, an insurance provider will increase contents values by 10% with no extra charge. One exception is the AA who increases their value of contents by 20% between December and January.

There are two sides to every coin and the point of the article is that you need to be aware whether or not your insurer will increase their contents cover because while some vary by up to 20%, not all companies vary at all such as Endsleigh. Endsleigh does not and will not provide instant free extra cover over Christmas so many customers could find themselves misguided and under-protected – only finding out at the worst time, when they come to claim.

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‘Insuring’ our ex-offenders get a good deal!

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Thousands of ex-offenders are being helped to get their lives back on track in more ways than one! The Delite Insurance Agency offer a unique service by not only providing home insurance cover to people who are struggling but provide advice and support where needed too.

According to a recent article issued by the National Association of Reformed Offenders “Concerns about insurance for ex-offenders” difficulties with insurance often arise when an ex-offender sets up home with their family after a spell in prison. Premiums can often go through the roof once this information is disclosed so people avoid disclosing this information when the time of renewal comes. Thanks to Delite, insurance premiums do not have to go through the roof and there is no question of holding back information regarding the new addition to your house. In addition, thanks to Delite, people who have returned to society from a spell in prison are offered a new lease of life when all too often they are held back or constantly under further pressure to resort back to ‘old ways’.

Delite who have joined forces with JML insurance for the last eighteen months are working together to offer an insurance product that is not standard and geared towards specific circumstances. The companies are set to assist many more ex-offenders in addition to their client base of Northern Ireland residents.

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Living together beneath a solitary roof

Friday, October 17th, 2008

There is a new trend about to take off, according to a recent article “All under one roof”, for people to seriously consider opening up their homes to family members. But with all these people living under one roof, will we be losing out because we are forgetting to inform our insurance companies of the increased value of our collective belongings?

Twenty six per cent of people surveyed informed researchers they would go as far as to purchase a bigger sized home to be able to accommodate extended family members. Twenty seven per cent revealed they would consider purchasing a home in conjunction with in-laws or parents as they approach their twilight years.

Currently, sixty seven per cent of people living in the British Isles live with their family but in the future this is expected to change. While the larger proportion of people surveyed stated they would need a bigger property in order to take care of older relatives, thirty one percent saw the financial benefits of a decision such as this while eleven per cent claimed they would prefer sharing their roof with a number of family relatives.

The people at Halifax Home Insurance recognise this return of the trend where the generations live together is due primarily to our current social and economic situation. People actually want to live together again (as opposed to being more independent as was the trend in the not so distant past) and see the financial advantages of this. People’s attitudes towards multi-generational co-habitation can vary according to geography, it would seem. If you live in the south east, you are more likely to want to live with your older parents than those living in the west.

Regarding the matter of home contents insurance, where more people live under one roof, one would expect the number of valuable personal belongings to be greater. It is easy to end up with less cover than you need unless you take out an unlimited cover policy like that on offer at the Halifax. With research showing people are sometimes not clued in as to what the correct values are of family members’ belongings, more often than not, homes are underinsured, and this is a worry.

Should a family member move in with you, it will be beneficial to all concerned to inform your insurance provider alerting them to those extra items of higher value that you now need to cover.

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Protect your house from the school holidays!

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

In the article “Home insurance could save the day this school holiday”  we are alerted to the fact our children’s school holidays could cost us a fortune.

Every time there is a school holiday, the house is at greater risk of a disaster occurring than any other time. Things get a bit wild, the kids lunge about and before you know it, your favourite Ming vase is a ‘gonna’!

The company ‘Sheila’s Wheels’ have looked into the subject and have discovered £0.5 billion worth of electrical item damage is caused by bored children in the UK during the school holidays. We should take heed of this and look seriously into our home contents insurance.

Twenty five per cent of children break or damage electrical equipment which adds up to £553 million paid out in the UK to replace these things or repair them. The average child will cause damage to the tune of £183. Over one in five mums and dads claimed on their home contents insurance because of the damage caused by their children. If you were wondering what articles get damaged the most, it would have to be digital cameras and laptops at the top of the lists.

The thing to do is to get adequate insurance for your possessions so you don’t have to come home to face a horrendous bill. Only a quarter of parents questioned said they would get their children to pay for the damage as a punishment so kids generally get off lightly it would seem!

In the event of damage during the school holidays, many parents are having to foot the bill themselves. Seventeen per cent of parents do not have any kind of insurance themselves preferring to foot the bill if and when disaster occurs.

Look out the schools have emptied out!. This is the main time when things get broken and someone has to face the music, according to the people at Sheila’s Wheels that is! If you have a family, the message is, don’t take any chances with your belongings. Store away your important valuables and create plenty of space for the children to play in.

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