14 Jul
Posted by Tiffany Parker as Insurance News
Around one in four UK households have made a claim as a result of school holiday misadventures, according to research conducted by Swinton .
The survey polled 1,200 customers and found 23 per cent had made a claim in the past five years to repair either a broken window, piece of furniture or electrical item that had been damaged by children during school holidays . The main reason given for breakages was playing ball games, both indoors and outdoors, followed by over exuberant activity using a Nintendo Wii and riding bikes and skateboards indoors.
The home insurer predicts an increase in claims again this summer and advises homeowners to check their home insurance policies to see what is and isn’t covered, as not all will cover broken windows.
Steve Chelton, Insurance Development Manager said: “Damage to carpets, electrical equipment and sofas generally top the list of claims during school holidays and are covered on most standard policies, but it’s still worth checking exactly what’s covered on your policy.”
Fortis is claiming to be the UK’s first leading personal lines insurer to invest in a new suite of computer models that can predict the relative risk of claims for a number of insured perils across the country.
The Perils Insight suite from Business Insight can give a detailed perspective on the distribution of risk relating to household insurance.
Using the latest available information on the weather, the economy and the local environment, the suite can identify areas most likely to experience a deteriorating loss ratio across a range of perils. <
11 Jul
Posted by Danielle Bailey as Insurance News
Whether it’s via new media like social networks or “old school” technology like your home phone, don’t let your guard down. The FBI recently has issued warning about two scams that are surfacing.
Denial of service phone attacks
The FBI has issued a warning about a new phone scam which uses telephone denial-of-services (d.o.s.) attacks to overwhelm victims’ cell phones and land lines with thousands of calls. This diversionary tactic ties up service to give criminals time to empty out the victim’s bank or brokerage accounts. Prior to the phone attack, the criminal would have obtained the victim’s bank account numbers and password, either via malware that the victim has inadvertently downloaded or via information the victim gave out on the phone or in response to e-mail phishing. The subsequent DOS attack serves both as a distraction, and also prevents a victim from calling to make account changes to protect their accounts.
Social networking scam: your friend is stranded
Scammers send notices to your Facebook or Twitter contact list posing as you and telling your contacts that you are stranded after a robbery (or some similar calamity) and that you need help quickly. Of course, the requested help is urgent and would be in the form of cash. To avoid being taken in by such a scam, be alert and aware and simply verify any pleas for help before acting on them. And if you think your account has been hacked and that false messages are being sent to your contacts, post a note on your page alerting your friends and family that your account may be compromised and to ignore any such messages.
08 Jul
Posted by Tiffany Parker as Insurance News
I recently signed up for AAA emergency road service, and I’ve already benefited from it. I signed up because I have an older motorhome that I was worried about breaking down. Sure enough, on a recent trip to the Grand Canyon, it broke down 60 miles from the nearest repair facility. I gave AAA a call, and they took care of me. They sent out a tow trunk and found a good RV repair shop. They paid for the tow which was many times more than what I paid for the AAA membership. The representative that I spoke to on the phone was very friendly and helpful. Thanks AAA.