Sports Accident specialists Personal Accident have announced a large increase in the number of personal injury claims on sports accident insurance and sports accident travel insurance policies in recent weeks due to domestic related sports injuries picked up during the big freeze. A spokesman said 'football injury claims are outweighing skiing and snowboard holiday claims at this time of year for the first time since 2003'.
Big Freeze - Check your Buildings and Home Insurance
Online buildings insurance advice centre building-insurance.net is advising clients, particularly those who may own a second home, are currently working way or are away on holiday, to get a friend or neighbour to check their properties for burst pipes.
Water Damage is the number one claim at this time of the year. after a week of sub zero temperatures, now as the freeze subsides is the time that most damage occurs when the water pressure is allowed to build up. Home Insurance companies across the country are currently inundated with claims related to last weeks big freeze.
You can avoid a lot of extra damage to your buildings and contents if you take a few precautions regarding frozen pipes.
Get the pipe properly lagged Uninsulated pipes exposed to freezing temperatures can cause water to freeze inside them.This can result in burst pipes once the water thaws so make sure all pipes particularly external ones are lagged. Make sure tanks and pipes within the loft are in good condition and well lagged. If going away for work or holidays during the winter months maintain gas and electric central heatings at a low to moderate level. In the event of a burst pipe, turn off the mains water stopcock. Its advisable to know the location of this beforehand but itis quite often found underneath the sink, in the bathroom,below the stairs or possibly low down or in a cellar. If your own water supply is pumped up from a well or ground, switch the sytem off until you have checked the ice level.
Make sure your Home Insurance has provision for both burst pipes and other big freeze contingency covers. Many of the best home insurance companies have 24 Hour Household Emergency Helplines who will be able to help with all thing plumbing related. Check your policy document to make sure your existing home insurance covers all these risks and if it doesn't we advise you to shop around as there are some great deals to be had in the UK Home Insurance market at the current time, including many offering free or half price contents cover
The Bank of England steering committee are meeting today to discuss Interest Rates and are likely to drop the base rate by at least half a percent to 1.5%. This will be the lowest UK rate for over 350 years. Will it make a difference? Well certainly to those of us who have interest only mortgage repayments or large commercial borrowings, but only if these banks (source of all the current problems) pass this rate cut onto the us customers. If they dont then the Government have simply increased the banks profits by .5 percent!
Which brings me to Credit Cards. Credit cards are the lifeblood of the Internet and the majority of transactions could not be achieved without them. They are the most used form of transaction and are essential to the free flow of the modern money supply. So why are the pariah banks allowed to charge extortionate rates for this this form of essential credit? These anti-social institutions are charging you and me anything between 12% to 30% for the privilige. These Interest Rates are outrageous and it's high time the Government cracked down on these thieves and brought them to bear to explain their 'criminal' loan shark rates!
It is essential that credit card rates are brought in line with all the other forms of borrowing if the Government is serious about pump priming the economy. Write or email your member of parliament today to express your views about these outrageous and economy damaging rates. The credit card debt in the UK is massive and needs to be addressed immediately if we are to stand any chance as a nation of dragging ourselves out of debt and recession.
If you are lucky enough to be still employed and have a large monthly credit card debt, think about how you are going to pay these extortionate bills should the worst happen and you lose your JOB. Personal Accident provides a range of income protection and lifestyle protection insurance products which will cover your credit card debt for 12 or 24 months should you become unemployed. Vist Personal Accident for some future peace of mind and don't forget - Write to your MP complaining about the loan shark credit card companies!
Classic Car Insurance - Are you sure you are covered?
Do you think that if the worst happens you will get the full market value for your classic motor under your current car insurance policy? What if market prices fluctuate as in the current economic crisis? Are you worried that if the worst happens your cherished classic car will not be covered? You should be! However most of this angst can easily be avoided if you take out an additional cover called a 'Guaranteed Agreed Valuation'. All reputable Classic Car Insurance Companies will allow this option and for a small extra sum can lead to some peaceful nights.
The main purpose of the Guaranteed Agreed Valuation cover is that in the event of a total loss claim where the classic car is written off, the insurance company or underwriters will guarantee to pay the policy holder the full certified value of the classic car less the policy excess if any is applicable. Normally, all Guaranteed Agreed Valuations are subject to a valid valuation certificate having been issued by the participating insurance company. If you are planning to switch insurer to take advantage of the many offers that are currently available from specialist car insurance companies, particularly on the Internet where the market is softer, be sure to check that a certificate issued by one Valuer is recognized by the new insurer. To avoid doubt, the old insurance GAV value should be used as the Sum Insured value for the new classic car insurance declaration. You may well be asked if you wish to pay a small fee for a new GAV, in which case, this will be necessary to protect your desired value with the new company. Once the guaranteed agreed valuation has been purchased, an application form will be enclosed with the insurance documentation which should be completed and returned by yourself to the particular insurance company valuations department.
Most classic car insurance companies require six current photographs of the insured vehicle, preferably taken within the last couple of months. These should consist of four exterior body exposures from all side angles, one of the interior engine bay and one of the vehicle interior. You should check with the company which format is acceptable for them. Most of the better companies accept 35mm prints; Polaroids, jpegs, gifs etc. and scanned images sent via email. Photocopies are not normally acceptable and usually all photos must be in colour. Where appropriate you may wish to submit bills for any substantial works carried out to the vehicle to support your application for the valuation. These should only be relevant to works carried out to the classic car within the previous three years. Photocopies are acceptable provided the originals would be available in the event of a claim. Once the completed application form and photographs are received by the Insurance Company valuers, the expert valuers will set a guaranteed value of the vehicle. You will then be sent a certificate which states the guaranteed sum for the insured vehicle. Please note that the certificate will not usually be back dated to the start of the insurance policy, and it will only be valid from the date of issue. All photographs and any bills submitted for works completed will be returned to you along with the guaranteed agreed valuation certificate.
Should the value of the vehicle change significantly during the certified period, then inform your Insurer and they will send you a new application form for a re-valuation. Usually you can expect an additional charge applies for each valuation completed. In addition, a change to the insured vehicle value may result in a change in the insurance premium, so beware.
In cases where a guaranteed agreed valuation certificate has not been issued for your cover, and a total loss claim occurs, you will be probably be paid at the current market value of your classic car, the annual depreciating price given to all cars, usually from Glass's Guide.
For UK Classic Car Insurance there's no need to look further than Lancaster Insurance who manage all the marque and members clubs insurance schemes for classic car companies such as MG, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Jaguar. Get a really competitive classic car insurance quote in seconds, from the UK experts.
Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance for Unemployment
Last December saw UK average house prices fall by another 2.5% taking the average house price down to £153,048 which amounts to £29,000 less than 1 year ago. However the number of new mortgages offered and approved in November was at it lowest since at least 1997, according to recent statistics from the British Banking Association (BBA).
The banks and building societies have taken a hit on the interest rate income and continuing to stifle liquidity and extenuate the crisis that they created. Despite Government measures the crisis appears to be deepening as the supply of money shrinks.
With unemployment growing daily and the outlook for the first half of the year bleak, it really is time you took a look at mortgage payment protection insurance.
This cover is specifically designed to meet your mortgage outgoings should you become unemployed. Award winning British Insurance offer various payment protection policies with mortgages covered up to £2000 per month. A typical premium will be in the £30 - £40 per month range - excellent value for peace of mind in these times when noones job is secure.
So I sat around on the early part of New Years Eve thinking about 'What on earth to write of interest' about insurance in the UK as we enter 2009. No I didn't, I'm not that sad! but I couldn't help but notice the massive TV ad campaign being run by Norwich Union offering free contents insurance up to £50000 if you buy your buildings cover through them. Well that made me sit up and think - What? and Why? The focus of Home Insurance over the last few years, especially sales on the Internet from many of the major brands have been the opposite, offering unlimited building SI's cover to attract the contents cover. So OK blanket unspecified covers up to 50k of contents, but surely the buildings rates have got to reflect the difference? I haven't tested the premiums yet but maybe NU are selling it cheaper? So why are they doing it? Well obviously to target a specific sector and increase their book of home insurance business. Maybe they think people will be cutting back on contents insurance during a recession as a luxury item not imposed by mortgage or other conditions upon homeowners. Most likely they think that all that bank buildings insurance business is up for grabs!. Perhaps this is the final stage of NU becoming a totally direct insurer before it becomes rebranded as Aviva (soon to be!! - have you seen those stupid ads all over London?). I suppose they're also finding it extremely difficult trying to sell their traditional products in this market and think Home Insurance is a soft touch...hmmmm.
So anyway I thought no more of it and carried on drinking and then at the next commercial break - flying pigs? Nope. Just More Than giving away contents insurance for free and guess what - up to £75ks worth.
At least the More Th>n offering seems to make good business sense. £75k is the bottom end of the high net worth contents and home insurance market and the large buildings will pack a fair premium with plenty of opportunities to cross sell to the HNW clients. Does one size fits all work in the UK home insurance market? Others will probably have jumped on board the free contents insurance band-wagon before I've finished this article, but we remain sceptical until we've checked out the devil in the detail. Let us know your thoughts!
At insurance blog we think if you're a high net worth customer you are more inclined to seek specialist and personalised home insurance cover. That's why we recommend you take a look at Hiscox Home Insurance before you renew or move from that annoying bank.
Hiscox Home Insurance is comprehensive and specifically designed for people with higher value homes and possessions.
When choosing home insurance a customer can feel certain with Hiscox because:
• No policy available direct has better cover, as standard • Hiscox is a solid and trusted company, dating back to 1901
Great reasons to choose Hiscox
1. Hiscox home insurance has been awarded 5 stars from independent market researchers, Defaqto, for the third year running 2. Hiscox are one of the few direct insurers offering 'all risks' cover, meaning minimal exclusions, maximum cover 3. Contents covered inside the home and when temporarily away anywhere in the world 4. Buildings cover automatically includes accidental damage 5. No need to list every valuable on your policy worth more than £1,500 6. 24 hour emergency cover (e.g. for blocked drains).
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