Insurance World

Last year the UK’s average premium for Buildings Insurance increased by 1% to just over Ј205 and the average for Contents Insurance rose to Ј151, up 2%. But within the market we’ve seen some much bigger rises – if you’re with Norwich Union you’ll have seen your premium rise by around 6%.

So what’s going on? Every year we see premiums rising. Surely with so much competition in the home insurance market, you wouldn’t expect to see such inexorable rises in premiums?

Let’s consider the situation more carefully.

The cost of repairing and rebuilding houses is a reflection of the rising price of labour and building materials. This means that cost to the insurers of claims under the buildings cover similarly rises. So as their costs rise, so do your premiums. And there’s also the indisputable fact that cost inflation also affects the insurance companies own operating costs. Wherever possible, they’re bound to add a little extra on for that!

Then there’s that lovely British weather. Michael Fish could be forgiven for believing we don’t live in a hurricane zone, but nevertheless it’s a fact that storms, and especially floods, are becoming ever more frequent. Flood damage can be particularly destructive with, according to the Association of British Insurers, the average insurance claim ranging between Ј15,000 and Ј30,000. And during the last 18 months we have seen particularly destructive floods create headline news at Helmsley in North Yorkshire, Carlisle, and Boscastle in Cornwall. Those events must have cost the insurance companies multi-millions.

The other area where costs have been rising is burglary. The average burglary claim has now risen to around Ј1,400. There seem to be two reasons – firstly burglars are finding pickings easier to come by and move on. Modern family homes are packed with valuable electronic gismos – from laptops to I pods, digital cameras and flat screen TV’s. The other reason is that burglars are targeting well-off neighbourhoods more and more.

Against this background the insurance companies are able to price home and contents insurance down to individual postcodes. If their records show a problem with flooding, or subsidence, or an increasing incidence of burglary in you immediate area, their computers will load your premium to reflect the additional risk.

Your no-claims discount will only serve to offset these upward pressures to a certain extent. And don’t forget that once you have a five years no-claims record, your discount doesn’t increase, it’s capped. Thereafter, all the premium increases will land fully in your lap.

So what can you do to save money?

The most important step by far, is to shop around every year for the best available deal. Maybe it’s a chore, but thirty or forty minutes on the Internet (including ten minutes on this web site!) will yield you results. Within that space of time you’ll have found the cheapest insurer and, as an online customer, you’ll probably have qualified for an additional 10% discount. Then you can always agree to pay by direct debit – that’ll also trim off a bit more.

Of course there are other things you can do, especially in the arena of home security. Join the local neighbourhood watch scheme, install security locks on your windows, fit external security lighting, up-grade the locks on your doors and get a burglar alarm. Added security will earn you discounts on your insurance but will cost you money to install! Perhaps the added peace of mind alone will be worth the cost. Only the local neighbourhood watch scheme arrives free!

The best general rule is don’t stick with the same insurance company too long. Keep them on their toes. They have a tendency to take loyal customers for granted. Yes, it really does pay to shop around – try it and prove it to yourself!

What to Look for in a Lead Service

If you have a successful insurance company, but still believe there’s an untapped segment of the market that you haven’t reached, you may want to avail yourself of an online lead generating service. Insurance leads purchased from a reliable provider will not save a floundering insurance agency or make mediocre agents stellar sales people. But leads purchased from a service can certainly supplement the sales of an agency with a solid core of clients. Of course, no lead sells itself. Any contact you get, no matter how interested they may be in purchasing a policy, will take effort.

Here are some guidelines when considering an online insurance lead service:

* Be wary of any service that promises you extraordinary results.

* Make sure the leads you purchase are guaranteed against no call complaints.

* Leads should be from consumers who have requested a specific type of insurance quote (life, homeowners, medical, etc.).

* All phone numbers provided should be verified by the service.

* Fresh leads, sent within minutes of generation, are best.

* Companies that do not require a long-term commitment from you are preferable

* Go with a service that has no set up fee.

* Minimum purchases are a normal part of the business—the range is usually $500 - $750.

* Look for a service that has a track record—five years or more.

* A lead generating service that specializes in insurance and related products will best serve your needs.

* Examples of typical leads should be included on the company’s website.

* A service that is a member of the Better Business Bureau Online is preferable.

A solid lead should contain specific types of information regarding the potential customer. A lead is an outline for your sale, providing you with more than mere contact information.

Initially, the lead will be assigned a control number that will serve to identify it and that will be useful for your and the lead services’ tracking. It will also contain the lead type—life, health, automobile insurance, etc., along with the date the lead was received.

Contact information will include the person’s name, address, phone number and an alternate number. There should also be an e-mail address. For life insurance, there will be basic information about the potential client, including sex, age, height and weight. Any health problems and use of tobacco will be stated, along with information regarding the person’s housing—rent or own.

You may also receive data regarding the lead’s spouse, such as their age, weight, height and use of tobacco. Finally, there will be information detailing the amount of insurance and the type of policy in which they are interested. For life insurance you may receive two quotes, one for term and the other for whole life.

Other types of leads, such as health insurance, homeowners, or disability, will contain the same basic contact information but will vary greatly depending upon the type of lead it is. As an example, a good health insurance lead will provide you with information about the family members, including any health problems, use of substances and current medications.

When considering a lead generation company, be sure it is clearly stated how they get their leads, what will be in a lead and the profile of a typical lead. Companies that are an official partner with major search engines, such as MSN, Google and Yahoo, and that are recommended by high profile publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, often offer a good product. People that use the Internet are typically more educated and affluent than those who do not and thus leads from this source often make better prospects than those harvested from other places.

A lead generation company should also define what constitutes a valid lead. You should not be charged for a lead with bad contact information or that is listed in the National Do Not Call Registry. Also, a company should charge for the lead only—that is the person you will contact—and not the number of products you may sell that person.

Look for a company that will taper the number of leads you receive at a given time to meet your needs. If you have any questions or problems, ease in contacting the lead generating company, either through e-mail, chat or a toll free telephone number is a necessity.

Exploiting the Internet as an information center for your insurance business can help broaden your customer base and expand your market share, providing you with clients with whom you might otherwise never connect. Use it to your advantage.