Wherever you live in the UK and no matter how much you are looking to insure, one of the most common questions you will be asked when purchasing household insurance is “what locks do you have?” you may well not know this automatically, especially if you have just purchased a property, so here is a guide to what’s what: 5 lever mortice deadlock. This is where the locking mechanism is embedded into a slot in the door and the strike plate is fitted to the door frame and operated with a key. The face plate will usually have the number of levers the lock has stamped into it.  Another trick is ..read more

It is that time of year again where we all need to wrap up, turn the heating on and have a constant supply of hot chocolate. But it is not only us who are affected by the cold frosty weather – so are our homes. The majority of High Net Worth home insurers will provide home emergency cover that will assist with those emergency situations such as a leaking pipe or your boiler breaking down. Here are a few tips for keeping your home winter ready.   Annual Boiler Service Most energy providers can include a service facility for Boiler breakdowns/problems, however if this is not something you h ..read more

The internet – a modern day necessity for businesses and individuals – has given rise to a cyber-crime industry that is expected to cost the world $6 trillion by 2021 [1]. Insurers have been slow to react to the growing threats created by the internet, but cyber insurance is now readily available to help both businesses and individuals mitigate these risks. Have you ever received an email from someone pretending to be someone they’re not? Perhaps from the HMRC, or a well-known tech company sending you a purchase receipt for something you have not brought – well this is known as ‘Phishing’ and ..read more

The Rebuild Cost of a property is a common stumbling block in the world of insurance. Also referred to as the Reinstatement Cost or Building Sum Insured, the three terms all apply to the same thing but understanding what a rebuild cost is and its significance within a policy is important when considering what cover you have in place. The rebuild cost of a property refers to the amount it would cost to completely rebuild a property if it suffered a catastrophic loss and had to be rebuilt to its current state. The rebuild cost considers having to take down the whole property, removing all of the ..read more

On 30th July 2017 the UK Government announced that driverless cars will be permitted on public roads from the beginning of 2018. This may come as a surprise to some, but there have been huge advances in driverless car technology by manufacturers and Silicon Valley tech companies over the last decade with names like Tesla, Google and even Dyson leading the race. These firms are all jostling for future market share in what will undoubtedly be a very lucrative market – but what do motorists and car insurers have to look forward to? Well, driver safety has got to be the key reason for buying into ..read more

  On 1st June this year the government raised IPT from 10% to 12%. But what is IPT? And how does it affect policyholders? What is IPT? Insurance Premium Tax is levied on all general insurance premiums in the UK and ultimately paid by the “insured party” (i.e. the home owner, car owner, person going travelling etc), and is most akin to VAT, for which all general insurance products remain exempt. Since its introduction in the 90’s IPT had remained at a fairly consistent level until a step change was announced by the government to come into effect in November 2015 which was the first in a s ..read more

There are many concerns that can run through a parent’s head as their children head off to uni. Will they do well? Do they know how to use the washing machine? As well as hoping they will keep their belongings safe. There are some insurers who specialise in student insurance. However, this can be pricey and not always the cover you would be used to. Therefore you should consider speaking to your home insurer. Most mid to high net worth home insurers will cover children’s belongings while they are away at uni through the main home policy, as they are worldwide all risk. This means that not only ..read more

Burst pipes, blocked drains, failed heating systems, interrupted gas or electricity supply, lost house keys – scenarios which cause a headache for any home owner. Home Emergency is a subsection of cover provided by most mid- to high net worth policies and will cover the cost of labour from a designated reputable contractor, parts and materials for emergency repairs at your home to help in your time of need. There is a 24-hour helpline which you can call to get advice and ensure your claim is covered. If the claim is covered the claims handler will immediately arrange for a reputable contractor ..read more

According to British Cycling, more than two million people across the country now cycle at least once a week: an all-time high. Perhaps spurred on by Team GB’s cyclists bringing home 18 gold medals at Rio Olympic and Paralympic games, high value, premium bikes are becoming an increasingly common sight on our roads. And it’s not surprising – they’re a great way to get around; cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and brilliant exercise. Unfortunately, around 376,000[1] bicycles are stolen each year. That’s roughly one every 90 seconds. Why? They’re easy to steal, easy to sell on, and too ma ..read more

Before the times of television, smartphones and social media, hobbies like collecting stamps were a favoured past time. However, in recent times as result of unpredictable financial markets and political uncertainty investors have turned to “philately” (better known as stamp collecting!) for a safe investment. According to the collectables dealer Stanley Gibbons, ‘Stamps proved a better investment than shares, property and gold in the year to June 2016’. They tracked an index of the 250 most valuable British stamps, which recorded a 1.2 per cent rise in the 12 months to June, outpacing the FTS ..read more