Dowshan Humzah works for More Than insurance as a product director, he told the press: It is interesting that the magic Lifesworth age falls within the fifth decade it adds weight to the old adage that ‘life begins at 40′. What is concerning however is how little thought people seem to be giving to the total value of their possessions.”

While 46 year olds had the most valuable possessions in the study the next most materially wealthy age was 28, those who were aged 28 had on average 33,166 worth of belongings. It was suggested that this was because people who are in their late 20s are often working hard in more developed roles and often dont have any dependants.

The report also showed that people do not realize the true worth of their belongings and the worth of valuables as estimated by participants was far lower than the real value of their goods. Estimations by 40 year olds were 11,000 lower than their belongings were worth in reality.

Humzah also told the press: “Brits work hard enough to buy things but by not keeping track of what they own, they run the risk of being under-insured. Designer goods, jewelry, high quality vehicles and high-tech gadgets were among the belongings listed as having high values and more of these objects were owned by 46 year olds than any other age.

Those who lived with a partner had 65% more wealth tied up in their valuables and those who had a baby, had another 2,000 pounds worth of child related items. 56 % of the people questioned in the survey couldnt guess at how much money their belongings were worth at all and many participants thought that their early, low level of home insurance could cover them for loss or damage indefinitely.

Those who are concerned that they do not have enough home insurance to cover their belongings can use a special new calculator on the More Than website to determine the value of their goods. Humzah stressed the importance of getting the right amount of cover: The report shows that on average, people spend 13,000 every five years on things they keep in their home so contents policies need to be checked and updated regularly as a result.”

More Than is also a well known life insurance provider and can provide quotes from 5 a month to help your loved ones to cope after youve passed on. The More Than report has been criticized because the valuations of peoples possessions seem high to many people and most people would find it difficult to unlock the value of their belongings by selling them.

Ensuring youve got the right home insurance policy is a crucial part of securing your possessions against thieves. And its important that you let your insurer know about any expensive purchases or gifts you might have received during the holiday season. It pays to be careful in this case, as any expensive equipment could potentially cause you to go over your policy excess.

Its worth checking with your insurance company that your new purchases or presents will be covered by your existing policy. Estimate the combined value of your new items and add this to your existing contents insurance. If youre in danger of exceeding your policy excess, it can be worth looking into alternative policies or adding a little more to your contents cover.

If youve managed to accumulate a good track record, consider policies that may offer a no-claims discount, you could save yourself a little bit of useful cash. Making a list of and taking photographs of your possessions can be a great help, acting as useful evidence when making a claim against your house insurance policy.

Be sure to store these photographs in a safe place, preferably in an upstairs room if your area is prone to flooding. By taking steps to further protect your home, such as installing alarm systems and ensuring your locks and doors are well maintained, you could be eligible for a discount on your policy.

When it comes to paying off the policy, paying off the balance in one payment can be more beneficial to you than monthly payments, as youre likely to have to pay interest on monthly charges.

The result is that many backpackers leave the UK without such a policy in place despite carrying an average 600-worth of luggage, according to a survey carried out by one travel insurance company.

In the consumer society we live in it is quite usual for a backpackers luggage to contain mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, mp3 player and other expensive items. The minimum value of the gadgets carried by the average backpacker currently stands at 200 with many carrying far in excess of this amount.

Yet a third of travellers fail to take out any insurance policy, which means these items are uninsured against loss or theft.

Statistics appear to show that one in 10 tourists have found themselves the target of thieves whilst travelling abroad. The average loss in these cases stands at over 100. It may not sound a lot but when youre travelling on a budget 100 can go a long way.

In addition, 8% of travellers have their luggage stolen from the baggage carousel in the airport without travel insurance in place this can be very hard to replace without using a large amount of the spending money you originally set aside.

Finding travel insurance for a backpacking holiday is not that hard in fact many companies offer cover aimed specifically at this type of vacation. You will usually find that it is very cost effective, with the average policy costing less than 5 per week on a 12-month trip.

The majority of those who fail to take out cover do so purely because of the cost which is really a false economy. With over 600 of luggage and a 12-month policy costing a fraction of this, they stand to lose a lot if they should become the unfortunate victim of a crime.

It seems that the biggest reason for failing to take out travel insurance is not so much the cost as lack of awareness and understanding. If you take some time to read the key features of a policy you will find you are covered for many eventualities and the benefit of the policy becomes self-evident.

Finding cheap travel insurance is easier than you think, as long as you are willing to spend a little time researching the topic and visiting several sites to get a good spread of quotes. Aim for a minimum of three quotes.

The same applies when looking for hotels and accommodation in advance. There are now many comparison sites that make the process of finding and booking accommodation online considerably easier.

You can usually find an internet caf on your travels and you can often book just a day or two ahead. You may find that using this method makes your backpacking trip that little bit easier – and your money stretch further still.

Below are 7 common winter home insurance claims and how you can avoid them with some simple winter maintenance.

1. Storm Damage

Storms and high winds can cause considerable damage to your property which can go unnoticed, especially if you lock up your holiday home during the winter.

Some things to consider:

Check roof tiles and slates are secure so you dont get water damage in the loft/roof space.

Dont forget to check that any outbuildings are weather tight.

Are the satellite dish and TV aerial fixed securely?

Gardens Dont desert your garden during the winter months. Keep trees well pruned, remove dead/damaged branches and ensure they are clear of buildings and cables. Garden furniture should also be stored away.

Gates and window shutters should be well fastened to avoid damage.

2. Burst Pipes and Water Damage

When temperatures drop, pipes can freeze and burst. The damage from burst pipes can be horrendous, especially if the burst happens when your house is unoccupied and the burst goes unnoticed for weeks.

One of the main causes of frozen pipes is switching the central heating off completely when a house is empty. Leaving the heating on a low temperature can minimise potential danger.

Ensure pipes are well lagged, wrap exposed outside pipes with insulating sleeves and make sure that water tanks get insulation too. Open the loft trap door to allow warm air from the house to circulate around the loft and pipes.

Simply turning off the water is not sufficient for a property that is to be left unoccupied for a long period – there is still a lot of water in the system, which can cause damage. Get a plumber to drain down the water and central heating system to remove the risk completely.

Washing machines, taps, showers, baths, dishwashers etc. should be checked from time to time for leaks. Even a few drops of water can cause rotting and dampness.

Know where gas and electricity supplies can be turned off and where your stopcock is, as speedily shutting off the water in an emergency could prevent a great deal of damage.

If all else fails make sure your holiday home is fully insured for such losses.

3. Blocked Gutters and Drains

Clear gutters and drains regularly of leaves and dirt, as blocked gutters can cause overflow, resulting in flooding on the roof and damp problems. A flooded balcony/veranda may not affect your apartment but the apartment below yours could suffer water damage as a result of your negligence.

4. Slip/Trip Accidents and Personal Liability Claims

If you are letting your holiday home throughout the winter, there is a danger that a guest could slip or fall on icy/slippery paths and decide to sue. Your public liability insurance (if you have it) will protect you against such actions. However, keep paths well lit, clear of slippery leaves and make sure that you have a good supply of grit or salt.

5. Thefts – Beating Opportunists Burglars

Most burglaries are carried out by opportunists when a holiday home is empty, or when your defences are down after just after arriving. Well secured entry points will discourage all but the most determined burglars. Some simple security measures include:

Fit locks or bolts to all external doors and locks to all downstairs or easily accessible windows. Consider installing iron grilles (set into the wall) on windows, or roll-down, reinforced metal shutters.

Never leave keys in locks or in obvious places, such as under a doormat or plant pot. Instead consider fitting a key safe if you have to leave keys for guests.

When you take possession of a new-build property have all the locks changed in case copies of the keys have fallen into the wrong hands.

Dont forget to lock outbuildings with proper security locks, after putting all your garden furniture, tools and ladders away, so they cannot be used to break into your house.

Ask trusted neighbour to check on the property from time to time and reward them for their troubles.

Some insurers exclude theft and malicious damage after so many days unoccupancy, or if security warranties aren’t followed so double-check your policy terms.

6. Electricity Surges and Power Failures

Rural holiday homes are more likely to suffer from power failure due to storms, which could leave you with a freezing house if your electric storage heaters fail. More commonly, Spanish properties suffer from electrical storms and power surges, which could fry your electrical gadgets such as TVs, telephones, modems etc.

When you leave your holiday home unoccupied unplug electrical devices to avoid damage from power surges or electrical storms, or purchase surge protectors.

7. Fire Risks and Chimneys

An electrical fire caused by wiring faults could reduce your dream home to ashes. Have a qualified electrician to check your wiring is safe.

Make sure your chimney top is sufficiently covered to avoid rainwater coming into the house through the chimney. Dont forget to have your chimney swept yearly to avoid chimney fires.

Fit smoke alarms on each floor, making sure they can be heard throughout the property.

Unlike most other holiday home insurers, Schofields’ policies do not have security, heating or unoccupancy warranties. However, holiday home owners should check their insurance policies and any obligations regarding these three critical areas. Exclusions and restrictions in the small print can render a holiday home insurance policy worthless, just when homes are most at risk during the winter months.

With some sensible planning you can avoid nasty surprises this winter.

Schofields have specialised in holiday house insurance in the UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and Ireland for more than 24 years. The company’s policy offers full protection when your home is left unoccupied or holiday let. Visit www.schofields.ltd.uk for a quote or call 01204 365080 for more information

Permission is granted to reproduce this article provided that links and by-line are included intact.

You need to shop around for the cheapest you can find. Even though you previously enjoyed your previous home insurance company, you might want to check out the others just to be sure. Things change and improve quickly.

It would be best, if you don’t go overboard in what you’d like to cover. If you’re not sure what it is that absolutely needs to be covered then a call to an insurance broker may be a good time as any.

Lastly, get those discounts! Ask your insurance agent or broker for ways to lower your rates. Sometimes, installing a home-security alarm may greatly reduce your premiums.

A nightmare situation would be that after a lengthy and enjoyable vacation, you go back to the house and see it unlocked and in disarray. You search for your jewels and valuable gadgets and find them missing. This is an unfortunate situation that happens to a lot of people when they go on vacation.

According to reports by Churchill Insurance, one in ten UK homes have been broken into while the occupants were out on holiday. The loss averaged 3,288 per incident. The thieves are focusing more on portable but expensive items instead of the usual big items like TVs and radios.

Buying a house can be a better alternative than constructing one from the ground up because it saves you more time. However, you need to take a closer look at the house’s history before you buy it, because if the previous home owner had a lot of “bad history” with the home insurance people, then you’re going to inherit it as well.

Having a bad credit record will bite you where the least you expect it. Not only will people trust you less with handling or borrowing money, but when companies hear that about you, it will affect how you deal with them as well.

A great example would be with home insurance firms or companies. Credit history is something these companies look into, as they want to be sure that the customers they’re pulling in have the capability to pay their premiums.

If any of you are using your gardens and sheds as temporary storage for any of your properties and stuff because you converted your lofts and garages to something else then you should read this. Nearly 650,000 UK households had items stolen from their gardens last 2007.

Unfortunately, according to an insurance company, 11 percent of households will spend more than 500 on garden tools, equipment, ornaments, and furniture, but many still fail to properly safeguard their belongings.

Trends ion the UK are showing that most people who go into retirement have to move out of their current residence to allow their pensions and insurance savings to stretch and last. Most people who are retiring today have little or not much in terms of money to splurge due to the fact that money has devaluated so much, it would be cheaper to move to a cheaper location outside major city centers where life is easier and goods cheaper from local farmers. The trend goes for those who live elsewhere for the pensions that used to amount to a million dollars might have been a huge sum back then but today has become just a sum of money you have to be careful in spending with. Retirees used to be well off for their hard earned pensions provide most of the costs of their retired life. Devaluation, inflation has all caused much upheaval in the value of money that if not wisely spent, is gone in a couple of years leaving them high and dry.

Following a poll by Sainsbury’s Car Insurance the firm’s warning state, that motorists are failing to inform their insurer, before they set off could, lead to their fully comprehensive UK policy being diminished to a third party level of cover.

Almost half of the motorists intending to drive their own car abroad, say they will clock up, up to a thousand miles of travelling on foreign roads. Nineteen per cent say they will be driving between 501 and 1,000 miles, with 29 per cent going under 500 miles.

Most insurers provide cover for driving in Europe, however, these providers also require policy holders to notify them before they set off on their travels. If they fail to do so, only cover for third party, fire and theft could be provided.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance manager said: “When going on holiday, most people will remember to take travel insurance but we are concerned that some motorists are overlooking the need to ensure that their car journey is fully covered”

Mallon added:”Having an accident anywhere is bad enough but when abroad it can be compounded by a lack of local knowledge, to then find that the other party’s damage is covered but not your own, is surely a blow worth avoiding.”

Another piece of advice would be to study or read up on the local road laws. For example, in Spain, drivers must carry a spare wheel, as well as a spare fan belt and a full set of spare bulbs, plus the tools to change them. Failure to carry two red warning triangles to put in front and behind your car if you have an accident or break down could also result in a penalty.

The use of a radar detecting device in France could see your car and gadget seized, with a possible fine.

When driving in Switzerland, drivers must have a warning triangle kept in their vehicles, as this is compulsory, also drivers who wear glasses, must have a spare pair in the cars, when they are driving.

Moreover for travellers, preparing for journeys during the winter periods, are advised that snow chains are recommended to be carried everywhere in Germany during the winter and if you do not carry and fit them when conditions demand the police can prevent you continuing your journey.

Visibility vests are now compulsory in Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Spain – and likely to become compulsory throughout the EU. The rules vary from country to country concerning the number of vests required and whether they should be carried in the car or boot. Common sense, however suggests that there should be a vest for every occupant and that the vests should be carried in the car.

However, UK registered vehicles displaying a Euro plates (circle of 12 stars above the national identifier on blue background) no longer need a GB sticker when driving in European Union countries.

Applying all of the above points should result in a bump free, smooth driving journey for travellers as well as insurance porivders.

Quality is the most important part of insurance coverage. What is meant by quality is whether or not you are protected by your comprehensive coverage. Many reputable insurance companies in the UK will provide replacement autos while your current auto is being repaired. Also, it’s important to make sure your comprehensive coverage takes care of fixing or replacing items that were broken, stolen or lost. More important than what is being covered, is what is not.

In the UK the sky is the limit when it comes to how much coverage you desire. You can, with preparation, protect against almost any event or risk. The insurance companies offer a broad variety of coverage, making it difficult to sift through all the options. SimplyFinance helps lighten the burden by providing a short form for you to fill out so our specialists can find the best quote for you. This will help save time while you look for coverage to protect you and your family, leaving you more time for what is important: them.

Allowing us to help you find the least expensive car insurance will help free up your disposable income, as well as protect you. It is important not to skimp on coverage just to save money. Shopping around is obviously important, but so is staying protected. Making sure you have appropriate and individualized coverage will also save you money in case of an unforeseen event.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when shopping for auto insurance:

Get breakdown coverage: Nothing is worse than being stuck with a flat. Protect yourself and save time by getting breakdown coverage. Know how much comprehensive coverage you have: Ensuring that you have coverage for replacement parts, labor costs, and a replacement car while yours is being fixed. Know whether claims service is open twenty-four hours, or just certain hours: Accidents and claims do not always happen during business hours, so make your life easier by making sure your insurance company is there when you need them. Make sure to insure the items in your car: Covering gadgets and electronic devices does not come automatically with all comprehensive coverage, make sure you protect them by looking into supplemental coverage. Will you be driving abroad?: Making sure you have the proper coverage for the once a year or once a month excursion to Europe will protect your assets, and your vacation. Whether you get supplemental coverage for your trip, or if you need it added to your plan is dependent on your needs. Know the difference between comprehensive, third party/theft/fire, and third party only coverage: Even if your car is not valued at a high amount, make sure you have enough coverage to protect you.

In the present day world, our mobiles are among the most precious objects that we carry with us and use to connect, communicate and entertain ourselves. Most of these gadgets are very innovative and state-of-the-art; and can be applied in a number of different areas. We can use the 3G mobile phones to see the expressions on the face of our friends and loved ones, as we talk with them across geographical distances and in real time. We can use some of the latest handsets to access the internet and that too at broadband speeds. One cannot deny the fact that mobiles have taken on a place of prominence in many of our lives.

However, certain unscrupulous elements of society exist that are in the lookout for stealing the sophisticated handsets. In the UK, for instance, mobile phone theft is rampant and quite common. Mobile phones can also get damaged by water or may be subjected to fraudulent calls, once stolen. This is where mobile phone insurance plans come in; these insurance plans cover some of the most valuable handsets from theft, water damage, accidental damage or fraudulent calls, as the case may be.

And the best part is that one can avail of these insurance policies at very competitive costs. Many a times, mobile phone insurance is also offered absolutely free, as part of contract deals from established online retailers of mobile phones and related services. All that a person needs to do is to browse through the internet to identify these deals and offers; and select a mobile phone insurance plan that caters to his or her individual requirements perfectly.

Though it sounds unbelievable, it is true. Approximately one mobile phone is stolen in every three minutes in the UK. Other than theft, electronic items like mobile phones easily get damaged due to water entry. Many of us are even habituated of leaving behind our mobile phones.

Also studies reveal that hundreds of mobile phones are dropped in the toilet and drinks and a lot many end up their lives in washing machines everyday. So mobile phone insurance has become almost inevitable, for the very next moment you may have to depart with your most necessary gadget.

Many service providers, such as T-Mobile, Orange, Vodafone etc., provide free mobile phones or phones at a subsidised rate if you sign in various deals offered by them. Sometimes the free mobile phone which you have received by signing the contract with the service provider may cost you up to 1000 to replace if lost, stolen or damaged. Thus you may be at great loss sometimes.

To avoid such unexpected circumstances your mobile phone needs to be insured, though it may sound very absurd to many of us. Only thing that needs to be counted is the best policy and the most reliable company that would give you maximum coverage and benefit. There are many insurance providers who offer a wide range of mobile phone insurance options, and it can be done through Internet comfortably sitting at home. Some online mobile phone retailers also provide free mobile phone insurance services. If you browse the Internet you can also find insurance companies coming up with cheap insurance for mobile phones covering loss, water damage, theft etc. Many others may provide cheap insurance for mobile phones covering fraudulent calls, international coverage, accidental damage and extended warrantee.

Mobile phone theft which is increasing day by day is slowly taking a serious turn. This is one of the most obvious reasons why mobile phone insurance has become inevitable. However, the other reasons as snatching, accidental or water damage, etc., should also be taken in to account.

This is a well known fact now that in today’s world one cannot survive without mobiles. But what should also be very clearly understood is the fact that mobiles are very expensive gadget and any damage or theft can force the owner to shell out exorbitant amount. Now every mobile manufacturing company release latest more expensive mobile enable with high tech features including I-mate and blackberry.

It therefore should not come as a surprise that mobile phone insurance is gaining popularity with every passing day. This is very natural for studies show that mobile theft is continuously on rise in UK. And it is not only that insurance is a very good bet against theft, it is a very good means to counter damage, mobile loss etc.

It is very easy for any one to loose mobiles. Most common case is when one forgets his mobile at the place where he was sitting. If one has got his mobile insured then mobile company will incur all the expenses and the owner will be spared from spending a single penny. Similar is the story in the case of theft which is continuously on rise in UK. Here again the mobile phone insurance company will pay the amount of mobile to the owner.

This is a very welcome move by the insurance companies for in today’s times one simply cannot live without mobiles for even a day. Had insurance companies not stepped in it would have been very difficult for people to replace one expensive mobile with other at such a short notice.