Insurance Articles
Reviewing your Home and Contents insurance
Posted by admin - 29/10/09 at 09:10:46 pmWith the Australian bushfire season coming up, The Insurance Council of Australia have urged householders to make sure that they have the appropriate insurance cover to avoid the chance of a severe financial loss in the event of a disaster.
Natural disasters are an unfortunate occurence in Australia, and are stressful enough without the added worry of financial difficulty.
The Insurance Council of Australia says that a home and contents insurance policy, appropriate for your circumstances, is an important feature of any risk management plan.
Even if your home is not in an area generally effected by natural disasters, their occurence is enough to remind us all to take a detailed review of our insurance needs and our level of cover.
The Insurance Council of Australia advises taking an inventory of the cost of rebuilding your home and the cost of replacing property items in and outside the home, room-by-room. This should provide an up to date requirement of your home and contents insurance needs.
By staying up to date with your home insurance requirements, you can make sure you’re prepared for any circumstances.
Insurance Articles
Travel Smart – ten tips for travellers
Posted by admin - 23/10/09 at 05:10:06 pmSmart Traveller, the Australian peak information body for Australians travelling overseas, have published a list of ‘Travel Smart’ hints for Australian travellers.
The list highlights the need for well prepared travellers to take out adequate Travel Insurance.
The complete ‘Travel Smart’ List includes;
1. Check travel advice for the destination you will be visiting.
2. Take out appropriate Travel Insurance to cover hospital treatment, medical evacuation and any activities in which you plan to participate.
3. Before travelling overseas, register your contact and travel details online.
4. It goes without saying, but obey the local laws.
5. Check the visas which are required for the country you are visiting or transiting.
6. Check with health professionals for information such as vaccinations.
7. Make sure your passport has a minimum of six months validity.
8. Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home and keep regularly in touch with your friends and relatives whilst overseas.
9. Make copies of your identification documents and leave them securely with someone at home.
10. Research whether you are regarded as being a National of any country you are about to visit, and the implications this has for travel.
Whilst it may seem that there are many things to co-ordinate before you leave for your destination, lots of these tasks can be done quickly and easily online.
You can notify Smart Traveller of your travel intentions online, keep in touch with friends and family, and process your request for travel insurance online.
Insurance Articles
Life Insurance as part of a financial plan
Posted by admin - 16/10/09 at 03:10:07 pmThe Australian Investments and Security Commission (ASIC) says that having adequate life insurance is an essential part of good financial planning.
Depending on the cover you elect to receive, Life Insurance can cover you and your dependents in the event of death, disability or long term injury. It’s important to consider Life Insurance as part of your financial plan, as it can cover you and your family against possible exposure to financial hardship in an unexpected event.
Through their website, ASIC has offered some of the following tips when looking at life insurance policies.
* Discuss life insurance with your family and partner
* Don’t just insure the highest income earner in your household
* Decide how much cover you need (there are various Life Insurance policies available, all with different levels of cover and cost)
* Read the Product Disclosure Statement carefully, which describes the product, its benefits, and any limitations as well as fees and charges.
Overall, when purchasing a Life Insurance product, it’s important to feel comfortable with the policy you have selected and to be confident that the policy meets your needs.
After all, as with all financial planning, life insurance can be seen as an investment in the future of your loved ones.
Insurance Articles
Your Lifestyle and Your Car Insurance
Posted by admin - 12/10/09 at 06:10:18 pmEver wondered how losing your car would impact on your lifestyle?
The Age Newspaper has recently published research that shows at least 20,000 cars are stolen in Australia every year, and 45,000 are involved in a car crash.
Imagine facing this stress without car insurance, and bearing the unexpected costs without any assistance.
Living without your car; whether it be used for work purposes or recreational, can put a serious dent in your style.
The Age also found that one in 10 cars on Victorian roads are currently uninsured, and stressed the importance in thoroughly researching your car insurance policy.
With the freedom that a car provides to your lifestyle, and the expense that you invest in your cars, it is important to look at a comprehensive and budget-friendly car insurance policy.
1300 Insurance provides car insurance with easy to understand policies, and can assist you in finding the car insurance that meets your budget and your needs.
Source: The Age online, September 9, 2009
Insurance Articles
Travel Insurance Research & Advice
Posted by admin - 08/10/09 at 11:10:02 amOne of the most exciting aspects of travel is the experience of a new culture. However, sometimes a bit of advice and research beforehand and ensuring all of your Travel insurance needs are covered can make the experience a lot more secure. Travel Insurance is one way to make sure you have all of your tourist needs under control.
A common issue for tourists is petty theft, and different pick pocketing techniques are renowned around the world. Based on their research, travel website Trip Advisor has published a list of the ten worst cities for pick pockets;
1. Barcelona, Spain
2. Rome, Italy
3. Prague, Czech Republic
4. Madrid, Spain
5. Paris, France
6. Florence, Italy
7. Buenos Aires, Argentina
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands
9. Athens, Greece
10. Hanoi, Vietnam
The Top 5 Tips to Avoid Being Pickpocketed
- Never keep your valuables in your back pocket as this is the easiest target for pick pockets.
- Beware of the distraction tactic; such as jostling you, or dropping something near you to grab your attention.
- Pickpockets often work in pairs or groups, and can often be unexpected targets; such as the elderly and children.
- Stay alert in confined spaces and doorways, such as train doorways, as pickpockets will often rush at you in these spaces.
- Slim down the contents of your wallet, as the less bulging your wallet is, the less likely pick pockets are to covet it.
Even the most seasoned traveller can find themselves in trouble overseas, whether it be from petty theft or health related. The peace of mind of Travel Insurance and a bit of careful research beforehand can make the experience much more enjoyable!
Source: www.tripadvisor.com
Insurance Articles
Pet insurance for family pets
Posted by admin - 02/10/09 at 03:10:06 pmIn the United States, a couple reportedly paid a figure close to $4,000.00 for an operation to repair their pet chicken’s leg.
This couple was so attached to their chicken that they had raised from two days old, that they sacrificed their savings to restore the chicken to health.
Whilst that figure may sound outrageous, it also shows the love and attachment we have for our pets, whatever the cost may be.
Other figures that came out of the states included a siamese cat who had swallowed a knitting needle, resulting in a punctured throat and an operation that cost thousands.
It may be a three thousand dollar pedigree dog that you have, or a loveable mutt that was ‘free to a good home’. Nonetheless, when your animals are not well, you will do anything to make them better, and many cases, spend lots of money in doing so.
Pet insurance is one way to ensure your pet has the best in healthcare available if this need ever arises. And just like people, some pets can be more accident prone than others!
Pet insurance can assist in knowing that your pet’s health is being looked after. And with over 12 million Australians associated with or owning a pet, and 91% of them feeling ‘very close’ to their pet, our pets really are one of the family.
Insurance Articles
Australian Travel Insurance
Posted by admin - 02/10/09 at 03:10:25 pmEach year, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deals with over 25,000 Australians in difficulty overseas. This includes over 1,200 hospitalisations, and unfortunately, 900 deaths.
Because of the expense that overseas health issues can cause, Smart Traveller, the government travel advisory body, reccomends that all Australian travellers have travel insurance. Their suggestion is that if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.
In most cases, travel is one of the most fufilling actitives you can do, and on of the most wonderful experiences that you can have. However, it is important to be mindful of the possible costs should you or your family fall ill – Smart Traveller found that an uninsured medical evacuation from the United States can cost up to $300,000 dollars.
One of the key features of travelling is that often accidents and illnesses are impossible to avoid, therefore Smart Traveller stresses the need for proper, and well researched, travel insurance in this context.
Hopefully, travel insurance is an added security feature of your holiday, and isn’t something that you need to use on your overseas experience. However, the Smart Traveller statistics show that many Australians do find themselves in need of assistance whilst overseas for a variety of reasons, and that in these instances, travel insurance is a valuable investment.