Holiday horrors and how to avoid them – Regency Insurance

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/What-happens-to-lost-luggage/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/What-happens-to-lost-luggage/

 

Life is like a predator, don’t let it catch up with you when you’re vulnerable. Holidays are our one chance a year to get away and enjoy the fruits of our labour, but even this comes with risks. Every day we hear horror stories in the news regarding travel nightmares which we always assume will “never happen to us”. Don’t be one of those people. According to the Money Advice Service, the average spend on a holiday is £1,027.00 per person, which is even more reason to protect yourself and your family. Still not convinced? The average cost for medical treatment abroad is £2,040.00 according to the Association of British Insurers, and all emergency expenses including flights, have amounted to an excess of £49,000.

How about losing a bag? It is estimated that there were 24.1 million mishandled bags in 2014, which was an amazing 7 out of every 1000 people. Still think it’s worth the risk? Regency Insurance is here for you.

http://wsimag.com/travel/569-lost-luggage-what-to-do-and-how-to-avoid-it

In contrast to other industries, Insurance is one which has change very little and Regency Insurance offers a personalized service best suited to you that price comparison websites simply don’t offer. Experienced and professional brokers are at hand, which will research and identify the best Insurance policies for you.

According to the Association of British Insurers, Britons on average spend double the average price for an insurance policy on magazines and sweets at the airport. I don’t know about you, but I would rather rest easy knowing I’m covered for all eventualities, than catching up on Woman’s Weekly and munching on my meal deal.

What we cover:

  • Emergency medical expenses
  • Personal liability, in the case you’re sued for damage to property or injury
  • Lost or stolen bags and items
  • Cost of delaying or cutting short your trip
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/Travel-insurance-do-I-really-need-it/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/Travel-insurance-do-I-really-need-it/

 

Holiday Insurance Horror Stories:

  • One traveller had to pay £20,000 to cover the cost of treatment for a heart infection and bleeding on the brain. Costs included treatment at two hospitals and an air ambulance back to the UK from Spain.
  • £11,000 to treat a holidaymaker who suffered a broken arm after a fall in Spain.
  • Medical bills in the USA average £4,726 – the world’s most expensive destination for emergency medical care.
  • £54,000 to treat a holidaymaker who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while holidaying in the USA and then needed to be flown back to the UK with a doctor escort

I hope this hasn’t put you off holidaying as the world has some beautiful things to offer. Here at Regency Insurance we can offer 25 years’ experience and we genuinely care about your well-being. We are dedicated to ensuring you and your family are covered and can guarantee a stress free trip when you insure with us.

http://regency4insurance.co.uk/

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Contacts:

Address: Regency Insurance Services 317 Stanstead Rd Forest Hill London SE23 1JB
Phone: 0208 690 8667
Fax: 0208 690 3452
Email: info@regency4insurance.co.uk

http://regency4insurance.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/RegencyInsure

https://www.facebook.com/RegencyServices

Cycle safe – with the peace of mind of the right insurance for you

This year we really have become a nation of cyclists with 4.64 million of us hopping onto our bikes at least 3 times a week, according to the Cyclists Touring Club charity.

The meteoric rise of cycle chic is at least partly the result of champions such as Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Armitstead and the rest of the amazing British Olympic team on two wheels, who have inspired participation in competitive and leisure cycling.

BorisBikesThen there’s the ever popular London cycle hire scheme, Barclays Bikes (or Boris Bikes), which has been going for five years and now sport a bright red new paint job as Santander Cycles. That initiative alone encouraged a whopping half a million of us to make 7.4 million trips around London, between April 2011 and March 2012.

With the power of social media cycling events such as the World Naked Bike ride have gained plenty of “exposure” and further contributed to the growth of cycling as a hobby.

As a result of all of this media coverage we bought over 3.34 million bikes in the year following the London Olympics, that’s over 1 million more than the number of cars sold in the same period (Cycleplan, 2015).

As well as being the coolest new pastime, there are plenty of other reasons to get on yer bike! Cycling is:

  • Often cheaper than using public transportawesome
  • Always quicker than walking
  • Fun when you go on bike rides with friends
  • Supported by attractive offers through the government Cycle to work scheme
  • Of benefit to society by improving air quality and reducing noise

Using cycling as a safe way of getting around can be a challenge, it’s both painful and expensive when things go wrong. But it isn’t just extreme versions of the sport that can end in tears, insurance company Aviva has taken the time to identify the top 10 accident hotspots in London so you can avoid them or take extra care.

HandsOffSerious injuries have increased amongst cyclists by 8.2% last year and more than half a million bikes are stolen every year in the UK . As a result sales of dedicated bike insurance have risen 75% in the last 6 years.

But all is not lost, there is a really simple way to make cycling as safe as possible for you – insurance companies are creating tailored solutions that meet the needs of the growing number of bike enthusiasts.

“I got a call recently from a customer looking to claim who didn’t realise their 2 bikes worth £2500 each would not be covered on their home contents insurance. If only they’d spoken to us when they bought them we could have ensured they had the appropriate cover” Andrew at Regency

Everything depends on the type of riding you will be doing and the value of the gear you use. There are loads of different types of cycling and various bikes that best suit your cycling needs, such as:

It’s always worth speaking to a broker who can help find the best cover for your individual needs, and answer these types of questions:

In cases where you are able to use your home insurance policy for cover it will demand that your bike is tightly secured to a fence or stored in a locked garage to be eligible for the cover.

  • Is your bicycle covered by your home insurance? Don’t automatically assume this, as one in three policies don’t provide cover if your bike has been stolen away from home
  • In cases where you are able to use your home insurance policy for cover it will demand that your bike is tightly secured to a fence or stored in a locked garage to be eligible for the cover.
  • Your insurance fully covers you in case of theft and damage, most insurers will only consider your claim if your bike was stolen whilst locked when left unattended.
  • What is on offer when you make a claim? Consider the sort of repairs and replacements available if and when your bike gets damaged.
  • Does your insurance cover any accidents you may be in, legal or hospital fees you may incur as the result of an accident in this country or perhaps whilst on holiday?

So, if you are an avid cyclist or thinking of getting involved, before you get on your bike – get on your phone to Regency!

6 Reasons why you should use an Insurance Broker

We’ve always been told from a young age that if we invest in something expensive or valuable we had better look after it. But sometimes things are taken out of our hands and that’s when we’re told ‘it’s better to be safe than sorry’ and that’s what insurance is all about.

bettersafe

Whether you are insuring a property, a vehicle or a business (or maybe a pet), the choices are seemingly endless with everyone claiming to be the cheapest, when it’s probably not the cheapest you want. That’s where speaking to a broker can save you time and money as well as giving you peace of mind that you have the cover you need.

Below are 6 ways an insurance broker can make life easier for you.

1. “Insurance brokers have deeper knowledge of the ‘Product’’, they can better advise you on getting the best deal for you

Insurance brokers are experts in their field, who can offer advice in areas easy to forget when thinking about insuring something. Last year Cloud Direct, a cloud services broker (CSB) found that 54% of small to medium sized business owners were unaware that there are insurance benefits in having a business continuity plan. This is despite 68% of people saying they already having a business continuity plan in place. Something an insurance broker can definitely help with. Brokers have the experience of building up relationships with insurance companies, which are translated into preferential rates that can be offered to you as a client. “We save you time and money because most people who source quotes on the internet still have to call insurers to confirm the quote is accurate” (Andrew Dartford, CEO of Regency Insurance Services)

2. Advice from an insurance broker is free, you don’t pay them and the premium is no higher

Despite the popular misconception of the insurance broker being a middleman, who should be cut out in order to make the insurance cheaper the broker receives a commission from the insurance company as an alternative to the cost of advertising their services elsewhere. This actually often translates into a better deal for you.

3. Insurance solutions will be tailored to your individual circumstances

Direct insurance companies cannot always provide the exact type of insurance cover you need as they tend to show standard rates and do not allow for the flexibility of taking each customer’s requirements into account. A broker asks questions and spends time getting to know you and your situation, especially if you have very specific requirements. They can then compare the detail of the products available, negotiate on your behalf and explain to you your options, so that you can rest assured that everything you need is taken care of and covered.

4. Brokers save you a lot of time

Insurance brokers take care of collecting and short-listing the initial quotes for you, so that you can spend that time on other important things in your life. According to research by the British Insurance Broker’s Association (BIBA), in June this year, UK SME’s spend 600,000 hours on company administration such as finding insurance. This is why going through an insurance broker is especially useful when you want to insure something that doesn’t fit a standard cover and have more complicated questions and queries. Going through the question and answer session once with a broker is much more efficient than repeating the process with a range of insurers, or risking missing something important by using comparison sites which only deal with basic, standard cover.

smallprint

5. They translate all the insurance talk jargon, so you don’t have to

Trying to understand all the differences in the policies and offers can be a demanding task, requiring a lot of focus and concentration, specifically if you are insuring something for the first time. Research by BIBA has shown that 29% of British small and medium sized enterprises do not always read their insurance documents entirely. In 2011 Aviva found that over a third of home owners (33%) who never fully read their home insurance. Could the complex jargon be why? “Most brokers have an understanding of all the small print, the terms and conditions, what they refer to and they can explain insurance covers and conditions of policy in straight forward language”, explains Andrew.

6. Insurance Brokers have an obligation to look after your interests, as they’re monitored by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)

This means that the FCA monitors the activities of insurance brokers and the brokers have an obligation to behave ethically and offer you a fair deal as a customer. They are responsible for looking after your personal details, which is reassuring to customers if you have concerns using an automated online system.

Andrew Dartford“For me, the best part about being an Insurance Broker is working with people. Speaking to clients to understand what they really need and building relationships with insurers that mean I can always put together the best solution” Andrew Dartford

Why not tell us about your experiences working with insurance brokers, or let us hear any questions you might have by leaving a comment below – or you can just give us a call!…