10. Dealing With Unexpected Events Flashcards
What is general insurance?
Includes motor, buildings, home contents, travel and pet policies
What is life cover?
Designed to protect other people from the financial consequences of someone’s death
What is health insurance?
Used to protect people against the financial loss of being too unwell to work or being diagnosed with a critical illness
What are pension policies?
Enable people to save for their retirement
What are the features of insurance?
- insurance policies protec against financial consequences of events that may occur such as fire, theft or accident
- Motor insurance is a legal requirement for drivers
- for other insurance policies individual make decisions as to whether they think the risk of something happening makes it worthwhile paying for the cost of protection
What are premiums?
The price of an insurance policy
What are premiums based on?
- how likely an event is to occur
- the amount of money needed to put things right if the event happens - sum insured
- term of policy - length of time policy will be in force
- voluntary excess - the amount of money the policyholder will pay towards repairs or replacements
- how the premium is payed e.g. monthly instalments
How do insurance companies work out the probability of an event happening?
- based on statistics
- the premium is higher when the event is more likely to happen
What is no claims discount?
- those holding motor insurance who do not make a claim build up their no claims discount for each year they do not claim
- there is also protected no claims discount - can make a small number of claims without losing their discount
What is premium tax?
- most general insurance premiums are subject to insurance premium tax
- 10% for most premiums
- 20% for travel insurance
- the cost of tax is included in the policyholders premium
What is the importance of providing full information when applying for a premium?
- insurers use the information provided to set the premium
- if people enter misleading information it may make their insurance void
- 2013 -> Consumer Insurance Act - made insurers responsible for asking all required information
What are policy documents?
- when the insurance premium is paid policyholders receive a certificate and a policy document
- policy document details what is covered by the insurance policy + terms and conditions
What should policyholders check that their insurance includes?
- covers the events the policyholder wants to insure against
- will pay sufficient compensation if the event occurs
Claims?
- if any of the events covered by the insurance policy occur the policyholder can make a claim to the insurance company
- the company assess each claim and only pay out if the policyholder is covered
What is Third party motor insurance?
- the road traffic act 1998 made it compulsory for all motorists to have at least a 3rd party motor insurance
- in the event of an accident and the driver (policyholder) causes injury to another person or damages their car or property (third party) the insurance covers that person (third party) but not the driver