Unfortunately I am now able to count myself as a victim of crime. The weekend before last some lovely people decided their evening was not exciting enough and so broke into my car by smashing the window and taking my bag. Similarly on Friday I had a call from a client who had some tools stolen from his van whilst locked and in a car park. The fact that these crimes were committed in areas where the public are also freely going about their business is testiment to the brazeness of criminals. Luckily for me there was nothing valuable in the bag and my glass excess for the smashed window is only £50 but for our client who had their van broken into a significant value was taken.

Insurance is only part of the answer and to minimise the impact of a loss like this we would encourage you to keep an inventory of your tools and equipment along with proof of purchase. This will ultimately mean that any claims process is speeded up as all the required information is there. Similarly be aware of where you could obtain these items again so as to ensure that you are back on your feet, trading as soon as posisble. We won't just sell you a piece of paper saying that you're covered but we will go that extra mile and assist you in building a plan around your policy so that you have the peace of mind knowing that, if you experience a loss of any kind you will have as little interruption to your business as possible.

That being said often prevention is better than cure and so please follow these bullet points to ensure that you don't make your possessions attractive to theives.

• Ensure your vehicle is not parked in an icolated position.
• Try and park somewhere you can keep your eye on the vehicle or as close to where you are going to be as possible.
• If possible park in a public place or in the arc of a CCTV camera.
• Ensure all windows are secure and doors are locked. 
• Ensure your vehicle is alarmed and that it is functioning.
• Remove any personal possessions from view (even if of no value).
• Any wires or leads which might suggest your vehicle contains phones or satnavs should be put away.
• Clean the inside of the windscreen to remove any marks left by a satnav.
• If you can, take items such as satnavs with you when you leave a vehicle.

Alistair

Lock Up Your Hamsters

So Freddie Starr is in the Jungle however it was more of a case of 'I am a Celebrity Get Me In Here' rather than 'Out of Here'. It turns out that Freddie and the production company struggled to get insurance for the 68 year old comic who underwent bypass surgery last year. The producers managed to persuade the insurers to provide cover at the final hour and Starr joined the other nine later on Sunday night...

... I wonder if there is an exclusion for Kangaroo Testicle poisoning?

Pause for Perspective.

At 11:00 today we observed a 2 minute silence in the office. Whilst our job is to protect your homes, vehicles, businesses and assets with  things such as policies and bonds it is the service personnel that protect not just these things but our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy. They do this not with policy schedules, endorsements and the like but often with their lives.

We at Fairweather Insurance Services Ltd are very grateful for their courage and their sacrifice.

No Win, No Fee, No Insurance?

With some new providers, as far flung as Iceland, entering the mix Solicitors spent a whopping £255.7 million on Professional Indemnity Insurance this year. This compares with a spend of £213.5 last year - an increase of £42.2 million, lots of cash in anyones book. XL Insurance seem to be sitting pretty with over 18% of the market share. I am sure XL's Christmas Party will be a good one whilst I fear a number of solicitors will be digging out the budget crackers and paperhats in an effort to save for next years premiums?They better make sure they win a few of their no win no fee cases.

Alistair

Adding Strings to the Bow

One of the things that keeps a job in insurance interesting is the introduction of new products. We are constantly looking at ways of assisting you (our clients) in as many ways as possible. I am therefore pleased to confirm we will be looking to deal with some new and exciting products in terms of bonds, rights to light and all manner of interesting other things. More specific details will follow in the News section in the next week or two so keep your eyes on this site.

Alistair