Feed: Commercial Business Insurance - AggScore: 66.1
In the UK there are over hundreds of thousands of empty residential properties with approximately a quarter of these houses being vacant for more than 12 months. Even though most empty homes do not cause any problems or have a cause for complaints, however these empty properties can be attract attentions from the wrong type of crowd. This can result in anti-social behaviour and acts of vandalism on the grounds of the vacant house. Also properties that have been left empty and in a state of disrepair can also be used by drug addicts and other illegal activities.
By leaving a house empty can result in many disadvantages to the property owner. Some of these include;
- The value of the house can depreciate considerably
- Without any maintenance the condition of property may rapidly deteriorate
- The property may get occupied by squatters
- Empty property insurance will be required as standard home insurance policies will not normally provide cover for buildings that have been empty for more than thirty days.
- The risk of vandalism increases
- There is also high risk of arson attacks, fly-tipping and break-ins
Most Council’s provide some sort of advice and help in bringing back these empty properties to occupation. Please contact your local authority to see if they have a scheme that can help to bring your vacant house back into occupation.
Fleet Insurance from Active
Figures released this week have reported that while fleet insurance premiums remained stable in 2007, figures for the second quarter in respect of new business premiums have been steadily rising. The third quarter of 2009 has seen a rise of 2% over the same quarter in 2008. But, despite these figures, renewal premiums have actually decreased as insurers fight with each other to retain their existing client bank, especially as they are aware of those customers risk details.
There always seems to be a tendency for a drop in average premiums between the second and third quarters but even this drop has only been 3.8% compared with the drop reported in 2008 of 6.8%. Whilst this may seem not good news for policyholders, in fact these increases have remained modest. Insurers are continually battling to maintain a profit but, a distinct lack of investment income over 2009, have sought to retain an underwriting profit without losing policyholders. This is true of almost every class of insurance and is not isolated to fleet insurance. Whilst it is currently very difficut to forecast, expect new business premiums to continue to rise and at a faster rate and expect renewal premiums to rise at their current rate.
Compare shop insurance prices online
Compare Shop Insurance
There literally are hundreds if not thousands of different brokers and shop insurance companies available on the internet in the UK. With such a wide range of options open to business owners you can usually obtain a cheap quote for your retail shop business with relative ease. Someone out there will provide an insurance policy that will be suitable for your requirements. Many independent professional insurance brokers have online shop insurance comparison tools so that you have the option of comparing prices and levels of cover from multiple providers. With the help of search engines such as Google businesses can find hundreds of shop insurance providers with a few clicks of the mouse. If you prefer to transact business face to face or over the phone, narrow you search to your local area and find a broker that specialises in business insurance and get in contact with them. Usually online shop insurance quotes are cheaper as the cost to the insurance brokers is reduced in terms of administration and processing paper application forms.
Taking time
Whether you’re an existing business looking for an alternative provider or a new shop keeper and looking for a competitive shop insurance quote then take your time. Due to the nature of policy wordings in insurance documents you must ensure that the cover you have chosen fits the needs of the business. Also you must disclose all material facts to the insurer as accurately as you can as the shop insurance premium will be based on the information you supply. Supplying incorrect information could to your business insurance cover being invalidated or a claim not being paid. If time allows, try to obtain a minimum of three quotes from different suppliers to give you a good indication of the costs for your shop insurance policy. Sometimes even picking up the telephone and haggling with your advisor can also work.
Paying for you shop insurance policy
Most shop insurance policies can be either paid in full at the time of taking out the insurance cover or they can be spread out over 9, 10 or even 12 months with some insurers. By paying on monthly instalments will usually attract an interest rate of normally 10 to 12 percent. Obviously this will increase the cost of the policy as the finance provider is charging interest on the balance. If you can pay the complete balance from the outset you will save the additional interest charges.
Active Insurance provides a wide range of business insurance products including cheap shop insurance.
The unfortunate fact is that, not only are empty homes an eyesore but can also cause considerable problems. A vacant property can attract unwanted attention from thieves and vandals. Also if left unattended for a prolonged period of time the empty property could become overgrown with weeds and the garden can become a dumping ground. Not only is this unsightly but it can also depreciate the value of surrounding homes.
Another problem with empty homes is the safety aspect, especially posing a serious danger to young children. If you do own a home that is currently empty ensure that it is secure and kept in a good state of repair.
Run-down homes can also become a safety risk and pose a danger to children. Empty homes bring down an area and threaten the health of the local community.
Many local authorities in the UK receive complaints about empty homes. Common complaints include:
• Rubbish being dumped
• Infestation of rodents
• Risk of injury to children
• Property left in a state of disrepair
• Drug users leaving syringes on the grounds
Empty buildings that are just left in bad state of repair and disuse can have a negative impact on the local environment and community.
Due to current economic factors more and properties are becoming vacant. This applies to both residential and commercial properties.
Most Councils within the UK have some form of empty homes initiatives in place, so if you have a property that has been empty for a long period of time speak to your local authority to see if they can help you with it.
Active Insurance has been providing empty home insurance for UK property owners since 1993.
Active Insurance
If you are a self-employed tradesman then public liability insurance is absolutely a must. How it is not a compulsory insurance such as motor insurance but a liability insurance policy will protect your business against claims from third party injury or third party property damage.
If your business employs staff then you must have the Employers Liability Insurance by law. Many individual sole traders and businesses have the public liability insurance cover as part of a packaged policy. For example a shopkeeper will usually take a packaged policy that covers the buildings, contents, fixtures and liability insurance all in one single policy.
For a single tradesman such as a one person builder, plumber, gas engineer, carpenter, carpet fitter etc can take out the public liability insurance cover in isolation. The public liability insurance is usually available for limits of £ 1million, £2million or £5million. Larger sum insured can be catered for but will usually require a call the insurance broker to arrange this.
As well as the self employed public liability insurance policy, additional optional extra covers are normally available such as personal accident and legal expenses policy.
Business such as shops, offices, warehouses and manufactures should ideally look for either a packaged policy a commercial combined policy that will also include public liability insurance within the overall package.
With the internet available to virtually every household within the UK, searching and comparing public liability insurance quotes has never been easier. Most insurance broker’s website offer comparison public liability insurance quotes from numerous insurers.
It is best to say that usually you should try to obtain at least three quotes to get a feel for the price. If your circumstances are such that the online public liability insurance quote systems cannot cater for your needs just ping a quick email to the insurance advisors and they can recommend the best course of action for you.
Most self employed tradesmen should ideally have some form of insurance in place to protect their business, including public liability and even tools cover.
An important thing to note is that sometime the cheapest is not necessarily the best cover or it may not even fit your requirements. Make sure you understand, what you are purchasing meets all your needs. You certainly do not want to find out at the claim stage that the public liability insurance policy you have taken out does not cover you.
Active Insurance is a leading UK broker of public liability insurance for businesses and the self-employed tradesman.
For fleet operators, keeping costs down and retaining good levels of cover are paramount. But this doesn’t necessarily mean cutting their fleet insurance cover as operators; if they take an objective view, the costs cost be reduced easily. If an operator is new and are about to build on their fleet, it is important to look at the vehicles to be purchased as some models do attract higher premiums. A typical example would be the difference between a pick-up with or without tipping capabilities.
Another obvious difference would be a Multi-Passenger Vehicle up to eight seats or a minibus with nine or more seats. Next, where are the vehicles kept? Insurers look at whether all the vehicles are kept at the same address in a locked compound overnight or if employees take them to their own address, perhaps in a higher risk area on the public highway. Looking at drivers themselves, if are they all over twenty five, then driving can be restricted to that age and over. This can result in cheaper fleet insurance premiums.
Furthermore, if there are only a few drivers, insurers look favourably at named driver policies only, as long as administration on the operator’s part is not a burden. The majority of insurers also prefer drivers who have held a full UK licence, conviction free, for over two years.
Insurers also look at the efficiency of risk management. For example, are drivers given a handbook of procedures and rules? Any fleet operator will also check every drivers licence periodically, but at least once every six months. These all count towards maintaining a healthy assessment of the overall risk to insurance companies.
Next, look at the cover you need. Does the whole fleet need to be insured on a comprehensive basis? If a few vehicles are ageing, it could possibly be worth reducing cover to third party fire and theft, saving potentially a few hundred pounds per vehicle.
But a consideration must be made as to whether a fleet operator can afford a vehicle being off the road following a fault, partial fault, or ‘hit and run’ accident where the third party is not known. Another option would be to retain comprehensive cover but elect to opt for a voluntary excess to reduce the premium. For further advice, options and terms, always contact a reputable broker as they can assess your needs and provide the cover you require.
It has been recently reported that Aviva Insurance have refused a claim for a fire on a residential property as the policyholder had not previously disclosed a conviction. Although it has been disputed as to whether the offence was considered a caution or an actual conviction remains, the duty still lies with the policyholder to disclose all material facts. Importantly, proposal forms do state that if the insured or policholder is in any doubt as to whether information constitutes a material fact, they should disclose it. The Metro newspaper describes this incidence as a “loophole” which it certainly is not.
The case surrounds a lady who failed to declare a benefits offence in 2002 that resulted in a £150 fine for fraud. After an arson attack on her home by her husband causing £241,000 of damage for which he was subsequently jailed for four years. After Aviva paid the claim, they subsequently found out about the conviction and have taken action to recover the full amount paid. Aviva have been insistant that, had they have known about the offence, they, along with most other insurers would never have offered cover.
There are specialist providers for property insurance cover for previously convicted individuals, but this case stresses the need to disclose any information that may influence the assessment of a risk.
For any commercial organisation whether it’s a small or a large business having the correct business insurance policy is absolutely a must. To protect your business from the many risks associated in running any commercial business you must ensure that you know exactly what your business insurance policy provides cover for. By having the correct policy in place you can save both time, money and the headache should a claim arise. A good policy should provide all the cover needed for your business. This is where the advice of a professional business insurance broker is essential. You have invested both time and money in your business and you certainly don’t want to be left with a hefty bill for a liability claim if unprotected.
Even though Public Liability Insurance is not a mandatory requirement, it is still an important component of the business insurance package. In a culture of not to blame make a claim, this type of policy will offer protection for your business from claims against third party injury and damage.
If your organisation or business employs staff, even part-time employees then the Employers Liability Insurance is a must. In fact it is a compulsory requirement. This will provide protection against employees suing you for personal injury and property damage claims.
If your business sells, manufactures or distributes products then the Products Liability Insurance policy is needed. This will provide protection should a person be injured in the event of using your product due to a fault within the product or a defect.
If you are also giving advice to your customers then the Professional Indemnity Insurance is required. If as a result of your advice a customer suffers financial loss you could potentially be sued. The PI insurance will provide cover for any errors, omissions or bad advice given.
Property Insurance is required to cover the actual building. This is extremely useful if you own the building and are running your business from within. Even if the building is rented out it should be insured under a commercial property owners insurance policy. This will provide cover for things like fire, storm damage, flood damage etc.
The contents and fixtures component of the business insurance policy provided cover for as the name states for the actual business fixtures and contents.
There are many additional components usually packaged within the business insurance policy. Some of these can include goods in transit, money, business interruption, personal assault cover and goods in trust.
Business insurance has evolved over the years and can now be easily purchased online. With many insurers and brokers offering business insurance quotes online it has become relatively easy to obtain cover. Some websites also offer comparison quotes with many business insurance companies from a single portal. As with any other type of insurance the level of cover and terms will vary considerably. So before committing to any purchase make sure you understand exactly what you are buying and what is covered but more importantly what is not covered and any specific endorsements or warranties that apply to the policy.
You are looking for cheap business insurance quotes? Compare business insurance quotes within minutes using our online comparison tool at http://activeinsurancecompany.co.uk/
Active Fleet Insurance
Despite the recent demise of HSBC Insurance Company, fleet operators still have a huge selection of fleet insurance companies to choose from. Whilst they were very active in the fleet market, particularly in the self drive hire sector, the remaining insurers are still engaging in a mini price war, albeit on a more selective basis. When looking at a fleet risk insurers are scrutinising the risk presented to them in even greater detail, analysing the history and performance of the fleet, assessing good risk management and, of course, the potential profit that can be made.
Those fleet operators that can fulfil the requirements that insurers are looking for can enjoy a range of policies that will suit their budget and needs. New fleet operators and those with either a poor claims record or exposure cannot expect the same choice. As insurer’s lack of investment income now begins to emerge in their accounts, any fleet that presents an unknown quantity or a risky gamble is at best attracting high premiums, at worst not being offered terms at all.
Insurers also have to consider the impact of continually high uninsured loss claims – these are losses legitimately claimed by third parties in addition to the physical claim such as loss of earnings, hire cars and the like. These claims remain a scourge to insurer’s profit and loss accounts. Whether this will change in 2010 following legislation remains, but for now the fleet insurance Market is still buoyant and competitive.
Active Insurance is a leading provider of highly competitive fleet insurance policies for UK fleet operators. Fleet policies available for businesses with 3 or more vehicles.
Fleet Insurance Brokers
For any business whether it’s a small, medium or a large enterprise there comes a time when the business will change and as a result your motor fleet insurance policy will need to be updated. It could be that the vehicle type may need to be changed from cars to commercial vehicles or a mixture of both. Whatever the reason, it can be a tasking time to source and find a supplier of fleet insurance policies that can react to the changes to your business needs. The last thing you want is to spend hours or even days on the telephone to your fleet insurance company trying to get the correct coverage for your fleet. By talking to a broker or an insurer that can quickly understand your requirements will not only save you time but can also save you money.
As with standard private car insurance, the level of covers available on a fleet insurance policy is the same. All three levels of cover can be obtained for your fleet including Comprehensive, Third Party Fire & Theft and lastly the Third Party only cover.
Most fleet insurance companies will also allow you to vary the level of cover for different vehicles. For example, the fleet may have some vehicles that are new purchases and on these vehicles you want to insure them for Comprehensive cover. Certain vehicles in you fleet may be a lot older and the value of these cars in nominal and you can opt for Third party cover for these vehicles. This could save you considerable amount of money on your fleet insurance policy. Obviously many other rating factors exist in qualifying for a cheap fleet insurance quotation.
One of the rating factors on a fleet insurance is the age and experience of the drivers. By limiting your fleet drivers age to a minimum of twenty five years of age could also save you money. If you have one driver that is aged, say 23 years old, you can request that one driver to be added additionally for a premium. Not all insurers will allow younger drivers to be added to the policy, so before taking out a fleet insurance policy confirm with the advisor if the policy will allow adding a younger driver at a later stage.
With most car insurance policies additional optional extras are available. This also applies to the fleet insurance policies. You can opt for a fleet breakdown cover so that all vehicles are covered for breakdown assistance and recovery. Legal expenses policy is another useful add-on to help recover your expenses in the event of a non-fault accident. Courtesy or a replacement vehicle option is another one to consider unless you have spare vehicles in your fleet.
Now fleet insurance is available for many trades including commercial travelling, carriage of own goods, goods for hire and reward (such as couriers), private or public hire (taxi) and haulage. Remember fleet insurers want to see good risk fleet management in place to offer the big discounts. This can include driver training, driver forms, vehicle security etc.
