THE SEASON OF INSURANCE

Tis the season of insurances.  My renewal premium for 2014 increased by 20%....this is definitely not on!

Viking Marauders

Three years ago, I discovered it was possible to insure direct with the insurers, instead of through intermediaries.   We could get the same package at a very significant saving in our annual premiums.

Meg

Last year I received a renewal notice from the insurers, and being me, I decided to apply as a new customer.  The premium was a little lower than my quote, not by a lot, but, I reckoned the difference was better in my pocket than anyone else's.

Happy Bee

The guy I spoke to was puzzled, he said that the difference in the premiums should not have happened and said that his company did not do special deals for new customers.  After careful checks and enquiries, it transpired the different premium was the result of a percentage decrease in insurers costs, which was applied to new policies. The decrease had not been factored in for current customers! To gain the benefit, I had to have a new policy and number.  So, that's what I did.

Youngsters Claiming The Roof

This year, the insurers are advertising half price legal fees to new customers.  If that is not an inducement to gain new business, what is it?  One thing is for sure, I am not paying for it. 

Headless

So, here I am again, presenting online as a new customer. The quotation was very much cheaper  for  the same policy.  I was offered a reduction of 16%. The premium increase will still be 4% up on last year's premium, (higher than inflation).   

Inertia in moving, in making changes, inertia to challenge, are the friends of business, they profit from it.  

Driftwood

 The pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

DOES THE END NECESSITATE THE MEANS?

£95 17/- 6d believe it or not, would have been, (if you had the money and the forethought to pre-plan) the total cost of your funeral in 1970, according to the grand announcement on a leaflet. Enticingly, it goes on to enlighten that yours and my funeral would still cost the same now, in 2011, in the United Kingdom.   Did we appreciate the value of the pounds shillings and pence in our pockets, (if we had any), or is this information advising us that the funeral market has been stagnant, funereal even, for forty-one years?   No, it is telling us that if we had planned for the ceremonial departure of our mortal remains that long ago, we would still be charged the original cost, the price for that time.

Having digested the first page, inside the leaflet you are told that "never mind the £95 17/- 6d, the average funeral cost has increased in the last ten years by 94%".  This is certainly meant to be a reality check and like all advertising, works on the emotional senses. 

The best bit of all is the special offer that goes with the eye-catching historical information. You are offered a guaranteed funeral plan, at a price quoted that is based on today's costs, for whenever you die. The other conditional highlight is, if you are over fifty years old when you apply for the offer, you are guaranteed to be accepted. 

I nearly forgot to mention, how remiss of me; you get a stylish pen for requesting an information pack, [and adding yourself to the endless mailshot database].

INSURING FOR OR AGAINST TRAVEL

When you take out a travel insurance policy, either for a single or multi-trips,

1- What do you wish to be insured for?
2- What do you wish to be insured against?
3- What does your travel insurance actually cover?
4- When taking out the insurance, have you thought about the personal profiling?
5- Do you truly understand the pros and cons of what the insurance company require?
6- Do you know what type of insurance cover the insurance company has given you?

These questions are becoming vitally pertinent, especially in the current travel chaos and the present travel and insurance environment.