Save the World by Saving Energy

The government and media are constantly threatening us with impending doom unless we rethink the way we live our lives. We are told that we must reduce our "carbon-footprint". But how do we do this? Well, for starters we can reduce the amount of energy we use.

Here are some energy saving tips that not only help save the planet, but more importantly help save you money!

Gas suppliers estimate that the British public wastes about £5 billion worth of energy every year. We can help reduce this—and be the richer for it—by following a few simple guide lines:

• Clothe your boiler in a stylish lagging jacket and also insulate your pipes. By keeping your boiler toasty warm you will save yourself quite a sum over the course of a year.

• Turn your thermostat down. Now you don't have to freeze to death in the process, but by just turning your thermostat down by just 1°C could potentially cut your heating bills by up to 10%.

• Get rid of those old light bulbs! They may be cheap to buy, but they consume a load of energy and cost you more in the long run. By switching to energy saving bulbs you can save up to £78 over the course of the lifetime of the bulb.

• Us Brits love to drink tea! In the UK we boil over 100 billion kettles each year. It takes a lot of energy to boil all of those kettles, so make sure you don't over fill them. If you boil only the water you need then over time this will be reflected in your electricity bill. Cheap electricity is something everyone can achieve; all we need to do is become more conscious about how we make our cups of tea. If we did this we could save money and also potentially stop the polar icecaps from melting, in turn saving the lives of thousands of polar bears.

By following the above tips, you could help save the world!

Stay safe on holiday

In a survey carried out by Nationwide, it was revealed that around 36% of those who responded failed to secure things like passports and foreign currency; preferring to leave it on the bedside table. A large number of those asked admitted they prefer to keep their valuables - such as expensive jewellery - on their person instead of securing it in the safe. Many weren't even aware that their accommodation had a safe deposit box which they could use to keep things secure.

When asked about travel insurance, a large percentage said they didn't bother taking out a policy before a trip, not realising the repercussions if something were to happen. Travel insurance covers you in case you fall ill and need medical attention, it will cover the cost of replacing your belongings should your luggage decide to take a holiday of its own, and some policies can even insure you in case your holiday is cut short or cancelled by the agent. It needn't be expensive either; if you go away more than once a year you'd benefit from annual cover, which will insure you no matter how often you travel within a year. Single-trip insurance works out a little more expensive as a one-off, but worth it if you only plan on going away infrequently.

One of the main causes of British tourists falling ill is sun exposure. We're just not used to it. It's easy to forget to re-apply your suncream in the excitement of a holiday, but it must be reapplied every hour, and straight-away after bathing in the sea or a pool. And take a leaf from Spain's book and siesta between 11am and 3pm; the hottest part of the day when the sun can do the most damage.

Be careful of the food too; avoid salads and only eat cooked vegetables, and make sure you peel all fruit. While the tap water in most countries isn't actually dangerous, it's often at a Ph level our digestive systems aren't used to, so try to keep to bottled water. On the subject of drinks, try to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum, to avoid risk of dehydration. It's a good rule of thumb in any country to have one glass of water for every alcoholic drink, but especially so in hot countries. Buy a bottle of water and keep it with you at all times.

Finally; immunisations. Check with your doctor or local pharmacy to find out if there's a malaria risk in your destination country, or if any other immunisations are needed. Treatments for malaria vary in price from around £5 for a two week holiday - which needs to be started the week before you go and carried on for four weeks after your return - to around £70 for travelling to certain countries. While expensive, it's nothing compared to the cost of contracting malaria in a foreign country when you have no travel insurance!

The best way to find cheap travel insurance is to shop around online. While holiday insurance isn't mandatory, it's always wise to take out a policy. The one time you go on holiday without travel insurance could be the one time you need it.

Understanding Permanent Life Insurance Policies

Permanent Life Insurance comes in two distinct forms:

Whole Life - This type of Life Insurance policy is immune to factors that would otherwise cause an insurance policy's premium to increase. Two factors that determine insurance premiums are mortality rate and expense costs. As you age, your mortality cost increases and should therefore increase the insurance premium. But with a Whole Life policy, this isn't the case. The same applies for an insurer's operating expenses. If an insurance company has to increase its general staff or perhaps rent a larger office space, the cost is usually passed down to policyholders. This would not be the case for Whole Life policy holders. Those who purchase a Whole Life policy are buying a permanent life insurance policy without risk. The disadvantage to a Whole Life policy is if the policyholder decides to add additional coverage, he or she will be required to purchase an additional life insurance policy.

Universal Life - This type of policy is in direct contrast to a Whole Life policy. It is flexible in nature where a Whole Life policy is not. The two factors that determine a Universal Life insurance premium (mortality cost and expense cost) are passed directly on to the policyholder: if expense costs decrease or general interest rates rise, the policyholder benefits by having his or her insurance premium lowered. However, the opposite is also true: should expense costs increase or general interest rates drop, then the policyholder is subject to ever-increasing insurance premiums. Additionally, Universal Life policy holders are allowed the flexibility of increasing or decreasing policy limits without purchasing additional policies. Should you experience difficult times and be unable to afford the premium, you can simply lower the limits in order to decrease your policy premium. Increasing the benefit is also possible but may require the insured to prove good health to the insurer.

Other life insurance terms you should be aware of:

Variable - Variable means the policy holder is allowed to invest the cash value of the policy into areas such as the stock market. This can be beneficial if the cash value is invested wisely and the investment is profitable. However, if a poor investment choice results in a decreased cash value due to unexpected losses, the policyholder will be required to deposit additional funds to cover the cash value loss.

Cash Value Choices - Whenever a policy holder decides to terminate a permanent insurance policy early and that policy has established a cash value, the policyholder has several options available: receive the funds in cash, accept a prepaid permanent insurance for life (but at a decreased death benefit), or accept a term life insurance policy for the full death benefit.

Policy Loans - There is a fourth option to cash value called Policy Loans. The policyholder may borrow against the accrued cash value of his or her life insurance policy. If you decide to take a loan against your cash value and should you die before the Policy Loan is paid back, the insurer will deduct the unpaid loan amount from the death benefit. Although Policy Loans do have an interest rate, it is usually quite low in comparison to conventional loans (it may be as low as 3 to 4 percent when dividend payouts are also factored).

Car Insurance - Buying Guide

So you're looking at buying a new car, you've got the money together - be it through a financial plan or just cash in hand - and are looking to finalize the deal and get driving.

But before rushing in to buy the vehicle of your dreams, stop for a moment and think about the effect on your car insurance.

There are a number of aspects that it is advisable to be wary of when searching for cheap car insurance:

• Type and value of car - this will determine the insurance bracket your vehicle is likely to be placed in. If the vehicle is not worth much, it could be cheaper and more practical for you to insure it under a third party, fire and theft plan.
• Age and experience - if you're fresh out of driving school you're likely to get stung for insurance due to the risk levels associated with younger drivers.

However if you drive carefully and can accumulate some no-claims bonus, this will help save you money in future insurance applications.

Bearing these aspects in mind, it is best to shop around and compare car insurance before rushing into a deal. Try to use comparison sites as a substitute to lengthy phone calls to insurers, however if you're unsure of details it's always best to contact the insurers directly.

A lot of insurers now offer discount rates if you buy your car insurance online, this can be handy if you're looking to get your foot in the door when it comes to insurance. If you're renewing your insurance with your current provider, it could be worth negotiating with them over a better deal, particularly if you have no-claims bonuses to use.

If you're looking to spread payments over a period of time to cover your car insurance, you may very well end up paying more than you have originally been quoted.

The best advice is to try and pay the premium in full rather than in instalments, and consider using a 0% credit card to try and pay the premium off all at once, provided you can afford the repayments on the card to avoid financial problems.

How to get Cheaper Home Insurance

Lambeth in south London is the most expensive area in the UK, with home insurance and contents insurance costing £342 a year.

Thankfully, by implementing a few security measures you can effectively reduce your risk of making a claim and thus reduce your home insurance premium.

Install a home security system - Certain makes of alarm systems carry more weight than others with insurers. The NACOSS standard alarm can potentially cut up to 7.5% off your home insurance premium with certain insurers.

Install security lighting - Security lighting is a great deterrent for would be thieves.

Change the locks - If you have recently moved into a property then it's wise to get the locks changed, as you never know who may still have keys for your property.

Increase voluntary excess - The excess is the amount you are willing to pay towards a claim. For example, if your excess is £50 and you make a claim for £100 then you pay half and your insurer pays the other half. The higher the amount of excess that you are prepared to pay then the cheaper your premium will be.

Put your lights on a time switch - If you are going to be spending long periods away from you home, then lights that are on a timer system give the impression that the house is occupied. This is a great deterrent for thieves.

Life happens to everyone

I'm talking about insurance. We insure everything nowadays; the car, the house, even the dog. So why not insure yourself too? It can be a great comfort knowing that whatever happens, your family will be provided for.

There are different forms of personal insurance; Life, Family Income Benefit, Critical Illness and Income Protection. All have different criteria for claims, and cover you for different things.

Life insurance is probably the simplest, and pays out a lump sum on the death of the policy holder. You can either take out a policy which covers you for life, or for just a set length of time (term insurance). With a term assurance policy, also called level term, the amount paid out is the same whenever a claim is made. A decreasing term policy amount lessens each year, eventually dwindling to nothing if no claim is made.

Family Income Benefit is usually taken out for a set period, such as 15 years. If a claim is made in the 5th year, the insurers will pay the income equivalent for the remaining ten. The principle is that if a death occurs, the policy holder's dependents won't have to manage without that income during the worst time. This type of policy is best for those with high-risk occupations or hobbies who have a young family.

Critical Illness pays out a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of certain debilitating and/or life-threatening illnesses. All insurers must cover Cancer, Strokes, Heart Attacks, MS, Kidney Failure, Coronary Bypasses and major organ transplants, and many will cover other illnesses such as Diabetes, Arthritis, Alzheimer's and most other debilitating conditions. Check with the insurer before taking out the policy to see any exclusions.

Income Protection can cover up to 70% of your income if you are unable to work. Available as either a whole life policy, or a set term, it is one of the most expensive types of cover as it could, theoretically, cover you for most of your working life. This said however, it's not as expensive as people would think; to cover an income of £12,500 per year could cost just £20 per month. Think of it as the insurer paying your salary instead of an employer if you are unable to work.

Whichever type of policy, or even a combination, that you decide on, make sure you disclose all information from your medical records, however irrelevant you think it may be. Insurers won't check your records when you take out a policy, but they will go through it with a fine-toothed comb if you claim; searching for a reason not to pay out. Don't let them find one.

You can combine any of these with a life insurance policy. Don't leave your family unprotected, take out life assurance today. Shop online for life insurance quotes.

UK motor insurance first

For the first time in the UK, well certainly the first time I've heard this, there is a motor insurance company offering new customers the chance to cap their motor insurance premium for the next year to it's the same as they pay the first year.

Funnily enough my car insurance is up for renewal in March and I've been sent an email from my current insurer. I've got 5 years no claims discount and I'm 31, I drive a 7 year old , 1.9 Diesel car and my renewal price Is £281.00, not bad I thought...

I decided to try a comparison web site and after completing my details I found a few quotes around £200, so I could in theory save around £80. The problem is can I really be bothered to go through the hassle of changing everything to a new insurer just to save myself less than £8 per month?! I suppose this is what insurers rely on; customer apathy...The thing for me is that I've got enough to do without having the hassle, and to be honest complete boredom, of changing car insurance!

With my current insurer everything renews automatically, I don't have to do anything, apart from read the emails they send me. On the other hand a friend has just said that he'd never deal with them again because they were awful when his car was written off...I guess we all just hoping that we never have to deal with that situation.

I think I'll get a few different quotes from other comparison sites, maybe a few insurance specialist sites. If I can't save a decent amount then I'll just leave my policy with Swiftcover, after all insurance can only get so cheap they're not going to give it away!

Car Insurance - Taking Care Before Driving Abroad

There have been an increasing number of us now choosing to take our cars when visiting mainland Europe on self-drive holidays. Over 3 million Britons a year choose to travel to mainland Europe by car.

But whilst it might be more comfortable to drive a familiar vehicle, rather than shelling out for car hire, sorting out the car insurance for such a trip can be a long and costly process.

Current EU legislation means that all British drivers who hold valid car insurance are covered for third-party damage, such cover is not usually comprehensive, and can often lead to difficulties should the tourist be responsible for the accident.

Drivers are advised to check their current car insurance policies before taking their vehicle abroad. Most insurers will now offer options for extending your insurance for a set area - such as zones in Europe.

It is also advisable to acquire a Green Card - an internationally recognised document that provides proof of third-party insurance - however this does not constitute cheap car insurance, and should not be relied upon solely for proof of cover.

Using the Green Card alongside your own car insurance documentation helps to assist you in terms of cost, for both medical and car repairs, should you run into difficulties abroad.

Ensuring you have the correct documentation before embarking on such trips is very important. By carrying the documentation for your car registration and your insurance policy in the vehicle during your travels, you have some backup should there be any problems during your trip.

Before travelling you must also take some time to research rules and regulations of the country you are travelling to. By having knowledge of the rules, valid car insurance and have your car serviced shortly before your trip, you can help make things easier for yourself should you run into difficulties during your holiday.

Have insurance, will travel

The type of insurance the agent will attempt to sell is known as 'single trip insurance' - meaning that you are only covered for that particular holiday. This isn't so bad if you rarely go away - perhaps once every couple of years - but if you take more than two holidays a year, including weekend breaks, then you'd save more money with annual travel insurance. This will cover you for numerous trips within the year, for a one off fee. Remember though, overnight trips and winter sports holidays may not be included in this type of policy.

Beware offers such as 'Our Platinum cover will give you over £20 million worth of medical cover'. Actually incurring costs of this size is nigh on impossible, which means you'd be paying a higher premium unnecessarily. If you have a family, it may be worth taking out one policy to cover all members, but check with your insurer before travelling to make sure each member on the trip is covered. If you don't intend to venture further than Europe, a Europe-only policy can save you a bundle, and you can always extend it in the future if necessary.

Also be wary of travel insurance offered with your credit card. Often this is actually just travel accident cover, which will only pay out for accidents while on a holiday actually paid for on the card. Or, if it is full travel insurance, your card company may insist that to make a claim, the full holiday cost, including deposit, has been paid for using the card.

You've probably heard of the E111, which has now been replaced by the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). This is not a substitute for travel insurance, but rather a safety net; it only covers basic medical costs, not baggage loss or anything else that regular travel insurance covers. It can however mean that you don't have to pay an excess on a travel insurance claim, as many insurers stipulate that the EHIC must be held by a claimant.

The best way to find cheap travel insurance is to shop around online. While holiday insurance isn't mandatory, it's always wise to take out a policy. The one time you go on holiday without travel insurance could be the one time you need it.

Autoversicherung: Splinter is a Sprinter

Even those pining for the golden age of the motor car would scarcely credit the ingenuity of Joe Harmon, 27, who has designed and built a remarkable machine, the Splinter. Harmon is a young engineer not afraid to go against the grain and he has branched out into automotive design. When he talks about his invention the timbre of his voice is tinged with real pride:

"we have designed it to have world-class characteristics in all the areas that make a supercar super, like power-to-weight ratio, weight distribution and centre of gravity."

It would be a remarkable achievement for a rooky designer to come up with what is in effect a Formula One concept using the conventional composite mouldings of the industry. However, anyone supposing that this supercharged door-stop is cut from such cloth is, as they say, barking up the wrong tree: the Splinter is a wooden car. Wood has remarkable qualities: its strength to weight ratio is higher than steel or aluminium, so a wooden chassis is in effect more stable than a conventional shell. The body of this car is made of maple and plywood and weighs a mere 1,134 kg. That is a lot more than an MFI wardrobe but rather less than other hot rods of comparable power. The Splinter really is a sprinter und notches up 60mph from a standing start in less than three seconds. That is probably enough time for the driver's face to turn ashen with fear!

Talking of "ashen" brings us inevitably to the major drawback of wood as a casing for high powered combustion engines: it burns. Even when coated with fire retardant chemicals the risk is such that any Kfz Versicherung, insurance, would be unlikely to be forthcoming. Without Autoversicherung no prototype can go into serial production so for the foreseeable future this particular Splinter is unlikely to be a thorn in the side of Porsche or Lamborghini. .

Autoversicherung: Creeping Roundabouts Unsettle Federal Republic

Autoversicherung: Creeping Roundabouts Unsettle Federal Republic For cost reasons and for their proven effectiveness in reducing congestion at noted bottlenecks, the German authorities have decided upon an accelerated program of roundabout building. However these new additions to the streetscape are not being welcomed by all of Germany's road users.

A cost comparison helps to explain the urgency of these developments. Although the installation of a mini roundabout (between 200,000 and 400,000 Euro) is comparable with the cost of connecting a set of traffic lights (around 300,000 Euro), the real benefits of the roundabout solution really become apparent when examining the operational costs.

Typically, it amounts to nearly 200,000 Euro annually to maintain the electrical systems of traffic lights set against the 30,000 Euro or so it takes to look after a roundabout. However set against these savings for the German regional authorities there would doubtless be many more motorists claiming accident compensation through their motor insurance or Autoversicherung. In other countries it has been demonstrated empirically that roundabouts smooth traffic flow at peak times when most accidents occur.

However it is also likely that in the early phases of the roundabout expansion program more accidents would take place and the Autoversicherung would have to pick up the tab. The reasons for this likely rise in the number of traffic accidents are readily understood. The German motor magazine ADAC Motorwelt reports that many German road users are unfamiliar with the rules governing progress across the Kreisverkehr or roundabout. Many are unaware for example that indicating upon entering one is forbidden under German traffic law and is only allowed when the road user wants to exit. Motorwelt also reports uncertainty on the question as to who has priority on a two lane roundabout.

Of course this knowledge gap can be explained by the marked scarcity of roundabouts on Germany's roads in comparison with the UK. Here the roundabout is a familiar and much loved part of our British streetscape. Indeed, Clive Greenaway, a driving instructor from Dorset, has expressed his affection for them through the founding of the Roundabout Appreciation Society and has also published a calendar decorated with photographs of his favourite traffic islands that sold like hot cakes. Perhaps a version could be produced for the German market that illustrates some choice junctions and crossroads since Germans do seem, for the time being at least, to prefer the reassurance provided by a commanding set of traffic lights.

Life Insurance - Advantages of Universal Life Insurance

Many people are torn between the benefits offered by term life insurance and those offered by whole life insurance. They appreciate the affordability of term life. They also like its flexibility. Term life policies can be cancelled with no significant penalties, and new ones started at for different death benefits and different premium amounts.

On the other hand, whole life offers something term life does not: coverage until death. The policy will not expire after a certain number of years, as it will with term life, so the consumer never has to reapply for coverage. As a result, coverage cannot be denied later in life due to age or poor health. The premiums will not rise, either. Because of these guarantees, however, whole life is not flexible. The death benefit and premium amount is fixed at the time the contract is signed.

The solution for many people is universal life insurance. Universal life insurance has been described as a hybrid between term life insurance and whole life insurance, but that is a misnomer. Universal life insurance is a type of whole life insurance, period. It offers greater flexibility and a lower cost than traditional whole life insurance, but it shares whole life's chief characteristics: permanent coverage, premiums that do not change based on age or health, and the accumulation of cash value.

The chief distinction between term life insurance and whole life insurance is the duration of coverage. With a standard term life policy, the coverage is limited to a specific time frame—the term. At some point, either the policyholder expires or the coverage does. If the policyholder dies during the term, the death benefit is paid to the beneficiary. If the policyholder outlives the term, the coverage will cease on the policy end date. Some term life is renewable without a physical examination, but premiums increase based on the age of the insured at the time of renewal. With whole life, the coverage continues indefinitely, until the policyholder dies. Universal life insurance shares this characteristic with whole life insurance. Both are forms of permanent life insurance.

A person can use a succession of term life insurance policies to gain coverage into his or her eighties or nineties. Each time a person renews a term life policy or applies for a new one, however, the cost of insurance goes up, due to the increased death rates among older people. For example, a 30-year-old man get a twenty-year, $500,000 term life insurance policy for as little as $245 a year, assuming he is in excellent health, does not smoke, does not partake of extreme sports or hobbies, and does not travel to dangerous areas of the world. By contrast, a 60-year-old man in similar health and meeting the other criteria still must pay at least $2,525 a year for the same twenty-year, $500,000 policy. A 70-year-old will pay $10,680 a year for the same policy. If a person develops any sort of health problems during the term, the term life insurance premiums stay the same. If the person does not have "renewable" term life insurance, then when the term expires and the person applies for new term life coverage, the premiums increase dramatically. If the person has developed or experienced a serious health problem, such as cancer or a heart attack, he or she may not be insurable at all.

The cost of permanent life insurance does not increase with the passage of time or changes in health. Coverage cannot be terminated, no matter what health problems the insured encounters. The guarantee of insurability accounts for the higher cost of permanent life insurance.

Another main difference between term life and whole life is that whole life offers savings features, while term life does not. Term life, is "pure" insurance. It insures against death, and that is all. Whole life also insures against death, but it also provides a mechanism for the accumulation of cash value, or savings. Universal life also offers savings features.

Early in the life of a whole life or universal life insurance policy, the cost of insuring against premature death is much less than the premium amount. The insurance company deposits the excess amount—less the company's profits and fees—into a tax-deferred savings account. This amount is known as "cash value." These funds are invested by the insurance company. Proceeds from the investments are credited to the account, increasing the cash value. These funds are available to the policyholder in the form of a loan or as a withdrawal. If the policyholder cancels the policy, he or she receives the cash value as the policy "surrender amount."

Universal life differs from whole insurance in the amount of flexibility the policyholder has to make adjustments in the policy. With whole life, the death benefit, premiums, and cash value accumulation is fixed at the outset. With universal life, the policyholder has the option to increase or decrease the premium amount (within limits) and increase or decrease the death benefit. For example, the policyholder can decrease the premiums, should the beginning price become unaffordable. If the policy holder wishes to build up more cash value or increase the death benefit, he or she can pay a higher premium.

While whole life, the cash value accumulation rate is guaranteed. With universal life, the cash value accumulation is determined by the performance of the insurance company's investments. If the investments perform well, the cash value increases more quickly than it would with a whole life policy. If the investments perform poorly, the cash value will grow more slowly or not at all. Because of the added risks of whole life insurance, it costs less than traditional whole life insurance does.

Many consumers who want the guaranteed insurability of whole life insurance but are afraid of being locked into fixed premiums or death benefits find universal life insurance to be an ideal form of permanent life insurance.

Autoversicherung: Examples of Dangerous Driving that would Prejudice Insurance Cover in Germany

The following summary of recent state court judgement from around Germany illustrates some of the more unsavoury kinds of driving behaviours that are viewed very harshly by the authorities there. Some of these cases are really the result of simple negligence on the part of the driver which emphasises the need for road users to focus their attention on the road at all times. Others are the consequence of pure road rage!

1. Driving straight on despite indicating: those who approach a side street and slow down noticeably while indicating but then proceed to drive on are extremely negligent. If a crash occurs in the event of another driver emerging from the side-street (because this driver believes the other vehicle is turning in) then this first driver is responsible for paying full costs. ( Kiel State Court).

2. Repeatedly sounding the horn or flashing headlights in order to compel the vehicle in front to change lanes: this High Court in Düsseldorf condemned this behaviour as criminal harassment. The traffic police in Nordrhein Wesfalen (and likely anywhere else) would certainly take a very dim view of this.

3. Vehicles driving very slowly must activate their warning lights: another judgement from Düsseldorf court relates to a crash between a driver travelling around 60 mph along an A road who crashed into the rear of a Bulldozer crawling along at just 6 mph. Had this collision occurred between two cars the matter would certainly not have ended up before the judge: in this case the driver who caused the accident from behind would be deemed culpable every time. However, even though the road in question was not covered by minimum speed regulation, the judge thought the driver of the bulldozer at least partially responsible since he was going so slowly without lights: especially dangerous in view of the big, sharp bladed shovel attached to the back of the vehicle. So each party's costs in this case would be claimed from their opposite number's Kfz Versicherung or motor insurance.

4. Careless overtaking: the High Court at Schweinfurt clarified how blame should be apportioned in one particular example of poor judgement given free rein in the matter of overtaking. In the event of of a collision resulting from one driver's attempt to pass two vehicles in one go when the second of these indicates to signal his intention of also moving into the outside line (but presumably doesn't check his mirror to establish whether this is viable), the driver pulling out is deemed to be one third at fault. The one overtaking has no choice but to resort to his Autoversicherung to settle two thirds of the damages.

Home Insurance Is A Necessary Evil

Home insurance is one of those things that we hate every month when we are paying our premiums, but when we need to make a claim, it is a god send. Home insurance, also known as homeowners insurance or hazard insurance is a necessity for all in todays society. Home insurance is a generic term that is commonly broken into two seperate products, contents insurance and buildings insurance.

Contents Insurance

Contents insurance is intended to provide protection against the loss, damage or theft of your personal items within the home, as well as accidental damage if it is included on your policy. Many insurance companies will require you to itemise the items you want to be covered and if you take out a new for old policy, your items will replaced by new products of a similar market value. When you list your valuables it is important that you put an up to date market value against them and not the amount that you paid when you purchased them. Otherwise you may be out of pocket by a rather large sum of money. If you buy any valuable items after you have taken out your insurance policy, it pays to advise your insurance company, otherwise they may not be covered if you need to make a claim.

Buildings Insurance

Buildings insurance is intended to provide financial protection in the event that the actual physical building gets damaged through things such as malicious damage, fire, or weather. If you're a homeowner looking for insurance for your home, try to find a policy that gives unlimited rebuilding costs for your home. This way you do not need to be concerned if the costs of tradesmen or raw materials rises without your knowledge. Several insurance companies now offer this as standard. Most home insurance will also cover additional buildings on the property, and will also, provide protection to property owners who may be held liable for any accidents that occur on their property. The buildings cover side of home insurance also usually gives protection against storm damage ,theft ,escape of water or oil ,vandalism ,explosion ,lightening strikes and subsidence. Also buildings insurance can cover the cost of living in temporary accommodation whilst your home is being repaired due to one of the above issues and, if selected, this insurance can pay for repairs to utilities on your property. Basically, buildings insurance can pay to rebuild your entire home if required.

Insurance Online

With the continual advance of the internet, you are now able to shop for your home insurance online. This provides major advantages as you can easily compare a number of different lenders at ease to make sure you are getting the best price possible, and you can check the terms and conditions with ease to make sure you are getting the cover that you want and that will compliment your personal sitaution. Most of the large insurance providers now have user friendly websites that let you to tailor your policy and will provide you with complete written information about what is, and more importantly what is not covered.

Homeowner insurance is a vital form of protection for homeowners as your home is your single biggest asset. The financial loss involved when something serious happens to your home can be crippling. Make use of the tools that you have available, like the internet to make sure you are getting the best deal and the most value for money. Add up carefully your personal items as you don't want to be paying more than necessary, but you don't want to be under insured if you need to make a claim. As there is a lot of competition in the insurance market place use this to your advantage and shop around. You can often get the same or more cover for less.

How to get cheaper car insurance

Check your mileage - Car insurance companies take into account the amount of miles you travel annually to calculate your premium. Make sure that the annual mileage information you supply them is accurate. For example, if you have recently changed your job then your commuting distances could have reduced. You could therefore be paying extra for your insurance for mileage that you are not actually using.

Watch where you park - Garages and driveways are favoured more highly by insurers than cars parked on the road. So if you have access to either a driveway or a garage then it's a good idea to make use of them.

Fit an alarm - Thatcham approved alarms or immobilisers are an effective deterrent to would-be thieves. Having extra security features installed should help lower you car insurance. Securities such as these are essential if you own a luxury car. For expensive, top of the range vehicles, some insurers insist that sophisticated tracking devices are installed before they will provide cover.

Reduce your excess - Voluntary excess is the amount you are willing to cover yourself in the event of an accident. The more excess you are prepared to pay then the lower your premium will be. It's advisable that your excess amount is an expense that you can comfortably afford, as it could become a financial burden in the event of an accident that is your fault.

Cut down on the extras - Insurance extras such as courtesy cars etc may increase your car insurance premium. If there are extras included with your insurance that you don't need then get them removed from your policy.

Autoversicherung: History of the Automobile: Part 4

Despite high costs relative to the incomes of the time, car sales rose steadily in the 1900s. So much so, in fact, that manufacturers struggled to meet demand and new manufacturers proliferated. Although conceived initially as a personal mode of transport, the motor vehicle found an increasingly important commercial niche.

Lorries and trucks rolled of production lines in increasing numbers even while private cars remained a status symbol for the wealthy. At the time, possession of a car was a coda for personal success. Even so, by 1914 there were already 55,000 cars on the road in Germany alone (and 9,000 lorries and vans). Additionally there were 25,000 motor bikes.

However the rise of the motor was not greeted with universal enthusiasm but rather with some enmity. The "conquest of the road" was perceived as a matter of life and death. This attitude is reflected in a book written at the time by the German writer Herman Glaser in his book Maschinenwelt und Alltagsleben:

Whilst, on the one hand, the motorists can relish the feeling of freedom and power of their vehicles as they race along the highways, most people are left in a state of fear and anxiety in the face of a development which robs them of calm and subjects them to an all pervading anxiety.

At the moment one car carries on average 1.3 passengers and it uses up a road area of 150 square metres at 100 kmph, with the braking distance and all round safety distances factored in. Statisticians have calculated that when car use increases at its present rate, and every adult on the planet ends up owning a car, then required road space will exceed the Earth's total surface area around 2050.

In the poet Heathcote William's memorable phrase: Autogeddon. Viewed in this light it is clear that present trends cannot continue and that car use as we know it will die out. Alexander Spoerl has described cars as the dinosaurs of our time. However until the world's favourite mode of transport ausstirbt (dies out) Autoversicherung (car insurance) is still a necessary expenditure. Happily, the impact of this can be offset by comparing providers through the medium of an online Preisvergleich and since awareness of environmental factors has reached a sort of "critical mass" it is likely that those drivers will be rewarded in the future who run greener cars. However market awareness will be the key to unlocking these potential savings.

Autoversicherung: History of the Automobile: Part 3

The Daimler Motor Company (DMG) was founded in 1890. However, since Daimler felt he was exerting increasingly less influence over his partners he left the newly founded firm in 1891. He then set up a small workshop in Bad Cannstatt with the engineer Maybach. Gottlieb Daimler died on the 6th March 1900 aged 75. By this time Wilhelm Maybach had begun construction of the first Mercedes.

This was precipitated by the desire of Emil Jellinek, one of Daimler's wealthy former customers, to acquire a fast, comfortable car that he could race. Maybach designed a 35 PS motor and built a car according to Jellinek's specifications. This vehicle was to cement the worldwide reputation of the Daimler brand as it became known to the public in 1901. Two years later Jellinek received permission from his daughter (Mercedes) to incorporate her name into the name of the company.

Independently of Daimler, Carl Benz (1844 - 1929) was working on another petrol driven motor project. The development of the four stroke motor had been followed closely by Benz and he devoted his energies to the task of perfecting this design. By 1879 he had developed his first two stroke motor (the four stroke unit was patent protected). Subsequently Benz worked on the design of the vehicle which would house his motor and in 1886 his three wheeled car was test driven through the streets of Mannheim.

Onlookers were aghast at the seemingly haphazard progress of the novel contraption and in one sense their concern was justified. Had an accident ensued, there was no motor insurance, or Autoversicherung, that would have covered the costs of an accident. Kfz Versicherung only became a requirement for European drivers in the 30s. In any event the 29th January 1886 can be considered as marking the"birth" of the motor car. This three wheeled carriage was decisive in setting the benchmark for the future development of the motor car.

In order to exploit the interest in his design commercially Benz presented it at the Kraft- und Arbeitsmachinenausstellung (Power und Work Machine Exhibition) in München in 1888. Despite a great deal of interest from the press covering the exhibition no deals were done and Benz transferred his hopes of a breakthrough to the 1889 World Exhibition in Paris. Unfortunately the Benzs three wheeled wagon was not a success here either.

Demonstrating teutonic resolve, Herr Benz began work on a four wheeled, coach styled, vehicle; the Viktoria. Simultaneuously he developed the more affordable Velo. This was priced at 2000 Marks and it was the most popular mass produced car of its day - 1200 were sold.

Darwins take Life Insurance fraud to new level

In the style of a Hollywood epic the tale of Mr and Mrs John Darwin had the nation on the edge of their seats as it slowly began to unfold. Ingredients including greed, fraud, and terrible deceit that divided a family and shook the town of Seaton Carew near Hartlepool have made this an absolutely intriguing story.

It first came to the nation's attention on Saturday 1st December 2007 when 57-year-old John Darwin walked into a West London police station stating his belief that he was a missing person, and that he had no memory of the previous seven years. His sons were understandably delighted to see him as they believed he had died in a tragic canoe accident seven years previously.

When he was reported missing in 2000 a three day air and sea hunt was launched that ultimately cost £70,000, but all that was found was his smashed up canoe and no trace of Mr. Darwin. At an inquest 13 months later, and despite never finding a body he was officially declared dead.

However, since the story of his 'reappearance' broke it has transpired that shortly after going 'missing' he actually returned to the home he shared with his 55-year-old wife Anne, living in a room in the house next door that the family also owned. When any family or guests visited the family home Darwin simply sneaked through a concealed hole in the wall between the two properties into his secret hideaway.

What was not known to anyone but themselves at the time of the "accident" was the fact that the couple were in tens of thousands of pounds of debt. They owned several properties that they rented out, but they were still living well beyond their means. Mr. Darwin allegedly hatched a plan to disappear and for his wife to claim the life insurance with which to pay off their debt and eventually move abroad, although Mrs Darwin disputes some of her husband's claims.

Mrs. Darwin received £25,000 in life insurance from Unat Direct Insurance Management once her husband was officially declared dead in 2002. Although the policy was actually due to pay out £50,000 she was given half that amount because a body was never found. In addition the Darwins' £130,000 mortgage was paid off by Norwich Union.

In early 2007 Mrs. Darwin sold her UK properties and moved abroad after transferring the proceeds from the sales to offshore bank accounts. It was only after John Darwin miraculously turned up in the UK that the police tracked down his wife in Panama.

Since then there have been more twists and turns in this story as tales of the Darwins' life together unfolds. This tale will undoubtedly end up as a blockbuster film and perhaps answer many of the questions yet unanswered, including why Mr. Darwin decided to return to Britain just as the couple seemed to have succeeded with their audacious plan.

Ultimately the couple who are both in custody will be pursued by the insurance and mortgage companies seeking repayment of the funds they paid to Mrs. Darwin, and as fresh allegations and charges emerge almost daily they face a very bleak future.

'Don't even think of it', warns Insurance Fraud Bureau

UK life insurance companies are becoming so concerned at the amount of false claims that they have issued a reminder to would-be fraudsters of the existence of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), first launched in 2006.

The life insurance industry is worried that the recent high-profile case of 'canoeist' John Darwin may have put ideas in some potential fraudsters' minds, so is keen to nip any such thoughts in the bud before more people go 'missing', presumed dead.

Although originally launched to counter the actions of criminal gangs, the IFB soon added investigation of fake insurance claims to its remit. Technical and corporate affairs executive for the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), Graeme Trudgill insists that fake claims damage everyone as they make insurance more expensive, for which we all pay in the form of increased premiums.

Systems have become much more integrated and with the life industry backing the IFB and providing much access to information, Trudgill says that it is easier to spot potential fraudsters. He concedes that life insurance fraud is becoming a problem, but also claims that because the IFB are better able to investigate that anyone thinking of perpetrating a fraud should think twice.

Extensive modelling has been developed to identify potential frauds, and there are much better procedures at claim level to allow insurers to probe further. Systems introduced since 2006 allow analysis of insurance policies and claims records from all the insurers participating in the scheme, and can highlight any suspicious activity. Basically, the bureau can use insurance companies' records to compare life insurance claims and assess whether they are likely to be genuine, fraudulent, or perhaps the work of an organised criminal ring.

The IFB is going to extensive lengths to catch fraudsters and methods to determine whether claimants are telling the truth include the use of voice analysis software, which can allegedly pick up subtle changes in a caller's telephone voice. The computer program will identify any nervousness and alert investigators to a potential fraud. But, that is about all that the IFB will reveal about its methods. All other detection methods are being firmly kept under wraps in case they are compromised by would-be fraudsters.

In the wake of the global credit crunch and the rapid deterioration in life assurance valuations, UK insurers will be doing all they can to weather the storm, and that includes mitigating any potential fraud losses - guaranteeing that any claims will be vehemently policed over the coming year.

'Don’t even think of it', warns Insurance Fraud Bureau

UK life insurance companies are becoming so concerned at the amount of false claims that they have issued a reminder to would-be fraudsters of the existence of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), first launched in 2006.

The life insurance industry is worried that the recent high-profile case of 'canoeist' John Darwin may have put ideas in some potential fraudsters' minds, so is keen to nip any such thoughts in the bud before more people go 'missing', presumed dead.

Although originally launched to counter the actions of criminal gangs, the IFB soon added investigation of fake insurance claims to its remit. Technical and corporate affairs executive for the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), Graeme Trudgill insists that fake claims damage everyone as they make insurance more expensive, for which we all pay in the form of increased premiums.

Systems have become much more integrated and with the life industry backing the IFB and providing much access to information, Trudgill says that it is easier to spot potential fraudsters. He concedes that life insurance fraud is becoming a problem, but also claims that because the IFB are better able to investigate that anyone thinking of perpetrating a fraud should think twice.

Extensive modelling has been developed to identify potential frauds, and there are much better procedures at claim level to allow insurers to probe further. Systems introduced since 2006 allow analysis of insurance policies and claims records from all the insurers participating in the scheme, and can highlight any suspicious activity. Basically, the bureau can use insurance companies' records to compare life insurance claims and assess whether they are likely to be genuine, fraudulent, or perhaps the work of an organised criminal ring.

The IFB is going to extensive lengths to catch fraudsters and methods to determine whether claimants are telling the truth include the use of voice analysis software, which can allegedly pick up subtle changes in a caller's telephone voice. The computer program will identify any nervousness and alert investigators to a potential fraud. But, that is about all that the IFB will reveal about its methods. All other detection methods are being firmly kept under wraps in case they are compromised by would-be fraudsters.

In the wake of the global credit crunch and the rapid deterioration in life assurance valuations, UK insurers will be doing all they can to weather the storm, and that includes mitigating any potential fraud losses - guaranteeing that any claims will be vehemently policed over the coming year.