Insurance World

It is almost inevitable that when purchasing a new home the homeowner will be required to also purchase a home insurance policy. Many mortgage companies who are granting the mortgage loan will require that proof of the Homeowners insurance policy be shown before the closing on the house. This ensures that their investment into that home is safe in case of damage or destruction.

There are an overwhelming number of Homeowners insurance companies to choose from, making it difficult to determine what is right for you and your home. Many mortgage companies will suggest a Homeowners insurance company that they work in conjunction with, but this does not mean you have to use that insurance company to cover your home insurance needs.

Before jumping in and accepting the first quote that comes along, it is best to call around to a few different insurance companies and see which coverage plan is right for you, since different companies will offer different plans and different discounts.

The first thing you should ask about when determining which insurance company to use is whether they offer special discounts. Depending on the company you may find discounts ranging from fire resistant, security system discounts to senior citizen or dual insurance discounts.

A dual insurance discount usually means that you will receive a discount from the company if you have more than one type of insurance through them, so check with your current car insurance company to see if they offer special rates to loyal customers.

Keep in mind that in a similar fashion as creditors looking at your previous credit history, insurance agents will be looking at your credit history as well as your past insurance history. For those who may have a high car insurance crash history or for those who have a bad credit history, this could mean higher premiums in the long run.

Insurance companies are taking a gamble on you and although they assume that they may have to help replace something in your home along the way, if you are already a “high risk” client, this means you will have to pay for those risks because it is more likely their services will be needed sooner than later.

Most basic Homeowners insurance policies will cover the house for a total replacement cost as well as the possessions of the home for a total replacement cost. Because of this, insurance agents will be asking in depth questions about the home you are about to purchase such as square footage, the age of appliances, the air conditioning and heating units, the age of the plumbing and electrical system, and even the style of flooring, countertops and cabinets.

Although you might want to try and save money by stretching the truth about the age of the plumbing system or the style of the countertops, remember that you will only receive the replacement costs for what you have told the insurance company, so it is important to be as accurate and truthful as possible.

Many insurance companies will include in a quote special needs perils such as flooding, hurricane or earthquake insurance. Nevertheless, if you know you live in a high risk area for any of these particular perils it is best to ask if those are covered under the basic policy. You don’t want to get started on an insurance policy and realize that you are not fully covered.

The same can be said for special possessions like computer equipment and jewelry or furs. Often times a separate policy or a clause in the policy is needed to insure any special possessions for their full replacement cost, so be sure to ask the insurance company about these items.

All in all it is most important to find a Homeowners insurance company that is reliable, has a reputable name and has been in business for a long time. This may mean asking friends or family members who are current homeowners who they use for their home insurance, or even searching ratings for the best Homeowners insurance companies.

Remember that they will have a large portion of your financial investment and the possessions inside in their hands, so it is important that you feel confident in the policy and company you select.

Swinton Group, the UK’s biggest High Street insurance chain, today purchased the high street insurance intermediary business Budget Retail from the Budget Group.

The deal continues the growth strategy of Swinton, giving the company an annual income of more than Ј500m and consolidating its position as a leading UK insurance intermediary.

Swinton’s existing 350 high street branches (including those of its brand Colonnade, acquired in 2002) are now joined by 92 Budget branches offering home insurance, car insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance and most other forms of personal and life cover.

The Budget Retail brand will be maintained for 12 months, after which the branches will trade under one of the Swinton brands.

Patrick Smith, Chief Executive of Swinton, says: “This deal means that we have over three times the national coverage of our nearest competitor. We are within easy reach of almost everyone in the UK. This gives us a huge advantage over our major competitors who only offer telephone or internet contact.”

“Research shows that when customers need assistance with their insurance impersonal interactive voice response is strongly disliked by most people. Our professional teams, working right across the UK, give us a great opportunity to capitalise on our personal service operated through local branches either face to face or on the telephone. Our successful growth has shown the clear benefits of providing this personal service.”

All Budget branch staff will remain employed by Swinton. The total number of Swinton employees is now 3,000, made up of staff working in the branches, call centres and head office functions.

As part of the deal Swinton will also take over Budget’s taxi and motor-home units based in Warrington and Coventry respectively.

Around 230,000 policies will be added to the Swinton database and the combined operation will hold more than 2m insurance policies.

Patrick Smith added: “We have strategic plans to continue this growth and enhance our current business capabilities by increasing our customer base through further improvements in direct marketing, increasing our diversification of product and enhancing the relationship between our branches and our online business.

“We intend to keep all the new branches open as we believe that Budget’s coverage is complementary to our existing network and the increased capacity will allow Swinton Group to handle our planned growth and further service our customers’ requirements.

“Our model has great capacity for expansion and we intend to take on the giants of our industry and show that, by caring more for our customers, we can become the leading provider in the personal insurance market.”

Last year Swinton had a gross premium income of Ј440m and expects premium income to grow to more than Ј600m next year following today’s purchase. The company has made over 250 broker acquisitions during the past five years.

Cobbetts LLP acted as legal advisors and Swinton received advice from Ernst & Young.

For more information and for interviews with Swinton Chief Executive Patrick Smith, contact Andrew Spinoza or Jaime Markey   at SKV PR 0161 236 9909,