GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration. –Charles Dickens

You’ve made the big decision to purchase a dream house: reality is finally sweeter than your dreams! Congratulations.

A house is a matter of pride and a big commitment for many many years. A house is probably one of the biggest investments you will ever make: a dream you would like to protect.

While there is little we can do against natural disasters, we can reduce some of the hardships by having home insurance, which protects against any damage to the house and valuables in it.

Home insurance is poorly sold in India; People are either not aware of home insurance or are reluctant to buy it. They don’t see the risk to their property—be it fire or an act of terrorism; and of course, it always happens to other people!

A lost life cannot be regained, but a lost house can be rebuilt and it doesn’t cost much.

Here is what our Truth lens tells us:

A good policy covers for financial loss arising out of various incidents such as fire, earthquake or burglary. It covers, not only for structural damage but also for all other assets and possessions you may have, right from a rug to a refrigerator.

Here are a few things to consider:

One, the Cover

At the basic level, a standard fire and special perils policy covers your structure and possessions from fire and other dangers such as earthquakes and storms. The second level of coverage protects against burglary or breakdown of mechanical and electrical appliances. The last one protects against minimal risks such as loss of rent, loss of important documents such as title deeds and passport, and provision for alternate accommodation.

Two, the Sum Insured

While the value of your house is based on three factors - land, cost of construction for the building and prevailing real estate prices – the insurance only covers for the building’s cost of construction. Most insurers will offer a standard rate per square foot multiplied by the carpet area of your house. The rate offered also considers depreciation. Therefore, it is important to go for a reinstatement cover. This covers for rebuilding your home from scratch, assuming the worst.

Three, Compliance

If you are living in an urban high-rise, your flat alone cannot be rebuilt in case a big calamity hits the locality. It is the housing society’s responsibility to insure the entire premise. Talk to the society management and figure the kind of insurance availed of and what supplementation you need. The insurer will not cover for poor or unauthorized construction and you don’t want to be left high and dry in the event something goes wrong. Taking 2 insurance policies for the same asset will not result in double benefits! [This is based on the principle of indemnity, and the more technical oriented amongst us can click here to read more about it]

Time period: Home insurance can be bought for a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years. Do remember to renew.

Fine print: Home insurance policies are worded differently. For example, structure insurance may only be for building and not land, or only jewelry kept in the locker may be covered.

Tenants: If you are living in a rented house, you can insure only the contents and not the structure as you don’t own it.

You’re driving safe. You’ve got your eyes on the road, and your seat belt on. But even if you do everything right, accidents well, they simply happen. While we know you’re doing your best to avoid accidents, here’s a list of essential tips to keep in handy in case you’re in an emergency:

• If you or any of your passengers are injured, medical help is priority. Get first aid immediately.
• Observe the site of the accident and note down all the details you can – from the location, to important number plates and names.
• If there are eye-witnesses to the accident, make sure you note down their contact details, so you can follow up with them later.
• Take pictures of the place where the accident happened. In times like these, every detail helps!
• If the police have registered a case, remember to note down the case number.
• Keep track of all the expenses you’ve had to undergo due to the accident. That means, don’t throw a single bill or receipt away!
• Lastly, make sure you file your insurance claim as soon as you can! Because the sooner your Insurance Company knows about the incident, the sooner they can help you out.

In case of an unfortunate incident on the road, our no. 1 tip for you is the simplest: don’t panic! Stay calm, and keep a level head.
No matter where you are, always keep the accident no. on speed dial
Here’s to many safe, stress-free road-trips!

The New Age Insurance is evolving and we are seeing a lot of new age insurers entering the game alongside the traditional players

Pricing:

Traditional – Expensive as you pay for the operational costs
New age – Cost effective when the company is going paperless
Ease of Dealing

Buying

Traditional - As complicated as buying a house
New age – As easy as placing an order online

Communication

Traditional - As complicated as reading a report
New Age - As simple as reading an article

Claims

Traditional - Hurdles and bottlenecks throughout the process
New Age - Smooth sailing

Paperwork

Traditional - Maximum paperwork, more hassle
New Age - Minimum paperwork, maximum ease and convenience

Buying insurance is not uncommon, one wants to secure the money involved in an asset and thus he gets it insured. But here is the funny part: people have insured things which are weird if not downright hilarious! So, without further ado, let’s jump on to 5 Most Strangest Insurance Policies Ever.

• Body Parts
  Insuring body parts has become a trend among celebrities. It started quite a while back and once the trend began, there was no turning back, Heidi Klum’s legs were insured for a whopping $2.2 million.
• Absconding Spouse
  Getting cold feet right before the wedding is a common occurrence. So, what happens to all the hard-earned money spent by your parents for the fancy wedding you wanted? To your relief, you can buy an Insurance Policy to recover the money spent if your partner decides to take off!
• Cigar
  Skansen museum in Stockholm exhibits a record-breaking cigar which is fully insured, for all the right reasons!
• Death By Laughter
  In the 1900’s, people were overly confident of their sense of humor. So much so that an insurer, Lloyd’s of London, had issued a $1m policy for film-goers, just in case they lose their life by laughing so hard.
• Alien Abduction
  Apparently, a lot of people have a huge fear of getting abducted by aliens. If you are one of those people, you can get an insurance from Lloyd’s of London,More than 20,000 Alien Abduction Policies have been sold till date.

Last but definitely not the least, if you planned for one child and got a surprise of multiple, you can get an insurance to pay for the expenses.