WANTED Insurance and Mortgage Advisers

We have an opportunity to build or expand your own business within your local community, and you'll be backed by one of the strongest and oldest brands in the Mortgage and Insurance broking industry - us!

There are a limited number of opportunities so if you are keen to find out more check out our full advert on TradeMe ... or if you know someone looking plass this on!

House & Contents Insurance - the value of advice

The Christchurch earthquake is a timely reminder to us all to review our insurances.

Whilst Christchurch and the surrounding areas are in the early days of a rebuild and there are a number of issues to overcome there are already trends starting to emerge and dents showing up in household's insurance cover.

Watching the insurers all scramble down to Canterbury to throw their resources into making it as easy as possible has been a humbling experience. We are proud to be involved in the industry. Whilst some of the assessors and claims managers had their own homes destroyed and damaged they still dropped everything to assist in helping clients as quickly as they could.

OUR TOP 6 TIPS

As a result of some of the lessons emerging from this disaster and from our normal day to day claims experiences we have the following TOP TIPS to share with you all when it comes to house and contents insurance:

• Check your policy wording on where the insurer stands on your home being empty whilst you are out of town. Some insurers will simply not cover you after a period of time. Find out this exact detail.


• When your family home becomes an investment property, have you informed your insurer that it is now tenanted? What extra protection do you need to take on when your property becomes tenanted? Landlords Protection, Chattel Cover... Malicious Damage cover generally needs to be purchased separately.


• There are instances where there are two dwellings on one property, however only one is noted on the insurance and thus only one earthquake levy been charged and potentially only one earthquake claim being paid.


• Take the time to check that you have the correct square metreage noted. Commonly new decks, garages, outbuildings and basements/rumpus rooms are forgotten and not told to the insurer. What is not known can not be insured. Last week we found one of our clients upon renewal insured for 150sqm when in fact after digging a little deeper we discovered it should have been 179sqm.


• Check the level of contents cover. We often see people under insured. If you think you may be under insured you may find the policy wordings you are on may limit or pro-rata your claim.


• What policy wordings apply to your jewellery? Recently we had a claim where the insured had only $100,000 of cover however when she was burgled the $74,000 of new jewellery and personal effects that were stolen from one room alone have not been specified.

OUR BEST TIP of all - if you are not covered... GET COVERED!

You just don't know what you don't know!

The advantage of working with a brokerage that prides itself on successful claim outcomes is that the advice given will ensure you have the right cover with the right policy wordings that pays out at the right time!

Going direct to an insurer without understanding what you need to know can potentially lead to a disappointing outcome - when you need it most!

Do not hesitate to contact us - anytime! As your brokers we will give you the confidence that if the unexpected happens to you, your family or your business - you are prepared and have total peace of mind.

Email Us or freephone 0508 PEOPLE

PS - feel free to pass this on!

Katrina