In South Africa, the purchase of insurance cover is often the choice of the consumer. And, given the choice, many South Africans opt not to purchase insurance cover ” a decision that can be financially devastating.

We can learn a lot from financial institutions in regard to the importance of insurance.. Banks will very often require car insurance before approving your auto loan. Banks also require homeowners insurance and sometimes life insurance before approving a home loan. Doing so protects the bank from financial losses in the event your property is lost, stolen or damaged or in the event of your death. You are also protected since insurance cover will provide you the means to pay the bank under these circumstances.

Knowing this, doesnt it make sense to protect yourself without the bank requiring you to do it? If youve made the choice not to insure your property, or yourself, take a moment to review the most common types of insurance and their benefits.

Life insurance is the most underutilized insurance options for many South Africans. Most of us are familiar with decreasing term life insurance that is linked to specific debt such as our home loans. But life insurance can do more than pay off debt. Life insurance payouts can ensure that your family will be able to maintain its lifestyle in the event of your death. The right whole life insurance policy will provide you and your family this peace of mind.

Among the two countries in the world who provide life insurance for the HIV/AIDS infected people, South Africa is in the lead. Because of the success of the treament of AIDS, it is now possible to purchase insurance among those who are infected in South Africa.

When it comes to car insurance, South Africa does not require divers to purchase car insurance to drive, and approximately 65 percent of auto owners do not have any coverage. But one hard look at the risks you take when you drive will convince a responsible driver of the necessity of car insurance cover. Accidents, hijackings and thefts occur every day. If you cannot afford to pay out of your own pocket to repair or replace damaged property, medical expenses or property damage caused by theft or fire, you should have car insurance. A Comprehensive Cover policy will protect you in all of these situations.

If you are a houseowner you most likely have homeowner’s insurance.But if you are a tenant,you should think about renter’s insurance to safeguard your property in the time of fire, theft or other disaster caused to your belongings.To lessen your premiums for these policies, you may add voluntary surplus money and add safeguard devices.for houseowners, should not add the value of the land your house is existing on when you calculate your house’s value.No matter what happens to your home, the place will be there.

You might think that insurance is an unnecessary expense. It may seem so, but what would you do if you had to pay to have your or another person’s car replaced following an accident? Just think about how hard it would be for your family to get by if you were to die suddenly. This type of thing happens to people every day, but you and your family don’t have to be among them. Don’t wait any longer, start looking for the insurance you and your family need to be safe.

Shouldn’t you do this to protect yourself, whether your bank says you have to or not? If you don’t carry insurance on yourself or your property, you should really take the time to look at these kinds of insurance, and why everyone else has them.

Tom Martens is the syndication coordinator Insurance-south-africa.co.za. South Aricas leading Insurance information portal.

No one wants to be “taken” on their insurance premiums. It is hard not to view these payments as money down the drain, so many of us use price quotes as the deciding factor when we select auto, home or household insurance.

This is when we find out what kind of service our premiums have been paying for, and, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that we get what we pay for. That is a choice many consumers come to regret when the time comes to file a claim.

With that said, you can find companies that offer both good service and good prices, and the only way to find out who is who is to compare insurance quotes, policies and companies.

Researching insurance online is the easiest way to start. You’ll find resources to educate yourself about common insurance terms and practices. And, you can gather enough information, most of the time including quotes, cover information and company history, to know if you want to give the company a call for information on specific options. This way, you can avoid high-pressure sales tactics that might cause you to make a decision prematurely.

When you start negotiating with the insurance company, you’ll hear novel terms and listen to consultants who try to pull fast ones on you. You need to know what will happen when you submit a claim, and what the terms of your policy include. Ask any questions that you need to ask to clarify the policy. Any company that wants your business should be willing and able to explain its policy to your satisfaction.

Foregoing all the jargon that can accompany this explanation, it essentially boils down to your risk profile. If you’re a high risk, you’ll pay a higher premium. If you’re a low risk, you’ll pay a lower premium.One thing it is important to understand about insurance is how the companies determine your premium.

Several factors influence your risk profile, including, age, gender, place of residence, the value of the item(s) to be insured, your history of claims, the type and amount of cover you want to buy and the risk the item(s) being insured are exposed to. These factors can influence the various types of insurance in different ways, but some have the same effect on each insurance type.

If they exceed the insurance company’s requirements, will lower home, household and car insurance premiums,if your place of residence is in a high crime area, your home, household and car insurance premiums will reflect the increased risk of possible theft, burglary or hijacking.Increased security measures.

One way to decrease your premium is by increasing the excess amount, this is the amount that you pay when you have a claim.

You can receive a discount if you have a history of claim-free years. First-time insurers will not be eligible for this discount until they have built this history.

Tom Martens is the syndication coordinator Insurance-south-africa.co.za. South Arica’s leading Insurance information portal