23 March 2020
Comments Off on COVID-19 & Personal Insurance
Here is some general information of how insurance policies would work in relation to COVID-19 Medical Insurance Private medical insurance is for treatment in private hospitals. If you were hospitalised with COVID-19 you would be in a public hospital. Some private medical policies will provide a payment if you spend more than 3 nights in …
14 November 2019
Comments Off on Redundancy Cover – Do you need it?
There has been a lot of headlines in the business section over the last 6 months regarding low business confidence and talk of a global recession. At this point it is just talk, but some sectors in New Zealand have slowed. Residential real estate sales are down and some construction companies have collapsed but overall …
2 November 2018
Comments Off on Southern Cross Benefit Review – Medical Insurance
Southern Cross have had some bad press this week (see story here). After their annual benefit review, they have announced that they will be reducing some benefits and removing others altogether. What is changing? Removed or Reduced Obstetrics Benefit, depending on the plan. Removed Funeral Benefit, Public Hospital Cash Grant, Premium Waiver, Sterilisation Benefit (snip …
2 July 2018
Comments Off on How much life insurance do other people have?
I often get asked this question and this is my answer; It’s not about them it is about you. There are so many factors to consider when thinking about how much Life cover you need, but most importantly you need to consider what is your Plan B. If the unexpected happens, which it frequently does, …
18 September 2017
Comments Off on I’m Uninsurable
I hear this from time to time when talking to people about what cover they have in place (or don’t have in this instance). In most cases they have tried one provider and not been offered cover. Well the market is not one provider and I like a good challenge. We have agencies with all …
4 September 2017
Comments Off on Mortgage & Pregnancy. When are you at risk?
I have a lot of conversations with people about their life situation and there are two areas I often see where people are not assessing their risk correctly. Often people think that when they draw the loan from the bank and buy a house they need their insurance cover to be in place by settlement …
14 August 2017
Comments Off on Is wishing someone Happy Birthday Generic?
When I started as an insurance adviser the company I worked for sent Birthday cards to all of their clients. I remember making the comment that to me it didn’t feel sincere. Just because we had their date of birth it didn’t feel heart felt to send a card. Over time in this industry …
24 July 2017
Comments Off on When is a smoker no longer a smoker? – After 12 months!
When you signed up for your insurance, if you were a smoker at that time your cover will be on smoking rates which are more expensive. If you have stopped smoking for a period of 12 months or more, you are able to complete a non-smoking declaration and your insurance premiums will be adjusted to …
19 June 2017
Comments Off on A medical benefit not often claimed – Cash Back for a public hospital stay.
Private Medical Insurance has many benefits and as most people don’t read their policy wordings (because that’s our job) sometimes there is a claim event that can be missed. Generally private medical cover is for treatment in private hospitals but sometimes clients can end up in the public system. Why don’t people claim? If …
19 April 2017
Comments Off on Insurance Exclusions and Loadings. What are they and can they be reviewed?
When someone takes out new cover the risk is assessed medically. If they have a condition that makes them more likely to claim on that product than someone without the condition, they may be offered cover with an exclusion or a loading. With an exclusion, the cover will be offered but that specific condition is …
31 January 2017
Comments Off on Bringing Sexy Back
When I first started in insurance I struggled a bit with the public perception of the industry. So much so that one night, when I was out at a networking event talking to someone who asked what I did, I said that I was an insurance adviser, that it was a great industry to work …
22 April 2016
Comments Off on Snip Snip
Over the last few weeks I have been dealing with a number of families that are expecting their first or second child. This is fantastic news despite the impending lack of sleep, vomit and dirty nappies, which as a father of three I have experienced my fair share. On the other hand I have also …
14 February 2016
Comments Off on Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide – Follow Up, “Mole Map”
The start of the year is always about fresh beginnings and I thought it was a good idea to knock an item off my “to do” list that was overdue so I booked a mole map. I thought I would let you know how the process works and what the costs are. First of all …
18 January 2016
Comments Off on Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide – Low Grade Melanoma Cover
When I was a teenager I think the highest SPF sun screen you could get was SPF8. Most people used a SPF2 or SPF4 and a lot of people even used Johnson’s Baby Oil to fry themselves. In hindsight just because everyone was doing it, possibly it wasn’t a great idea. These days we know …
18 November 2015
Comments Off on Medical Cover – The 2 major issues, non pharmac drugs and pre-existing conditions.
There are two major hot spots with medical insurance that people need to consider. 1. Non pharmac drugs. Last week the New Zealand Herald did a special focus on cancer and in the one of the articles (click here) they talked about Keytruda, a new technology drug which is not government subsidised (or otherwise referred …
23 February 2015
Comments Off on One detail that you can leave out of your will.
One detail that you can leave out of your will. Who will look after your Facebook page after you are gone? Probably not something that you had given a lot of thought to before! A recent story in the herald talks of a new feature that is being rolled out to American users where …
14 November 2013
Life is all about change. And because you never know what each day will bring, it pays to be ready. That’s why we’re here. It’s our job to educate you about life insurance, so you can make an informed and considered decision on your cover.Our specialty is in insuring people against illness and injury. So …
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