Atkinson Smith launches online self-build offering
May 12th, 2011
No comments
Atkinson Smith has launched an online quote and buy facility to support its self-build (new build) and home extension/conversion offering.
Q&A: PPI compensation
May 11th, 2011
No comments
Now that UK banks have agreed to set aside billions of pounds to pay back customers who were missold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI), consumer groups say reclaiming money should be easier. Here are the key points to note when claiming:
? Is there any limit on compensation?
No, but claims made via the Financial Ombudsman can only be enforced up to £100,000.
? How far back can I go with my complaint?
The rule of thumb is that providers will look into policies sold up to six years ago, or policies sold up to 10 years ago to customers who were only made aware of the problem three years ago.
Banks drop PPI appeal
May 7th, 2011
No comments
Consumers who took out a loan or credit card in the last six years have been told to check their documents to see if they were sold loan insurance, following a decision to re-open compensation claims.
So far the average sum paid out to consumers who complain they were mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) is £2,750.
Barclays, RBS and HSBC announced on Sunday that they would follow the example set by Lloyds and would no longer persue a legal fight against the Financial Services Authority (FSA) concerning sales of the controversial loan cover.
Categories: Insurance Quotes
Get a CLUE about homeowners insurance
May 5th, 2011
No comments
By Michele Lerner
May 3, 2011
The Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report, generated by LexisNexis, includes auto and home insurance information gathered in a national database from insurance companies. According to LexisNexis, CLUE reports for home insurance contain a seven-year history of claims against a particular property, along with personal identification information of the homeowners. The insurance portion of the report includes the date of a loss, type of loss claimed and amount paid by the insurance company.
How property insurance companies use CLUE reports
“We use CLUE reports for homeowners insurance to help measure the risk associated with providing insurance as accurately as we can,” says Dick Luedke, a spokesman for State Farm Insurance.
Ombudsman points to rise in small claims
April 22nd, 2011
No comments
Consumers have been fighting for financial compensation for increasingly small sums, indicating a growing reluctance to accept poor deals and service.
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which deals with unresolved disputes between financial service providers and customers, says it has seen a jump in the number of cases involving involving sums as low as £500.
“There has been a hardening of attitudes from both consumers and financial businesses over the last year,” said Emma Parker, the FOS spokesperson. “Thi
Burglary up by 14% and expected to rise
April 22nd, 2011
No comments
Domestic burglaries have risen by 14%, according to new statistics from the Home Office.
Worryingly, it is also widely expected that burglaries will continue to become more frequent due to the warm weather leading people to spend more time in their gardens and leave windows open.
According to home insurer Ageas almost half (47%) of adults do not keep their front doors locked when they are at home and 13% only lock their front door during the night.
Managing Director Mark Cliff said that the notion few burglaries happen when the home is occupied is nonsense, and that some imprudent homeowners leave themselves open to opportunistic burglars who take advantage of open windows and unlocked doors.
Recently, AXA Insurance warned of a surge in burglary during the forthcoming Royal Wedding, which is expected to see 40% of people out of the house and 21% enjoying a party at home.
Unfortunately, burglars have an eye for such occasions, including New Year’s Eve and Guy Fawkes Night, which tend to see spikes in burglary.