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Insurance policies are not the same. Formerly, the cover provide by insurance companies was broadly equivalent. Companies compete to obtain a slight edge on their competitors, on price, quality, extent of cover and so on. This leads to wide variations in cover and price in the insurance market.

If you need to query any aspect of your cover, contact your insurer or broker. Be certain to get the name of the person to whom you speak, note the main points discussed and the date. If any dispute occurs in the future, you can be certain of what was said and when.

HOME INSURANCE

Buildings Insurance
Definitions are usually well explained, apart from exactly who is covered by the policy. This is usually all family members permanently resident at the address. The policy will define the construction of your building. If it is incorrect, tell your insurer immediately. Failure to tell your insurers represents what is known as a "non disclosure of material fact," which is tantamount to fraud and will invalidate any claim. Your buildings definition also includes all the outside bits and pieces within your property, such as garages walls, footpaths and so on. The definition also includes any garages on a different site.

Contents Insurance
Insurers may well have different definitions as to what is "building" and what is "content." In order to avoid conflict, it is often best to have both policies with the same insurer. However, shop around for the best deals. However, do not assume that just because your contents policy defines that the word "dwelling" as something built of brick or stone with tiles or slates on the roof that the policy covers them. If you are willing to take some precautions yourself, many insurers will give you a discount. Fit door and window locks to their approved standards. Have a home alarm installed (check which ones the insurer approves). Join the local "Neighbourhood Watch" scheme. The insurer may give yearly discounts if you don't make a claim during that time. Many insurers give you a discount for buying both Contents and Buildings Insurance with them.

Quotes
Quotes can be obtained from the Internet using any of the numerous "comparison" websites. These confer the advantage of only having to enter details once. Using these details, the search will return both building and contents quotes from up to sixty insurance providers. Thus you should have more than enough choice, with minimal "legwork".

MOTOR INSURANCE

Motor insurance is a particularly competitive market and insurers are continually striving to offer better deals. There are an increasing number of policies specifically designed for low-risk groups such as over 50s and female drivers.

Current Motor Insurance
In order to make comparisons, determine the cover your current policy provides. Determine any "add-on"
features, such as:

Courtesy car (when you car is being repaired)

Protected no-claims bonus

Roadside assistance

Free legal advice

Amount of Excess

Renewal Quote

Type of Cover
Third-party, fire and theft or third-party-only policies are usually 33 to 40% cheaper that comprehensive quotes. If your car is not worth much, these cheaper options are worth a look.

Essential Features
All car insurance policies pay out when another driver claims against you.
Where many policies differ is in the additional features they offer. To help you shortlist quotes, you need to decide which of these features are essential to you.
If your car is essential for work, only policies offering a courtesy car are suitable. If your vehicle is old and unreliable, policies offering roadside assistance might appeal.

Quotes
Probably the most straightforward method of obtaining several quotes is to use one of the "comparison" websites on the Internet. You only need to fill in your details once. You then receive several insurers best quotes, based on this information.

Risk Group
Certain groups of drivers can benefit from lower premiums with specialist insurers. Women, for instance, now have a range of female-only insurers who offer preferential rates. Older drivers too, usually with several years of claim-free driving, have a number of companies that cater specifically for them.

Compare Quotes
Discard quotes that:

1. Are more expensive than your renewal quote.
2. Do not come with your must-have features
3. Charge high interest rates for paying by instalments.

Factor in your own experience of companies and policies, and ask family, friends and colleagues for their thoughts. A personal recommendation can go a long way