Insurance, in simple words, is the protection of your life and property from unexpected and horrible life circumstances. It is a mechanism of transferring the cost and responsibility of any unpleasant event to an insurance company.
What is Insurance?
You might remember the wonderful childhood days when a particular individual dressed up in neat pants and shirt would knock at your door to sell insurance policies. Back then, you never understood the purpose of their visit and often wondered what insurance was.
In today's situation, the risk of theft and natural disasters like fire, earthquakes have increased exponentially, and the need for insurance is at its peak.
Insurance Policy and Purpose of Insurance
An insurance plan or policy is a legal document signed between the insurance company and the applicant (the one who is getting insured).
Insurance companies draft some policies according to the need of their applicants. These policies' primary purpose is to save you from any financial burden and loss during an ongoing crisis. These policies also focus on securing the future of your loved ones once you're no longer around them.
Three Terms to Know Before Buying an Insurance Policy
Before jumping into the world of insurance, there are three basic insurance terms that you should be familiar with. One is the insurance quote, which defines how much dollars you will pay to buy your desired insurance policy, and the other two are an insurer and insured.
The insurer (insurance agent) is the one who is assuring you that your belongings would be fully protected upon the occurrence of any unfortunate event. On the other hand, you are the insured because you are buying their policy for future events.
Are Online Reviews Trustworthy to Buy an Insurance Policy?
Reading online reviews is the most efficient way of gaining firsthand and fast knowledge about your choice's product and service. The internet is loaded with plenty of review websites that promise to provide authentic reviews to the people looking for some product and services. But many times, these websites put nothing but fake reviews to gain the trust of potential customers and earn money by promoting a particular business.
By reading this, you might have remembered the times when you got fooled by such websites. You checked a great product review of a specific product on a website and ordered the product immediately. But the hard truth hits you right in the face when you receive that low-quality product. Well, there is no need to feel upset because the internet can sometimes be a cruel place, and we all have gone through such situations at least once a while in our lives.
Till now, you might have developed a feeling that trusting online reviews is not a great idea at all. You might think of never bothering to read the reviews online, but that's certainly not the point that I was trying to make.
Now there are two types of reviewing sites. First is the good one on which real customers post genuine reviews, and then there are fake reviewing sites that deceive people by posting made-up reviews. The key is to differentiate between these two sites to avoid buying a useless insurance policy.
Tips to Spot Trustworthy Insurance Companies
A wholesome reviewing site gathers thousands of customers across the country that rate and share their opinions on different goods. When looking for an insurance company review online, look for the pages that show unbiased reviews and comparisons of multiple insurance companies. Particularly in the UK, there is an unending number of such websites, but you have to choose the one that only shares reliable information.
An example of a good reviewing site for insurance companies could be the uk.Collected.Reviews, which feature authentic reviews posted by the citizens. The site displays a separate category for insurance company reviews and comparison. Therefore, it might prove to be a useful platform for those looking to gain knowledge of different insurance policies online.
Buying an insurance policy by making use of the virtual world is a blessing that you must utilize. You can not only access the required information for purchasing a policy at one click, but it will also save you a lot of time and energy. A cherry on the top is that a good reviewing site also redirects you to the official website of your selected insurance company. It allows you to check the available information's authenticity, and who knows, you may end up buying an insurance policy online.
Types of Insurance Policies and Why you need them
When getting an insurance policy, the first question you should ask yourself is the type of insurance policy you want to buy. So many insurance policy types aim to protect different aspects of your life and property.
Generally, Insurance policies are classified into the following types.
Life Insurance
Life inurancse is the most common type of insurance policy. It ensures that the insurance company will provide financial assistance to the policy holder's family after his/her death. Life insurance can be further divided into seven types, but the term insurance is the most elementary form of an insurance policy.
The key benefit of purchasing this type of policy is that it'll help you save some money for investing in the insurance plan. Also, your family will be guaranteed a sound and safe future even after your death.
Health Insurance
A person never knows when he might suffer a life-threatening accident or disease; therefore, preparing for such incidents beforehand is the best option. Buy or Purchase the Health insurance policy before it is too late. The policy covers the cost of medical treatment and hospitalization of the insured person.
One primary advantage of the health insurance policy is that it offers cashless claims. That means it will settle your medical expenses between the hospital and the insurance company without your involvement.
Dental Insurance
You realize the importance of your teeth when you develop tooth cavities and gum diseases and visit the dentist. Thankfully, if you are faced with such a situation, dental insurance can support your back.
Dental Insurance maintains the patient's smile by covering the cost of all dental procedures and checkups. But before going for a dental insurance policy, make sure to check what treatments are covered in the insurance policy.
Travel Insurance
Enjoying a family trip without the stress of your home and belongings' security is such a great idea. Travel insurance provides three different plans to secure your assets while you are away from your home.
The policy offers the protection of your luggage, flight delay, and trip cancellation. In case of any of these events, your insurance company will bear the cost of your travel expenses. Are you looking for the best travel insurance company? Have a look in this travel insurance article for more information.
What Are Some Types of General Insurance?
General Insurance includes the insurance policies except for the life insurance policy. There are six main types of general insurance policies including:
Property or House Insurance
This insurance can protect all the interiors and exteriors of your house against theft or natural destructions (fire, thunder, etc.) under the house insurance policy. The property insurance also features four categories by which you have the right to claim the cost of any damage done to your home, office, and shop.
Car Insurance
Car Insurance or Vehicle insurance safeguards your vehicle against burglary, damage, and third party liabilities. It has three separate policies, namely;
- Car Insurance
- Commercial Vehicle insurance
- Bike Insurance
A prominent feature of car insurance is that it includes third party liabilities too. So, if you accidentally injure someone with your insured vehicle, the insurance company will manage the injured person's treatment cost on your behalf.
Pet Insurance
If you don't want to buy general or life insurance, you can opt for specific insurance policies. Like if you're fond of pets, you may look into purchasing a Pet Insurance policy specifically designed for your pet.
How to Find Right Insurance for Yourself?
With all being said, choosing the right insurance policy can still be a hassle for some people. To help you deal with this dilemma, we have listed the four crucial factors you must consider before purchasing any insurance cover.
- Know Your Needs
Knowing your needs is the first step towards choosing the right insurance policy. List the things that possess higher risk than others and then select appropriate approaches to cover the list items.
- Read the Reviews
As said in the earlier section of the article, reading reviews is the best way to figure out the right insurance for you. Customer reviews are a thing that has been widely acknowledged across the world, hence make use of it and select your future insurance.
- Compare Prices
Explore 4 to 5 more methods and compare their prices. Keep in mind that an acceptable policy is not the one that is cheap but is the one that covers all your requirements in budget.
- Look for Additional Benefits
Many insurance policies come with some extra benefits for customer interest. These include legal advice and home emergency facilities and come with an additional cost too. Hence, if you are willing to pay extra fees, these benefits will add significance to your insurance policy.
How to Apply for Insurance?
Once you have decided the type of insurance you need, the last step is to apply for insurance. All insurance companies follow the same application process with minor changes in each of them. To apply for insurance, you will have to fill out the company form, which requires the following details:
- Your social security, driver's license information, an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)
- A detailed Personal and family history
- Your job and risky hobbies
- Your contact information and address
After you have filled out the application form, the insurer will call you for the beneficiary's payment and name.
Final Words
Insurance companies are busy generating new and more effective policies to provide a stress-free life to their customers. Today, more than 80 insurance companies are operating in the United Kingdom. So, make sure to invest some time in reading about their insurance policies before buying them.
