Tips and guides

Being burgled is a terrible experience, and though it’s not possible to make your home 100% burglar proof, there’s a lot you can do to make it as secure as possible. Here are some basic security tips to help you protect your home. Some of the tips may be necessary conditions to help you qualify for our home insurance.

Very few people would admit to liking cold weather. Many of us prefer to be inside our cosy homes when it’s cold, wet or windy outside- this is particularly true for older people who are more vulnerable to cold temperatures.

This year, for the first time, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) published industry-wide claims figures, following analysis of claims made during 2013 and 2014. Results showed a proportion of claims were unsuccessful due to the complexity of policies and the lack of knowledge policyholders have around the process of making a claim. In the unfortunate event that you need to call your insurance company to make a claim, there are a number of things you need to know to save time and effort. Following these 10 tips will help ensure your claims experience is easy and stress-free.

The most recent figures available from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that of the 26.7 million households recorded in the UK in 2013, 17 million had buildings insurance cover in place, and insurers on average paid out £8.2m each day in domestic property claims. Only 79% of home insurance claims were successful during 2013-14, which was partly due to poor maintenance. Taking steps to ensure that your home remains insurable may not be an appealing prospect but can save considerable expense and heartache so is well worth scheduling in, particularly in the spring and summer months with generally more favourable weather.

Once you know your home insurance policy is up to date and gives you the protection you need, it’s easy to simply forget about it. After all, it’s all sorted, so you can relax with peace of mind. Right? Actually, you need to review your home insurance on a regular basis, to make sure your policy still covers everything you ned it to and that it's up to date. And that’s particularly true if you buy or are given something valuable, like jewellery or a piece of art.

As part of our ongoing Drive Fit campaign, which aims to assist experienced drivers over the age of 50 to maintain their safe driving skills and independence, we commissioned some research, which found 65% of respondents feared their lives would suffer if they lost the ability to drive. Being prevented from seeing friends and family as often would trouble 45%, whilst 31% believe they would become isolated and lonely if they stopped driving.