Insurance World

We’re not being insensitive, honestly! We’re talking about your last gasp of smoke – have you given up smoking recently?

Did you know that smokers paying up to 60% more for their life insurance cover compared to non-smokers. So, besides the health dividend and the money saved on cigarettes, insurance companies will chip in with lower life insurance premiums. And the insurance savings aren’t to be sneezed at! A typical policyholder could save at least Ј10 or more per month.

With most insurance companies, you qualify for non-smoker premium rates if you haven’t smoked or otherwise used nicotine products, within the last five years. Now five years is a long time to wait for the extra spending money if you’ve only recently given up smoking. However, people in the know have pointed out a way to speed things up.

They point out that some insurers have adopted a more relaxed definition of a non-smoker. Some insurers have shortened the 5 year smoke free period to just twelve months. So if you haven’t smoked for a year, find out how much you can save by moving your life insurance to one of these insurers. But be careful. You must never cancel your existing policy until you’ve received written acceptance from the new insurer.

How do find the right insurer?

First go onto Internet because that’s the best way to find cheap insurance. Then search for a life insurance broker that fulfils three criteria:

The broker must search the whole insurance market for the lowest price – this means that they will find the cheapest insurance company for you.

The broker must be prepared to discount the prices – they achieve this by rebating some of their commission back into your policy. That ensures you get a really cheap quote.

They’ll phone you with the quote and provide further help – this is essential as the chances are that the price they will initially phone you with, will be from an insurer using the a five-year smoking definition. You have to tell them that you need the cheapest quote from a company using the twelve-month smoking definition . That means they’ll have to call you back after doing some digging.

If you use a web site that provides an immediate on-screen quote, you won’t know whether the quote provided comes from an insurance company that uses the 5-year or 12-month smoker definition. Online systems never tell you. That’s why you need to be able to speak to a life insurance adviser on the phone so you can explain what you need. Of course, to be able to be able to make a direct comparison with your existing policy you need to get a quote on an identical policy that terminates in the same year as your existing policy.

Once you’ve got the right quote, you’ll be able to see much you’re likely to save. So if the price looks right, make a full application.

One of the main aspects that will affect your premium is your age. Therefore, if your existing policy was bought some years ago, the savings could be less than the 60% we have indicated. However, life insurance is one of those things that’s become cheaper over recent years - so until you get the figures in front of you, the savings are hard to predict. You’ll just have to get a quotation and find out! As all the brokers we know are only too pleased to provide free quotations without any obligation, you’ve nothing to lose and possibly lots to gain.

After finding a cheap quotation from an insurer with the 12-month smoker definition, you’ll have to complete a full application form. Be sure to read every question carefully and answer all the questions fully and honestly. Far too many people try to ensure they qualify for a low premium by being “economical with the truth”. Don’t be tempted. If there is a claim, the insurer will recheck the information you provide, even if it’s many years later.

Over the last few years insurance companies have become more choosey about whom they accept on standard insurance terms – that’s the first price you were quoted. The company’s selection rules about health and weight have become far tougher resulting in more clients having their premium loaded. That’s why you must not cancel your existing life policy until you’ve got a final acceptance notice at a price that gives you the savings you’re looking for.

Whilst the process to switch a policy may sound a little daunting, it isn’t really too bad. Just think of the money you’ll save! Just reward for the stress of giving up smoking.

Best of luck.

There are several ways to get a better rate on your boat insurance. Some of them are beyond our control, but others are a matter of personal choice. With a little patience and research, one can improve the rate to a good degree and save a good deal of money in the long run.

Basic improvements to your boat insurance rate are not all that hard to accomplish. The main thing you need is patience. All good things to those who wait as the old saying goes. If waiting is not a problem then there is no reason why you should not be able to get a decent boat insurance quote.

First you should make a good choice on boats. Just like a car, the sportier a boat is the more expensive the insurance will be. For basic purposes you should make every attempt to choose a boat that is as safe as possible. This means that extreme power, giant engines, and lightweight speed increasing designs should be avoided. A pleasure craft is going to make an insurance company far less nervous than that of a true speed demon that will cut the water and make old ladies faint in the wake. There are plenty of nice boats on the market that have all the amenities and nominal speed capabilities that will not make your agent cringe.

Boat value is another factor. If the boat that you choose has an extreme value that you need to insure then you can count on a high insurance quote. To guard against this, make an informed choice when buying a boat. Check several different sellers to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible. This will in effect make your insurance rate go down considerably as the company will have less to cover in the case of an accident or theft.

Being safe is another matter. Most insurance agencies will offer discounts to clients who will take and complete a boating safety course. This will make you a better boater and decrease the chances that you will make a fatal error or judgement call that will end up costing the insurance company lots of money. This will also work to protect you on several levels. Not only will you and the people with you be in better hands with someone who has proper training, you will also have piece of mind that you will not make a poor judgement call at a crucial moment that could cause the loss of your craft. Insurance companies are not the only ones who have something to lose.

Finally, you should contact the company that handles you car and house insurance. Most times, companies will offer deep discounts to those who use them for all of their insurance needs. This will help to protect everyone involved and it may simplify things from a billing standpoint as well. The end result will be more money saved and less complication when time for the payments to be made.