Insurance is viewed by most people as a necessary evil. It’s not something anyone would want to spend money on, but it’s widely accepted that you’re better off with it than without.
So it’s generally a bad buy, but it’s essential to ensure your quality of life isn’t affected in the event of a disaster. With this in mind, how can you plan intelligently to ensure that the grudges are as small as possible and the benefits as large as possible?
Here are a few tips to help you get your policies right.
Work with specialists
Convenience is important when buying insurance. But the convenience we’re talking about applies to the claims process, not the purchasing process. So shop around and make sure you’re working with the right people for the right products.
The idea of a one-stop shop that covers all your needs in one place isn’t necessarily a good one. Insurance comes in many forms. It can be long-term or short-term. There’s health insurance and disability insurance and tons of other types of insurance.
So if you need a quote for marine insurance, for example, it is better to speak to a specialist in this field. Don’t try to pin anything on your car insurance or home insurance. Different companies specialize in different areas and you have the best coverage when you work with specialists.
shopping spree
Never settle for the price you get. The insurance industry is a competitive field and companies are keen to win your business – especially if you are a responsible individual with a good track record of low claims and regular premium payments. So work on the angles and pit one company against the next. Make it a race to the bottom with you as the winner!
Enter the numbers correctly
When taking out a policy, you need to be realistic. It’s very easy for an insurance company to lower premiums if they increase the deductible you pay. Do not let that happen. Also, make sure the items you are insuring are of the correct value.
Don’t overestimate the value of your assets; it won’t do you any good at all. For example, if you managed to write off your car, the insurance company will pay you the actual book value of the car, if you suspect the car is worth more than book value, you need to figure out a way to prove it. If this is not possible, the premiums you paid were too high for the item you covered. You will be the loser.
The same applies to the deductible. Lower monthly premiums can be convenient, but if that leads to an unaffordable deductible in the event of a claim, there really is no point in getting the policy at all.