GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

For decades, clicking photographs with a film camera was the only way to store memories. Today, we use smartphones to capture and save memories as videos and pictures. However, if you are from the 90s era or before, you must still have hundreds of pictures and photo films locked away in your cupboard or neatly tucked into photo albums.

While tossing out old clothes that we've outgrown may be easy, throwing out photographs is just too difficult. They hold countless memories in a single snapshot that you never want to let go of. You may even put up a few photographs in frames to hang up on the wall or place on your bedside.

However, over the years, you may notice them begin to degrade. Some get brown patches, some turn yellow, and some develop folds and creases around the corner. Therefore, it is essential to remember these tips to preserve old photographs properly.

1. Throw out the old photo albums:
Storing the old photographs in a box or folder does not ensure their protection. Using the usual peel-and-stick photo albums is not the best option for holding your photos. They are usually made of ordinary plastic, glue, and cardboard, which can harm the pictures in the long run. If you want to save them, look for ones free from acid. Avoid albums made with dyes and recycled materials.

2. Do not stick your photographs:
Exposing your photographs to any kind of glue or adhesives can harm their quality. The paper can tear or weaken due to the use of glue. Instead of sticking the photographs in books or albums, look for albums with paper sleeves or acid-free plastic sleeves.

3. Label wisely:
Future generations who inherit the photographs may need the context behind them and labelling them with thorough information can go a long way. However, while most of us might write using a permanent marker or a pen, the ink poses a threat of staining the photographs. Instead, use a pencil and write lightly around the edges to avoid damaging the centre of the image. If you are worried about lead smudging, avoid touching the parts you've written on.

4. Preserve in appropriate locations:
Collections of old photographs are delicate and need to be stored the right way. They need to be boxed in climate-controlled areas of your home that are not too cold, hot, or humid.
Moisture and heat can affect the paper quality and the print of the photograph. Therefore, keeping the albums in paper boxes is better than using plastic boxes. Place these boxes in a closet that is not prone to flooding or intense heat, sunlight, and moisture.

To sum it up, these few measures may help you preserve the quality of your photographs and maintain their shine over the years. To make sure you continue making memorable memories much like the ones you've saved in those photographs, invest in dependable general insurance plans to secure your family.

Click HERE to buy general insurance that best suits your requirements.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

In recent times, Indians have increasingly begun opting for electric vehicles. The reasons include saving on fuels and interest in ecologically beneficial features. When deciding if an EV is the best option for you, examine how an electric vehicle varies from a car with a combustible engine. One of these distinctions is insurance, and you must understand how an electric car's insurance in India works.

So, to help you with just that, we've discussed everything about electric car insurance in this post.

The importance of Electric Car Insurance.

1. Mandatory by Indian law:
The Motor Vehicle Act 1988 of India covers all vehicle legislation. According to the act, all cars (including EVs) are required to carry vehicle insurance to operate legally on public highways.

2. Damage protection:
Appropriate protection is essential to prevent or control damages caused due to accidents. Anyone who has had any experience with automobile repairs knows about the expenses involved, especially in the case of electric vehicles. Thus, whether the damage to your automobile is due to your fault or someone else's, a car insurance policy will cover the repairs without putting pressure on your pockets.

3. Third-party liability:
In the event of an accident claim involving third parties, you will be required to pay for any damage incurred out of your pocket. However, you won't have to worry about these ramifications with third-party liability insurance. Under your car insurance cover, your insurance company handles and compensates for any loss or damage done to third parties.

4. Personal accident covers:
Personal accident cover is also mandated as per Indian law. It protects you against uncertainties like accidental death, injuries etc. Remember, it does not come with the car insurance plan but needs to be purchased separately as an add-on feature.

Please note, there are no separate insurance plans for Electric Vehicles (as of yet). The general insurance sector in India has yet to provide specialised coverage for EVs. As of now, consumers must choose from current car insurance policies designed for vehicles with combustible engines.

Also, the IRDAI has recently ordered that insurers should promote electric car insurance policies. This means that India's third-party insurance coverage for electric vehicle cars will cost lower than traditional petrol/diesel vehicles.

What is covered under Electric vehicle insurance?

• Personal accident coverage

• Third-party insurance coverage

• Car theft

• Road accidents

• Damage resulting from fire

• Repairs and replacements of parts

• Damage resulting from a natural calamity

What is not covered under electric vehicle insurance?

• Claims after drinking and driving

• Claims if the driver is found without a driving license

• Higher damage caused due to intentional negligence

• Lapsed insurance claims

To conclude, whether you own an electric car or a traditional one. Having car insurance is mandatory and acts as your financial safety cushion. Like all your expensive belongings, protect your electric automobile against damages.

Car insurance guarantees that your vehicle stays in good condition for a long time and helps you avoid monetary stress. It also pays for expenditures incurred as a result of third-party harm. Furthermore, the IRDAI has decreased third-party insurance prices for electric vehicles by 15%. So save your EV from potential damage like it protects the environment.

Click HERE to get the best deals on car insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

To be a vehicle owner entails a variety of duties. To get the most out of your automobile, you must frequently care for and repair it. If sufficient care is not performed, not only will your vehicle's quality suffer, but it may also cause an accident. Having your vehicle's tyres aligned regularly is one of the most important things you need to ensure tyres last longer.

Many individuals believe that alignment should be left to specialists. While this is true in many ways, some alignment specifications are simple enough to check on your own, and wheel alignment is one of them. This may be useful after upgrading steering or suspension parts so that the car isn't out of alignment during the journey to the shop, or it can at the very least offer a better knowledge of the process.

Following are a few ways you can check your car's wheel alignment by yourself.

1. Caster:
Most vehicles are constructed with a mild downward caster. Your caster angle contributes to the equilibrium of driving, balance, and turning. A high caster causes the steering axis to lean toward the driver. On the other hand, a low caster indicates that your vehicle's steering axis is tilted away from the driver.
To measure the caster angle yourself, you need to park the vehicle on a flat surface and place both wheels on the turntables. Next, install the bubble gauge on the hub. Then turn the tyre 20 degrees inwards and level the gauge. Using the adjustment knob, set the caster reading as zero. Now, move the tyre 20 degrees outwards to get the caster reading.

2. Camber:
Camber is the degree of tyre lean of a car measured in degrees. Negative camber takes place when the top of the tyre tilts inwards. Whereas positive camber occurs when the top of the tyre tilts outwards.
Most contemporary automobiles feature a somewhat negative camber to increase stability and control. Camber misalignment may be caused by worn bearing, ball joints, and other wheel suspension systems. Excessive inward or outward skew indicates poor alignment and must be corrected.

3. Toe-in:
Toe alignment, as opposed to camber alignment, is the degree to which your tyres spin inward or outward as seen from up top. Depending on the vehicle, typical toe-in standards range from one-thirty-second to one-eighth-inch. Toe-in alignment occurs when your automobile's tyres are inclined in the same direction. Toe alignments are done at the last after caster and camber are done.

As a vehicle owner, you must recognise the signs of misaligned wheels. Take a moment to check your vehicle's wheel alignment regularly. It can add to the life of your car's tyres and improve the handling. Even if you decide to get the vehicle aligned in a garage, you will better understand the issue and information.

As needed, trained and experienced vehicle experts will be able to align your wheels. However, to sustain the absolute protection of your vehicle, yourself, and anyone around you, it is advisable to opt for insurance. If you have just purchased a new car, always remember to buy new car insurance to safeguard your vehicle.

Click HERE to buy new car insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Health insurance consists of myriad terms and conditions that policyholders should read in detail at the time of health insurance policy renewal or purchasing. However, most of us usually do not pay heed to them and suffer at the time of settlement of the claim. An important clause involves sub-limits in a health insurance policy and the subsequent proportionate deduction.

Sub-limits in health insurance policies usually include capping or limiting the room rent during your hospitalisation. There are a variety of rooms available in any hospital, ranging from general wards to semi-private rooms and deluxe rooms. There is also a proportionate deduction clause associated with the sub-limit. Let us understand these terms in detail.

Sub-limits explained.

Sub-limits are limits or maximum percentage of the total sum insured that an insurance company will bear for the hospital expenses under various categories. Insurance companies usually use the maximum permissible room rent in the hospital as a benchmark for deciding the sub-limits.

For example, if your health insurance policy is Rs.5 lakhs and the permissible sub-limit for room rent is 1%, the insurance company will only bear 1% of Rs.5 lakhs or Rs.5000 per day for the rent of your room in the hospital. Any amount over it will have to be borne by you.

In this case, if your room rent is Rs.7000 per day, the excess amount of Rs.2000 over the sub-limit cap of Rs.5000 per day will have to be borne by you. Generally, the sub-limit on room rent ranges between 1%-2% of the total insured amount.

Proportionate deductible clause.

Insurance companies usually insert a proportionate deductible clause in health insurance policies. The companies calculate the excess room rent over the sub-limit allowed in percentage terms. They then deduct a proportional amount from all associated treatment costs, including surgery fees, tests, doctor consultation and visiting charges, ICU charges, etc. The insured has to bear them from his pocket.

Insurance companies use the following formula to calculate the proportionate deduction.

Excess room rent over the room rent limit/ Room rent limit as per the policy x 100
For example, suppose the room rent limit per the policy is Rs.5000 per day, and the actual room rent is Rs.7000 per day. Hence, proportionate deduction to be applied:
2000/5000 x 100 = 40%
In this case, if the doctor consultation fee is Rs.2000, the insurance company will deduct 40% of this amount, i.e., Rs.800, and will cover only Rs.1200. The remaining Rs.800 will have to be borne out of your pocket.

How to deal with the proportionate deductible clause?

You should always check whether the proportionate deductible clause applies to your health insurance policy when purchasing it. If applicable, you should adhere to the sub-limit cap and choose a room accordingly in the hospital, especially if your hospitalisation period exceeds 3-4 days. This will ensure that the insurance company cannot apply the proportionate deductible clause and will cover all expenses during the hospitalisation period.

If your policy includes a sub-limit capping, consider changing your insurer at the time of health insurance policy renewal to one without such a clause. We can also port our policy to some other company for this purpose.

A health insurance policy is fundamental in the present world because of our food habits and lifestyle. However, only some people know the concept of sub-limit capping and proportionate deductible clauses. This can burn a big hole in your pocket in a medical emergency.

Do not worry if your health insurance policy comes with these riders. Shift to another policy or company at the time of health insurance policy renewal. This will protect you while ensuring that the insurance company will bear all the hospital expenditures in case of hospitalisation.

Click HERE to purchase reliable health insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.