Insurance people News

2012-05-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

May marks a month-long fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC). Supported by Arnott’s, the fundraiser asks you to ‘Show Your Heart’ by buying Tim Tam during the month from Countdown, Super Value or Fresh Choice supermarkets to help BCAC support thousands of women and their families as they tackle breast cancer.

Every year 2750 women (& 20 men) are diagnosed with breast cancer ... and thousands of husbands, boyfriends, fathers, sons, daughters, mothers, aunts, partners, grandmothers, friends, cousins and sisters are affected by someone special to them tackling the disease.

More than 650 women die from the disease this year - making it the leading cause of cancer-related death in females.

1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their lives.

90-95% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

Whilst financial assistance doesn't cure the illness, it does mean that women and their families can focus on treatment and recovery without having any financial pressure.

Trauma Cover and Medical Cover provide financial assistance for women and their families dealing with breast cancer at a time when income may be reduced or non-existent and extra funds may be required for medical treatment.

Trauma Cover pays a lump sum in the event of a major medical trauma. Some Trauma policies include special cover for low-grade gender specific cancers.

Medical Cover provides for reimbursement of significant medical expenses.

Did you know?
Although Herceptin (The drug used to treat HER-2+ breast cancer patients) is now government funded for the first 12 months of treatment there are thousands of safe and effective medicines and treatments which are not funded by PHARMAC. Some Medical Covers include cover for non-PHARMAC Medsafe approved treatments and medications.

For a free no obligation review of your medical insurance contact the team at Insurance People today.

freephone 0800 823 823

Disclosure Statement available on request and free of charge.
Statistics from Ministry of Health.

What's more precious...

2012-05-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Insurance People would like to share "Choose Precious" from Sovereign.

The key purpose for any Insurance Adviser is to give the best possible advice to a family and to ensure that they are fully protected no matter what life may throw at them...

"Choose Precious" is just one offer available through Insurance People dedicated to you and your family.

Are you planning to start a family?
Is your family expanding?
Do you have health insurance that covers your children?
Is the family income earner protected for injury & illness?

If you want to know more about protecting your family now and for the future freephone 0800 823 823 today or click here to email a question.

Disclosure Statement available on request, free of charge.

OCR remains held at 2.5%

2012-04-25T16:40:00.002-07:00

The Reserve Bank today left the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.5%, in a short statement Dr Bollard confirmed "For now it is appropriate for the OCR to remain at 2.5%".

"The domestic economy is showing signs of recovery...
"Housing market activity continues to increase...
"A recovery in building activity appears to be underway - as forecast...
"That recovery will strengthen as repairs and reconstruction in Canterbury pick up later in the year."

The main concern for the Reserve Bank appears to be offshore "the global outlook remains of concern. Near-term indicators have moderated and financial market sentiment is still fragile."

"The New Zealand dollar has stayed elevated despite recent falls in commodity prices. Should the exchange rate remain strong without anything else changing, the Bank would need to reassess the outlook for monetary policy settings."

But what we don't know is what that reassessment may involve - as previously indicated a longer period of no change to the OCR; or whether they would see a cut to the rate.

The next Monetary Policy and OCR rate annoucement is 14th June.

If you are interested in reading past announements and statements from the Reserve Bank click here

***

If you want to speak with a mortgage adviser about your home loan then click here to meet the Mortgage People team or freephone 0800 823 823

Or if it is time you discussed Mortgage Repayment Insurance or your current House Insurance then click here to meet the Insurance People team or freephone 0800 823 823

Travel Insurance

2012-04-12T19:02:00.003-07:00

NEWS FLASH

Insurance People now offer travel insurance through 1Cover.

You can now save money on your travel insurance with 1Cover New Zealand

"1Cover specialises in providing travel insurance to New Zealanders at very low prices. With three levels of cover, from Budget to Comprehensive, there is great value travel insurance to suit every budget.

For travellers who have regular stints away from home, compare the cost of the Annual Multi Trip policy against insuring individually each time. If you're travelling at least twice a year, undoubtedly the Annual Multi Trip options will save you both dollars and time.

Worldwide Annual Multi Trip $339
Worldwide Excl USA/Canada $279
Domestic NZ $199
*Correct at date of blog.

Going on holiday as a family can be costly but with 1Cover, you don't have to worry about insuring your children as kids travel free, up to age 21.

If you are over 40 with pre-existing medical conditions, you are covered giving you automatic peace of mind for these conditions as you book your insurance policy.

For senior travellers over 70, it can often be difficult to find an insurer who will cover you but 1Cover takes care of all ages, in fact 1Cover has a wide range of policies for you to choose from.

1Cover's cheap travel insurance policies work with your flexibility in mind - you can choose the level of cover to suit your needs or even opt for no excess for a small premium.

With savings of up to 50% compared to your local travel agent, at 1Cover, they've really got you covered."

Dont' take the risk - click here to get a quote now or contact Insurance People on freephone 0800 823 823.

New Give Way Rules

2012-03-13T17:28:00.008-07:00

Next Sunday, the 25th of March 2012 is when the new Give Way rules in New Zealand take effect.

Are you prepared? Are you insured?

Whether you've been driving from way back when you could get your Licence at 15 and off you went, or if you've just got your Restricted or Full Licence these changes require you to take a moment and think before you move forward from an intersection!

We all need to retrain our brains on the "give way to your right" rule that has been programmed into us all!

If you haven't already, check out the NZTA's website here, there are simple illustrations that actually make it seem quite clear... although it will be a different story when you are in your car and on "auto pilot", doing your usual drive to drop the kids at school, get to work, the supermarket or the gym.

So, where does this leave you with your car insurance? If you are "at fault" then its your excess thats going to be hit and possibly your no claims bonus!

When was the last time you checked your car insurance?

If you want a free review of your car insurance policy get in touch today... now is a good time to check your covers and check the market for the best possible car insurance.

CONTACT ME for a free car insurance review

Insurance People freephone 0800 823 823

NOTICE: House, Contents & Car Insurance

2012-02-28T13:10:00.003-08:00

Premium Increase

Recently most of New Zealand will have been notified from their insurance broker or insurance company of increases to your premiums; largely this was due to the increase in EQC Levies. The EQC Levy was increased as of February 1st, to a maximum annual levy charge of $172.50 per house insurance policy and $34.50 per contents policy. This is one of those compulsory costs if you have insurance on your home, your personal contents or car - there has been a huge amount of commentary in the news, and most of last year was full of warnings to expect your insurance premiums to go up!

Did you know...

Many insurers also took this opportunity to raise their premiums in addition to the EQC levy increase. The increases vary between all the insurance companies, and here at Insurance People we're pleased to say that our preferred suppliers for fire and general insurance fall within the lower percentage of increase when compared to the wider market of insurance companies.

Do you think your premiums have gone up too much? If you'd like to get a comparison and a QUOTE please click here >

Contact Us with your Query or Concern

If you have your House, Contents and Car insurance with Insurance People and have a question or concern about your cover or premium please do not hesitate to contact us - we're here to help anytime you need us! We'd rather you talk to us now so there are absolutely no issues come claim time.

If you've been referred to this blog or perhaps just stumbled up on it on google and you want to know more, please contact Yvonne Wallace - she is an expert when it comes to general insurance!

We offer a full service

Like some big companies as a client you can get lost... you won't get lost here! We don't just put your insurance in place then forget about you; we look after you throughout life's changes and most importantly, at claim time!

To find out more freephone 0800 823 823 & ask for Yvonne...

House, Contents, Car & Boat Insurance

Disclosure Statement available free of charge on request!

Seasons Greetings from Insurance People

2011-12-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

As another year nears an end, looking back reveals a period of mixed signals, the lows of an economic crisis, the highs of an exciting 6 weeks of world cup rugby and then the election! What will we all do now?

Thanks to you all for your support and for helping to make this year rewarding from allowing our team do what they enjoy most ~ making sure you are financially sorted & well protected.

Merry Christmas, happy & safe holidays to you and your family.
We look forward to seeing you in 2012.

********************

Office Hours
Below are the office hours over the christmas period; in case of emergency feel free to call freephone 0800 823 823 anytime for further information.

Friday 23rd December ~ Closing 3pm
Wednesday 28th to Tuesday 3rd January ~ Closed
Back to business from Wednesday 4th January 2012 ~ 8.30am to 5pm
Office Freephone 0800 823 823

********************

Fire & General Insurance - Claims & Help
For AON Stylecover Insurance Claims or Queries
freephone 0800 505 152
For Lumley Insurance Claims or Queries
freephone 0800 781 782

********************

Contact your adviser
To find your adviser's details click here

EQC Levy increase for all...

2011-12-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
From 1st February 2012 our EQC levies are on the rise... which to be fair we've been expecting after the Christchurch earthquakes.

If you'd like to read the announcement on the "Beehive" website click here >>>

What it means
As a home owner, right now we pay 5cents per $100 of insurance cover capped at a maximum of $69 per year (including GST).

From 1st February 2012, this will increase to 15cents per $100 of insurance cover capped at $207 per year (including GST).

This increase applies to both House and Contents policies only NOT your car or personal life, trauma, medical etc.

The coverage that EQC provides remains unchanged, that is, it will continue to cover the first $100,000 (plus GST) for house damage and the first $20,000 (plus GST) for contents damage for insured residential properties in the event of earthquake, natural landslip, volcanic eruption, hydrothermal activity and tsunami.

IMPORTANT
The EQC levy applies to your House and Contents policy no matter which company you have your insurance with; this increase is set industry wide! The EQC levy is a portion of your overall monthly/annual premium which each insurer collects on behalf of the Government.

Do you need to do anything?

No. You will receive notification from your insurer confirming the levy increase and exactly what the increase is to your premiums.

Yes. Contact Insurance People if you would like to REVIEW your insurance and take a closer look at what you are paying in premiums.

Yes. Contact Insurance People if you would like a free QUOTE on your current house and contents!

Get more information from Insurance People ~ freephone 0800 823 823

ATTENTION:Self Employed

2011-09-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Want to save money on your levies?
If you are self employed or palnning to become self employed you'll know that one cost you can not avoid is your ACC levies... for most its like one of those 'grudge' costs, something we have no choice on - or do you?

Yes. Actually, when it comes to your ACC levies you do have a choice to decrease or increase your levies. Its called ACC CoverPlus Extra and the team of advisers at Insurance People are now fully trained and skilled in this area. (Check out our July blog for more details...)

As each persons situation is completely different to the next, we're encouraging all self employed to make the call, contact us for a chat and to see if your ACC is right for your current circumstances.

Do you know...

How much you pay in levies?

The amount you'll receive in case of an accident?

What 'offsets' means and the effect this may have on you?

If you have the right ACC job classification code? If it is wrong, it could be costing you!

Things you should know...

ACC will only pay out if you have an accident - it does not cover illness.

Mortgage Repayment insurance covers you for illness and accident and does not affect your ACC.

Income Protection gives you choice and certainty of income if unable to work due to illness or accident.

You do have a choice on how much you pay in ACC levies.

Request an ACC review here.
PS - one of our first ACC reviews identified an incorrect job classification code, that person received $14,000 back in over paid levies! We can't promise that for everyone, but is has proven one thing for sure - its worth while getting an ACC review done!

Disclosure Statement available on request and free of charge.

Our flat lining OCR

2011-09-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

You may ask why are we writing about the Offical Cash Rate on an insurance blog. Well, for all of you that read and follow our blog some of you just may be home owners, in fact we're pretty sure you are.

For those of you with a home and mortgage repayment cover or income protection or landlords protection insurance, house, contents and car... here is a little lead in to our sister blog in the mortgage area that we thought may be of interest.

OUR FLAT LINING OCR
From this morning's OCR announcement by Governor Bollard it seems our OCR is to flat line at 2.5% for just a little bit longer. Welcome news for home owners that are currently sitting on the floating rate. more>

Things to consider in the FIXED vs FLOATING debate:

If interest rates rise do you have money in your budget to cover it?

Are you on a fixed income and financially stretched as it is?

Do you have the income to pay extra off your mortgage now?

Do you want to repay your mortgage as quickly as possible?

Is certainty of your budget critical?

If interet rates increase - how far could your budget stretch?

If you want to know more - click here
or email us to request a mortgage review.

Disclosure Statement available on request and free of charge.

We're on TV...

2011-09-04T15:00:00.001-07:00

We want you all to know that our 'sister' company Mortgage People is currently on TV One and TV Two... you can see the advert right here:

All too often we encourage you all to review your insurance to make sure that your cover is relevant as life changes... what about your mortgage and debts?

Do you need advice in that area? Do you have a question about home loans or interest rates?

Are you a first home buyer?

Looking to refinance your existing mortgage?

Need to consolidate your debts?

If you are a home owner who has a mortgage do you have Mortgage Repayment Insurance? Do you have Income Protection? A good question for you - how long have you had your mortgage? And when was the last time you checked your insurance to make sure you have enough cover just in case the unexpected happens to you?

QUESTIONS? Ask Katrina here

Maybe you know someone who needs advice about there mortgage and/or insurance - share this blog and our details... we'd love to help!

Disclosure Statement available on request and free of charge.

ACC CoverPlus Extra

2011-07-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

Paying your ACC levies is one of those mandatory and grudge costs of being in business ... but how well do you understand what you are paying for?

Below we explain ACC CoverPlus versus ACC CoverPlus Extra, the key when reading through this is to remember, this is intended as general information not personal advice you would need to review your own situation to decide what is best for you.

***

When you are self employed, or a shareholder employee in your own company, you are automatically registered with ACC on 'CoverPlus'. ACC also offers 'CoverPlus Extra' which is not widely known but potentially has the ability to save you hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars on your ACC levies.

ACC CoverPlus is not necessarily the best solution and can be limiting at claim time - which of course is not something we are made aware of until we need it most! ACC only provides for replacement income in the event of being unable to work due to injury - it provides nothing for being unable to work due to sickness.

Standard ACC CoverPlus provides 80% of your lost income due to injury, based on the last 12 months taxable income for your business and only to a maximum of $89,335pa in cover. This taxable income may have acutally been less than the amount which dictated your ACC levy too, meaning you are paying for cover you possibly may never get! This does start one week after being off work granted you can satisfy all the pre-requisite proof of income that quickly!

BUT, may not pay at all under the following circumstances:
1. if you have staff or business income that continues to pay you while you are off work.
2. if your injury can be deemed a 'degenerative condition' and only exasperated by the injury.
3. if you return to work even for the smallest amount of time, it will cease.
4. if you split your income with your partner for tax purposes, you only get 80% of the split declared under your name.

ACC CoverPlus Extra key features include:
Agree to a value you are happy to receive from ACC at claim time - knowing that you have in place income protection and/or mortgage repayment insurance.

The option to dial back to a minimum of $21,216pa - giving you certainty that this as a weekly amount kicks in 7 days into your injury with no need to prove your income!

Will continue to pay IF...
1. you have staff or a business that continues to make income without you!
2. if you return to work for just a few hours a day.
3. as a fixed individual level of cover that has been agreed, regardless of how your income is presented for tax purposed.

THE MYTH around ACC is that by paying a levy we will receive a guaranteed Government service - when in fact your ACC levy is like an insurance premium, which requires proof of income to have the insurance actually provide for you at claim time.

***

Business best practise would normally include some form of annual business planning, and this should always include risk management - which means, a review and considered approach to maintaining adequate protection in the key areas of your business.

Make sure that when the unexpected happens you, your business, lifestyle and family are covered!

EXAMPLE comparing ACC CoverPlus with ACC CoverPlus Extra

Self employed consultant earning $100,000 taxable income

ACC CoverPlus @ 80% = $1,538 Weekly Compensation & Annual Levy $2,677
ACC CoverPlus Extra dialed down to minimum $21,216pa = $408 Weekly Compensation & Annual Levy $991
Savings of $1,686 off the ACC Levy!

It may not be in your best interests to dial back but you won't know until you go through a review - find out today! Talk to a Registered Financial Adviser who not only specialises in insurance for the self employed but also knows all the in's and out's of ACC - find out if they are ACC agents, together with your Accountant it may be worth taking a closer look!

If you've found this information useful please fee free to pass it on! If you have any questions email us or phone 09 360 5622.

Disclosure Statement is available on request free of charge!

Having an Insurance Adviser on your team

2011-06-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

The role of an Insurance Adviser in your arsenal of financial service providers is vital.

Just like when you engage the services of an Accountant to advise on your finances, tax and book keeping records; and a Lawyer to advise on your legal requirements; an Insurance Adviser is vital when considering the right insurance cover for you, your family and your business.

There are many individual insurance advisers and adviser groups in New Zealand, the key is to find someone who you are comfortable with and confident in their level of knowledge, care and skill.

If an adviser is impartial it means they can deal with most, if not all insurance companies in New Zealand on your behalf, are not tied or employed by any one insurance company and are free to place your cover with the most appropriate insurer for you.

A quality insurance adviser should always follow these STEPS:

Create a good rapport and working relationship with the client so they are comfortable in talking through all aspects of their personal and financial well being.

Complete a needs analysis to understand their clients financial situation, financial needs and goals and importantly, their tolerance to risk.

Analyse the client information, analyse and research for the best options that are relevant and available in the market place.

Present the research in every day language, in an easy to understand format and work through the best options for the clients needs and wants.

Manage the application process with the chosen insurance company or companies to ensure a smooth implementation of agreed recommendations.

The last step is vital - this is an ongoing promise to regularly review once the cover is put in place. Over time situations change and along with it the client and families needs, wants and goals.

In our experience very few people make sure their insurance keeps pace with their lives, so for many they may be under insured now for their specific circumstances or have cover that is now irrelevant or may not actually be able to be used in the event of a claim.

The insurance industry is constantly changing, with new products coming to the market, changes being made to existing products, pricing structures, mergers between Insurers and more recently new Insurers popping up to challenge the market.

An Insurance Adviser should be in contact at least annually; or more often if preferred or needed to make sure their client's circumstances haven't changed and to update on any changes that might be of benefit to their client.

Step 7 - This step is not necessarily always part of an advisers process, or the advisers involvement may vary and that is a claims service.

Ideally all clients would want an Insurance Adviser that will actually manage your insurance claims from start to finish and everything in between. When engaging with an Insurance Adviser a client should be advised on how to start the claims process if and when the need arises.

The last thing anyone would want is to be a 'number' in the claims queue at an Insurer at such a demanding and stressful time. With an Insurance Adviser who offers a full claims service you have someone on your team, that has taken the time to understand your personal circumstances, kept updating you and your covers over time and is there for you when you need them most - claim time.

A dedicated Insurance Adviser should be ready to assist you and your family at every little change and event that affects you, but especially at claim time when it matters the most.

Your Insurance People Adviser is happy to discuss this with you, feel free to contact us anytime.

If you've just found us via this blog, and want to know more please freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 753) or email us a question now and we'll come back to you shortly.

Want to check us out before you talk to us?

click here for Insurance People OR click here for Mortgage People

This blog was written by Sarah Williams, Registered Financial Adviser with Insurance People.

Financial Advisers Act 2008

2011-06-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

For those of us in the financial services industry regulation has been at the front of our minds for a long time now and we are just about there, from 1st July 2011 the Act is fully in force!

What's this all about?
Well, the purpose of the Act says it all really - "This Act is to promote the sound and efficient delivery of financial adviser and broking services, and to encourage public confidence in the professionalism and integrity of financial advisers and brokers."

Advisers from Insurance People have always worked to the vision and mission of our founding Directors, and interestingly in a way they define what the Act is all about...

"Our group continue their focus on educating our clients on all products and services available to them; providing the best possible advice and direction to ensure each individual meets their goals."

"We strive to ensure our original mission is never lost, in essence it has always been about financial education, that is, we always wanted to help people - giving client the high level of service and knowledge they wanted, needed and deserved."

In fact, regulation means a whole lot more to both clients and advisers. For example, if we are to give advice now we must be registered on the Financial Service Providers Register. This is a public register that anyone can view online via the companies office website (click here) to ensure that the adviser they have is abiding by the new laws. You'll find all of us on there, just search by adviser name.

ARE YOU AN EXISTING CLIENT?
If you are an existing client of Insurance People, then you'll be used to how we do things... going forward you may notice a few changes. Don't worry you'll still get the good advice and service that you've always received but there may be a few new documents or forms that we go through with you. This is all about making sure we not only take the most appropriate care in providing you advice but also that we are held accountable to deliver the best possible service that you need, want and deserve.

We'll be commenting from time to time on this to help you better understand and of course, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact your adviser or email us anytime.

If you think this information would be of value to someone else, please pass it on!

Ask Katrina...

2011-05-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Do you have an insurance question?
From time to time we will blog about various products and happenings within the insurance industry; if there is something that you would like to know - email me and I will respond to you personally and as appropriate with your permission will blog the scenario if its something that we should all know!

Areas of expertise include:

Fire & General - house, contents, car, boat, bike, landlords protection

Commercial - key person, professional liability, business insurance

Medical Cover

Total & Permanent Disability (known as TPD)

Critical Illness Cover (known as Trauma)

Mortgage Repayment Insurance

Income Protection Insurance

Life Insurance

Redundancy Cover

ASK KATRINA NOW click here

General knowledge or specific to you; Katrina will come back to you with an answer!

The cost of a second opinion...

2011-05-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

If you or a loved one was seriously ill wouldn't you like the best possible world leading medical advice?

It is our job as an adviser to seek out the best possible solutions for our clients, to be abreast of the latest innovative products in the market and to ensure we have access to them.

Great news, we now have access to the best medical minds in the world. Yes thats right, its called "Best Doctors" and simply put it you were seriously ill and had Sovereign insurance cover with this benefit you would have access to a network of over 50,000 leading specialists from 30 countries! Best Doctors provides reassurance and expert advice on the diagnosis of critical illnesses, chronic and or degenerative conditions.

Here's how it would work:

STEP 1 - You and your Insurance People adviser contact Best Doctors
STEP 2 - Medical information is gathered
STEP 3 - Clinical summary is prepared
STEP 4 - Leading expert is selected
STEP 5 - Expert analyses the information and writes a report
STEP 6 - Report is explained and sent to you and the advice is shared with your NZ Doctors and specialists.

This is just one of the benefits available and a first Australiasian wide. If you want to know more contact us.

freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 753)

EMAIL a question enquiries@insurancepeople.co.nz

Income Protection or ...

2011-05-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Without a good quality income protection what are you options?

Now this would have to be one of the most common mistakes that a lot of us make; may be it comes from our "she'll be right" attitude - if I am off work ACC will take care of me! Perhaps. However ACC is for injury only; not illness! And ACC itself is changing, which means uncertainty.

As it stands now, ACC will pay 80% of your income if you are off work due to an accident causing injury, but the injury has to be an acceptable injury to ACC! Also, 80% of your income is capped so no matter what you earn you can only claim up to $102,880 - and there are no guarantees for how long this payment would continue for.

ACC Claims have hit the news over the past year or so, highlighting an increase in declines where it is identified as a "degenerative" condition! So, a legitimate accidental claim is declined on the grounds that the injury was already going to happen anyway due to natural aging, previous sports strains, stresses on the body etc.

What about the Sickness Benefit? In real terms if you are working because you need all your income to pay your bills, to live and support your family then its going to be a struggle to continue if you were to rely on a sickness benefit of say $201.40 (that is, a single person over 25 years of age); or $335.66 for a married couple (with or without children).

The Sickness Benefit has its place, but if you have a choice would you really want to have to rely on it to live?

THE FACTS
5 out of every 10 men & 7 our of every 10 woman will have more than one month off work due to illness or injury before the age of 65; and nearly a third of these women will still be off work 12 months later!

Whats your preference:
(1) To hope that if you are off work it will be from injury rather than illness so you can claim from ACC?
(2) To live off a Sickness Benefit?
(3) To have every cent of cover you need and nothing you don't - providing assurance of your financial well being no matter what?

Review your situation now! We're only a phone call away - freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 753)

Written inconjunction with Sarah Williams, Adviser, Insurance People.

Fire & General Insurance

2011-05-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

The natural disasters that New Zealand has endured in the past 6 months have certainly given us all a real big reality check! In amongst the tradgedy it sure is great to know that we do all step up and help where and when we can.

At Insurance People we are receiving calls daily from clients asking - What am I covered for? Can I please review what insurance I have? Can I get a quote?

Our team of advisers are available now to review what you have, what you are covered for and what you are not covered for. From the calls coming in we are certainly well aware that there is a real need for people to understand what insurance cover they have - sometimes, it may be that you are perfectly insured; but sadly in most instances there are 'gaps' which could have a devastating effect should you ever need to make a claim.

Here are just a couple of things to thing about;

Do you have house and contents insurance?

Do you have specific items listed?

Have you held on to receipts and photos?

Do you have waiver of premium on your insurance?

Are you are self employed? When your financial accounts are completed is the perfect time to review your income protection.

When was the last time you checked what you were paying in premiums?

Are you paying too much?

Are you over insured?

We welcome your call - freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 753)

Protect your income : Protect your lifestyle

2011-05-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

What is your greatest asset?

Believe it or not, the ability to earn an income is the greatest asset we have; yet still for many the option of insuring that income is put off in favour of other financial commitments that we deem more important.

The true reality of our financial well being though, is without on going income the rest of our lifestyle would just about cease to exist.

So, why is it we always choose to insure our car, our contents such as our big flat screen TV, laptops and jewellery, our boat and even our holidays but we still resist insuring the income that provides for these things?

We think the answer is to have good quality income protection insurance, whether this is an actual income protection cover or mortgage repayment insurance.

In simple terms...

Income Protection provides replacement income to you, after a set waiting period, in the event of temporarily being unable to work due to illness or injury. This is a monthly benefit paid to you until you are well enough to return to work of for a set amount of time while unable to work.

Mortgage Replacement Insurance is payable if you were deemed temporarily unable to work due to illness or injury, but instead of receiving a monthly cash payment, the benefit is decided by the mortgage payment and usually paid direct to the Bank or lender. A good quality mortgage repayment insurance will continue once the mortgage is paid off in full as well, converting to an income protection cover at that point.

Sometimes when we are not sure about something, we tend to assume - below are just a few of the misconceptions about income cover:

Income Protection is expensive

It won't pay out when I need it

ACC will cover me

I can go on a Sickness Benefit

I won't ever need to use it

I won't be sick for that long

One thing we can assure you of is that the market has moved substantially over the last decade to now allow us all access to smart, well structured insurance that does not have to cost an arm and a leg!

Knowledge is no weight to carry and costs you nothing to get - if you want to have the assurance that your financial well being is protected, and that of your family and your lifestyle will always be protected no matter what - call us to discuss protecting your greatest asset!

Insurance People - freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 7853)

This information blog was written by Sarah Williams, Adviser, Insurance People.

Christchurch Earthquake Message

2011-02-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

To all our clients and friends in Canterbury and to those client's families and friends who have been affected by the earthquake in Christchurch this week, our thoughts are with you all at this tragic time.

Please feel free to contact us with any queries you may have. We encourage you to utilise our expertise in the insurance or mortgage areas to assist with any undue pressure you may be experiencing as a result of this traumatic event.

Help and free advice is only a phone call away, it would be a privilege to help you, your friends and family.

Freephone 0508 PEOPLE (0508 736 753)
Auckland 09 360 5622

We can help with all your personal and business insurance needs; your fire and general - house, contents, car; and if you would like a review of your mortgage for any reason we can help there too.

Katrina Church
Director & Senior Adviser
Email katrina.church@insurancepeople.co.nz

WANTED Insurance and Mortgage Advisers

2010-10-14T20:26:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

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

Welcome

2010-09-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Insurance People commentary and news coming soon...