Halloween is a time to stock up on treats and to make other necessary arrangements such as finding a suitable costume and seeking out new types of pumpkin-orientated meals to try. But home insurance? Should that really be top of your agenda? Some financial experts are saying so.
Fairinvestment.co.uk has stated today that home insurance claims increase by 150% during Halloween in the UK alone. It seems that classic tricks of yesteryear may have been replaced by pranks that cost, and subsequently cause homeowners to claim.
Across the pond however, the link between Halloween and financial planning is even stronger. The so-called 'where there's blame, there's a claim' culture has led to financial research company Defaqto to warn that homeowners may well be liable if someone happens to get injured on their property.
Mike Powell calls for homeowners to check their home insurance policy, particularly if they own a dog, as most policies do not cover if a dog attacks a child on your property.
Broderick Perkins of examiner.com also writes of similar concerns. He highlights the importance of keeping your driveway well lit, and to do anything to lessen the likelihood that someone may claim that you were in any way negligent. He also reminds potential party hosts that they can be held responsible if a drunk guest injures anybody or damages property even after leaving your home.
The Insurance Information Institute has put together a list of tips to help everyone have a claim-free - and safe - Halloween. Some examples include: to make sure the kids have their own small torches; to set a trick or treating route to stick to; and to avoid accessories and loose fitting clothes. So no pitch-forks or bed-sheets then?
The idea that it seems to get statistically more likely that you'll end up making a home insurance claim year on year in the UK, and the fact that the very birthplace of the tradition is preparing itself for the possibility of claims from angry parents against homeowners is starting to put me off the whole affair - I wonder when this mentality will arrive here also.
You can buy cheap home contents insurance from the Post Office®
Primetime For Home Insurance Claims
Home Insurance, for Her
When one thinks of proposals that men make to women, they undoubtedly think of the big one. And in my head the typical scene plays out something like this:
Ext: A sepia, soft-focus, and blustery cliff-top.
English gentleman says to English gentlewoman: ‘My darling, I’ve become hysterically smitten with your presence, and thus suggest that we may be wed at the nearest available opportunity.’
English gentlewoman replies: ‘Though I am a little foxed dear sir, it would seem frightfully rude for me to turn down your hand.’
Embrace.
And that is that. However now that me and my partner have moved in and are settling down together, I’m planning another type of proposal which, although a little less romantic, is important nonetheless. Being a valiant soul, I’m going to lay down a little idea in regards to safeguarding our possessions – with mutual equality and responsibility at its heart: ‘Babe, if I’m taking car insurance, why don’t you take home insurance?’
It makes perfect sense. We will each know exactly what we’re doing, when it needs to be done by, and neither of us will be overloaded with forms, information and companies offering, offering, and re-offering.
Besides, without divulging too much personal stuff right here; the garage is my zone…the car my dominion. I purchased the decals. I attended to the hubcaps with some super-gleam and an old toothbrush. I even wind down the window every time we pull into a petrol station.
Likewise, she is the keeper of our modest abode, on our little humble street with our green garden gate that eternally swings half-open and says to the world: we are a polite welcoming couple, come in for a cup of tea and a garibaldi. That expensive-looking vase we inherited from Aunt Odalys…that’s hers. The marble-top kitchen re-fit complete with breakfast bar…that’s hers too. And the chocolate colour leather-armed 3 piece suite…
I will have to be a little tactful though. I’m well aware that there is a slim possibility that this could seem like a cowardly attempt to shirk the exciting, and significant, responsibility of insurance onto some innocent and undeserving soul. Be a man! I bet they’re thinking. Accept your role as husband and protector. And I suppose they have a point.
But let’s look back at our introductory cliff-top scene and acknowledge all that’s wrong with it. Gone are the days of whimsical rendezvous atop windswept escarpments. Honestly, nowadays such meetings are more likely to happen at the ticket machine in a multi-storey car-park. Additionally, the submissiveness of women-kind has been all but stamped out by Lisa Simpson, smouldering bras and Dolly Parton. And finally, let’s analyse for a second, the “typical man” from circa 1874 compared to the “typical man” today. Just think of his imposing top hat, pocket-watch and pipe. I mean, am I even nearly as capable as he would’ve been?
Four ways to make your home safer – and to drive down Home Insurance
Home insurance is something we all have to consider sooner or later. Last week The Times reported that we are wasting hundreds of pounds on unnecessary policies, but with just four common sense steps to making your house safer and more secure, house insurance premiums can be cut quite significantly.
Adequate fire protection in the home is the first step to cheaper insurance costs. Not only is it important to install smoke detectors throughout your house (these cost between £15 and £25 online), premiums can be made even cheaper by purchasing a small fire extinguisher for your kitchen. Costs for household fire extinguishers also start at the £15 mark.
Similarly, it is also important to take necessary security action. Burglar alarms are an important step. Entire systems retail for between £70 and £90 pounds, but if this seems too expensive, such cheaper steps as being sure to install mortise locks on both your front and back door and adding locks to your windows can all add to increased home security, and consequently cheaper insurance premiums.
Third on the list may seem a little surprising as such a humble pastime as gardening may not usually be linked with security and safety. However, if you happen to live in a property that is close to any trees, it is a good idea to keep them trimmed back for the simple reason that the bigger the tree the bigger the roots, which could lead to damp house foundations. Being sure to have dry foundations lessens the risk of subsidence and can also assist in keeping home insurance premiums down.
Lastly, and perhaps the cheapest measure of them all concerns the risk of burst pipes. Flood damage occurs every year because of water pipes freezing during winter time. Making sure your water pipes are well lagged can greatly reduce this risk, not to mention annoyance of having to salvage your wet belongings.
Of course, these four quite simple methods should not only make your home contents insurance cheaper, but you can also be sure that you are safer and your belongings are more secure. And in some cases your energy bills might be cut too.
Car Insurance During The Credit Crunch
As petrol gradually starts to go down in price after what seemed like an unstoppable rise, The Telegraph has recently reported that Car insurance has increased by an average of £50 per premium over the last year. So how can the average driver be sure that they are receiving the best rate they can get?
When it comes to buying auto insurance, drivers often underestimate the amount they can save by making small but significant changes. For example, your premium could be up to 10 per cent cheaper depending on where you park you vehicle. Before you buy, it may well be worth clearing out the garage as the increased security can save you money on your quotes. Even a small change such as being sure to keep your car on your drive instead of on the street can make a difference too.
Aesthetic qualities may seem desirable when it comes to owning a car, but of course these can push up premiums as well. Convertibles are a prime example, firstly because they are less secure, less safe in an accident and tend to have a bigger engine. Subsequently, the smaller the car’s CC the cheaper the premium is likely to be. Whilst adorning your vehicle with flash hub-caps and gold-leaf magic tree probably won’t do you any favours either.
How you buy is also important. The Telegraph also identifies the importance of buying online to lessen prices of premiums but even the job you do can have a dramatic difference. A friend of mine experienced a significant price difference when was taken on as a sound engineer intern for a production company. His premium was almost ten per cent cheaper if he regarded himself as a sound-man as opposed to an intern.
For people with more than one vehicle, it is also wise to keep just one car limited for social, domestic and pleasure, and to use the other (cheaper) ride for work as well to cut down costs. This planning will lessen the risk of an accident for the more expensive vehicle and the insurance companies take this into account.
To some it may seem like common sense, but to bear in mind these few small aspects can dramatically reduce your car insurance quotes. And it has never seemed like a better time to be as sensible when spending money in this area.
Buy cheap car insurance with a range of options and cover policies from Post Office® by visiting http://www.postoffice.co.uk