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travel insurance

Confused.com Reveals The Cheapest Cars To Insure For Young Drivers

New research from Confused.com has revealed the cheapest cars to insure for 17-20 year olds. The results showed the Ford Ka2 topping the leader board, followed closely by the Peugeot 107, while the worst car to run for young drivers looking for low insurance prices was the Honda Civic*.

The costs of car insurance for young drivers hit record highs in the second quarter 2011, with 17-20 year olds paying as much as four times the average amount for car insurance.

The Confused/Towers Watson price index showed that motor insurance based on a 17-20 year old male is now £4,006 per year for comprehensive cover, highlighting the need for research when buying a car.

To help young drivers, Confused.com has undertaken research to give teenagers a helping hand and unveiledthe five cheapest and most expensive cars to insure for 17-20 year olds.The research also highlighted that 50% of under-25s could save up to£594 on their car insurance premiums by using Confused.com.

Gareth Kloet, head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: “Young drivers and learners are telling us that the cost of insurance is the biggest barrier to getting behind the wheel: more so than the cost of buying the car.

“Buying your first car should be exciting, not a worry about whether you can afford the insurance costs. Here at Confused.com we want to offer young drivers the chance to find the perfect car with the cheapest insurance.”

“Once the car has been found drivers should shop around for cover as premiums can vary greatly between providers; a comparison site is a great way to do this.”

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Confused.com Poll Reveals UK Drivers Want a Crackdown on Drug Driving

A new poll from Confused.com reveals that ‘Crack down on drug driving’ is the message from drivers to the UK government. 70% of drivers say they don’t think enough is being done about this problem and 71% want to see the government do more to combat drug driving.

25-34 year olds are most likely to drive while on drugs (8% admit to having done it), according to the Confused.com poll, while drink driving is most likely among 45-54 year-olds (34% admit to having done it).

The ‘drug and drink driving’ poll of 2,000 drivers in the UK reveals 37% of drivers think drug drivers are less likely to get caught than drink drivers (8% say more likely and 55% see no difference). Meanwhile, 25% of men and 18% of women believe drug driving is more widespread than drink driving on UK roads despite figures showing 5% of drivers admit to drug driving and 28% of drivers admit to drink driving. Moreover, more men admit to drink driving than women (38% as opposed to 19%). Most notably, the poll reveals 77% of women want to see the government do more about drug driving, compared to 65% of men.

The Department for Transport reported a fall in alcohol-related accidents last week. Mike Hoban, Chief Marketing Officer for Confused.com, thinks that drug driving might be a hidden menace on our roads. He said: “The Government has been boasting about cutting public service advertising but it’s clear that people are concerned about the potential dangers of drug-driving. The Government has a responsibility to let drivers know that the penalties are severe and that drug-drivers are a danger to themselves and a danger to others.”

The penalties for drug driving are the same as for drink driving: a drug driver will receive a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a fine of up to £5000.

The conviction for driving (or attempting to) when unfit through drugs is DR80 and this stays on the driver’s license for 11 years (attracting up to 11 points). DR90 is the conviction for being in charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs. This stays on licenses for 4 years and can attract 10 points.

Notes to Editors:
The poll of 2000 drivers in the UK was carried out by Onepoll on behalf of Confused.com and all figures have been rounded up to the nearest 1%

Information on penalties and laws around drink driving and drug driving sourced from direct.gov.uk.

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Confused.com Launches New YMCA Advert

Confused.com has announced that the well-loved 70’s disco anthem YMCA is the soundtrack to the latest advert “Con-Fused-Dot-Com” featuring animated logo Cara. The new thirty second advert, focusing on car insurance, launched on Sunday 22nd May, with its peak spot taking place during the new ITV1 drama Vera.

The new advert is once again voiced by Louise Dearman who plays the lead in the popular West End hit musical, Wicked. Animated and produced by Hornet, with musical arrangement from Speckulation entertainment, the advert will feature living logo Cara singing the catchy anthem before being joined by a lively backing group of animated singers and dancers. Previous adverts featuring Cara include covers versions of songs from Queen and Diana Ross.

Mike Hoban, marketing director at Confused.com, said: “Confused.com is the UK’s first price comparison site and this advert is an entertaining way to remind people how easily they can save money on household bills.

“The new series of adverts have been so successful that Confused.com has added more than 2 million customers since the campaign launched.”

In addition to this thirty second car insurance advert, a thirty second advert focusing on home insurance and a sixty second brand advert are also launching. The new thirty second car insurance “Con-Fused-Dot-Com” advert can be viewed on Cara Confuseds page now.

Confused.com is also unveiling a new thirty second London region only radio advert on 1st June. Fans of Cara can keep up to date with her on her Facebook and Twitter pages.

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LV= Launches My Car iPhone App

LV= has launched a new iPhone app for motorists called LV= My Car. It is a multi-utility application that features five clickable options for users to chose from including a car profile function, traffic maps, local info maps and for LV= customers only, an accident toolkit and call LV= tool. Each option takes the user to a separate page and offers a different service.

The car profile function allows users to input information about their own car to be stored on the app. Users can either enter their vehicle registration number whereby a third party provider will determine the exact car make/model (plus other information) or they can choose to create their own manual car profile. Here they will be able to include relevant information about their car such as engine size, BHP, miles per gallon, tyre pressure and tyre size.

There is also the option to set a number of car related renewal reminders including road tax, MOT and service, parking permit, and insurance. These reminders can also be added to the iPhone calendar. Users are then alerted two weeks before the renewal is due.

Using the accident toolkit feature, LV= car insurance customers are able to fill out an accident report form and submit it to LV=. There are two sections to this feature; ‘during an accident’ and ‘after an accident’. The first section allows the user to make notes about an accident they have been involved in and this includes the other driver’s details and the opportunity to capture images of the accident.

The second section enables LV= customers to fill in an accident report form. Here they are prompted to note their personal information, a description of the incident, whether there was third party involvement, whether either party accepted fault, extent of the damage, injuries, witnesses, whether the police were involved and if there is a crime number. Once all of the relevant information is complete users can submit the form to LV= and a claims handler is guaranteed to get in contact within 24 hours. Customers also have the option to call LV= at this point rather than submit information via the app.

Drivers can also use the app to receive detailed local traffic updates and access a local information map which will highlight nearby amenities.

The launch of the application follows the launch of LV=’s first iPhone app for job hunters which was released in September last year.

Paul Wishman, LV= e-commerce director said: “We are delighted to be launching the LV= My Car app. We opted to create an app with a difference that offers a service that could be used in different situations. We have recently launched the LV= mobile site so the launch of the iPhone app is the next step in our mobile strategy.”

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Confused.com’s Car Study Reveals The Vehicles Used By William And Kate

Confused.com has conducted a study to get some insight into the vehicles used by people called William and Kate in the UK.

Drivers called Kate or William (aged 28-40) are more likely to get behind the wheel of a Mini (Kate) or a Rover (William) than the average British motorist, according to a study of 8 million drivers in the UK carried out by car insurance comparison site Confused.com. The traditionally British iconic cars are favoured by Kates and Williams, with Catherines preferring to get behind the wheel of a Citroen. Drivers called William also favour X-type Jaguars, according to Confused.com data.

The research, which was conducted from a database of quotes carried out through the Confused.com site highlighted a number of differences between the driving habits of drivers named William, Kate and Catherine.

The data, which included 28-40 year old drivers in the UK, was overseen by Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at the company. Kloet commented: “The upcoming royal wedding has increased the interest in the names William and Kate dramatically. With Confused.com data to hand, we have found that William and Kate’s around the UK have very sensible car models, a driving attribute that would expect from the royals.”

Confused.com have also discovered a number of statistics relating to the type of home and family expected for a William and Kate in the UK population, referencing data from 2.5 million home insurance customers. The data showed that only 60 couples were called William and Kate as registered on their home insurance policies.

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LV = Reveals One In Ten Homes Built On Brownfield Sites Have Problems

LV= has revealed that over the next decade around half a million homes will be built on redeveloped ex-industrial sites that could pose risks to homeowners and their homes.

A new report from home insurer LV= reveals that around 125 million square metres of redeveloped brownfield land, earmarked for the building of 500,000 homes, is potentially at risk of flooding or contamination, which could cost homeowners thousands of pounds to address.

Brownfield sites are defined as land which has potential for redevelopment after previously being occupied by another permanent building, such as a factory or industrial works. Redeveloping brownfield sites is a cornerstone of the current national housing policy, with 79% of all new builds being built on recycled land in recent years.

Yet according to the LV= research, over one in ten (11%) new homes built on brownfield land have suffered problems as a result of the land the property is built on, affecting a total of 74,000 homes in the last ten years. The most common problem is flooding, but there are also cases of contamination, poor drainage and sewage problems.

One of the drivers behind the current policy encouraging house builders to redevelop land is the creation of affordable homes for first-time buyers. The LV= research shows that few (17%) prospective buyers are actually specifically looking to buy new build housing, rather many feel that this is the only option available to them through local authority shared ownership schemes as many of these properties are new builds. Others say they are persuaded to buy new build homes because of incentives such as deposit cash back schemes from developers or free white goods.

Currently, over a third (34%) of prospective buyers are unaware of the problems associated with former industrial land and a quarter (24%) do not check the previous use of the land a house is built on. LV= is advising potential buyers to check the previous use of the land a house is built on before committing to a purchase, by speaking to neighbours, checking old maps or commissioning a full environmental report to ensure they do not experience problems once they’ve moved in.

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Confused.com Reveals Mothers’ Day Holiday Habits

Confused.com has revealed that many mums may get more than flower and chocolates this Mothers’ Day as more than half of Brits have taken their mum (or mother-in-law) on holiday with them.

The travel insurance provider and comparison site also revealed that the vast majority of Brits would do it again. However, almost one in ten sons admit this is because mum will pay for everything with another reason sons are keen to take mum on holiday being so that she can babysit the kids.

56% of people in the UK have either taken their mums or mother-in-laws or even both on holiday with them, with 85% of Brits who have done so saying they would either take one of both or their mothers/mother-in-laws on holiday again. In addition to this 53% of the people surveyed agreed that their mother (or mother-in-law) was great company on holiday with 50% agreeing that she deserves a treat.

45% of adults have never taken their mothers or mother-in-laws on holiday with them, but of those who have, only 14% would not repeat the experience. The top reason* for refusing take them on holiday again is ‘We like different things’ (33%), with ‘She’s so annoying’ being cited as the second most popular given reason (13.5%). Other reasons for not taking mum on holiday include 10%, who are embarrassed by her behaviour, 9% who think the she would cramp their style and 6% who suggest she flirts too much with the waiters on holiday.

More women than men have taken their mothers on holiday with them than men (women 39% versus men 24%), but some men have ulterior motives for doing so: 9% of adult men saying they take mum on holiday because she pays for everything, whereas only 4% of women admit money is their motivation or taking mum on hols. 11% of men compared to 6% of women take mum on holiday because of her babysitting services.

Londoners are most likely to take mum on holiday (38%), with Northern Ireland (17%) the least likely to do so, according to the survey by Confused.com.

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LV= Asset Management named Best Small Bond Group at Lipper Awards 2011

LV= Asset Management, the fund management arm of mutual insurance, investment and retirement group LV=, has received recognition for the strong performance of its UK fixed interest team by winning the best small bond group category at the Lipper Fund Awards 2011.

LV= Asset Management qualified for this award by delivering strong risk-adjusted performance relative to its peer group across its range of bond funds over the three year period up to 31st December 2010. These funds include the LV= UK Corporate Bond fund, the LV= UK Fixed Interest fund and the LV= UK Index linked fund.

The award acknowledges LVAM’s industry leading fixed interest capability and highlights the team’s expertise across a range of different products.

Michael Wright, Head of Fixed Interest at LVAM commented: “We aim to deliver consistently good performance for our clients across the range of bond funds. We are extremely pleased to have won this award as it acknowledges our team approach to managing funds and recognises the superior returns we have achieved over the three years to 31st December 2010.

“The last few years have been an extraordinary time for money managers but the breadth of experience on the team has allowed us to draw on lessons from the past and make timely, well informed decision on behalf of our clients. Going forward we are confident that we can maintain this high level of performance by continuing to follow a pragmatic approach to stock selection.”

Ann Roughead, Managing Director at LVAM added: “LVAM has set out its stall as a low-cost active manager that does what it says on the tin – delivering attractive added value year in, year out. The LV= bond funds are great examples of what we are trying to achieve and this award will serve to reinforce our commitment to providing impressive and consistent returns for our investors.”

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LV = Reveals Drivers Lost £58.5 Million From ‘Unfair’ Parking Tickets

LV=, the car insurer, has revealed that drivers lost £58.5m last year by failing to appeal against parking tickets issued in ‘unfair’ circumstances.

In 2010, one in twenty (5%) motorists in the UK received a parking ticket where they had grounds to appeal. Despite this, only one in five (22%) drivers bother to contest a ticket once issued; but of those who do, nearly nine in ten (88%) claimants are successful.

When questioned, over half of UK drivers (53%) who do pay when issued with a ticket in unfair circumstances do so because they assume they will not win an appeal. Many drivers say they are confused about the procedure for appeals, with one in twelve (8%) not knowing how to initiate a claim.

The majority of ‘unfair’ parking fines are issued in areas where parking signage is unclear. Other reasons include misleading road markings, being issued with a fine while walking to a machine to buy a parking ticket and being fined when the car was broken down. A small but significant number of drivers report parking attendants actually fabricating evidence to support issuing the ticket (2%).

Most (49%) of tickets issued unfairly are given out on public roads but surprisingly one in ten (10%) are received in car parks of public buildings managed by local authorities, such as libraries, hospitals and GP surgeries. A similar number (9%) are given out in commercially operated car parks.

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LV Reports Holidaymakers Ignoring Vital Vaccinations

LV= has reported that holidaymakers are putting themselves at risk of serious illness by not having recommended travel vaccinations, as GPs report a rise in the cost of jabs.

According to travel insurer LV=, more than a quarter (26%) of holidaymakers travelling in the past 12 months went without the recommended vaccinations for illnesses such as Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Diphtheria.

The LV= report found that most of the holidaymakers who didn’t have jabs (19%) simply didn’t bother to seek medical advice and so were unaware of the health risks they could potentially face and one in fifteen (7%) actually ignored medical advice to be vaccinated.

The research found that cost is contributing to holidaymakers’ reticence to have the appropriate vaccinations, with more than one in ten (12%) who didn’t have vaccinations doing so for financial reasons. As part of the LV= report, GP practices were also questioned about their vaccination prices and close to half (43%) reported a rise in the cost of vaccinations over the past five years. The cost of Malaria tablets has increased most steeply, increasing by more than 11%.

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LV Launches Innovative Recruitment Advertising Campaign

LV=, the insurance, investment and pensions group, has announced the launch of a ground-breaking recruitment advertising campaign. The campaign uses unique technology that enables jobseekers to interact with existing LV= staff and find out about the jobs on offer before even applying.

The poster and taxi campaign includes five different poster designs each featuring a different LV= employee who has their own story to tell. The campaign invites jobseekers to take a photo of the poster with their mobile phone and send the image to LV= via MMS or email, using short code 67777 and adding the keyword ‘LV’. Using image recognition software, LV= will then identify which employee was on the poster, and make a pre-recorded call to the jobseeker in which that actual employee says what they do at LV= and what it’s like to work there.

The campaign features imagery around LV=’s iconic green heart and uses a wide range of media including online, social media, outdoor and the innovative poster and taxi campaign. The innovation is continued on LV Careers where jobseekers can interact with existing staff as well as hear from Mike Rogers, group chief executive and apply for jobs online.

There is also a charitable element to the campaign, as for every text received through the campaign LV= will donate 10p to its nominated charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital.

LV= is currently recruiting for staff in many of its 28 offices across the UK. Locations of particular focus include its head office in Bournemouth plus LV= offices in Bristol, Croydon and Huddersfield. The majority of jobs on offer are within LV=’s general insurance division.

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LV = Recruiting For Over 300 Staff

LV=, insurance and investment group, has announced it is currently recruiting for over 300 jobs. The jobs being recruited for will be based in locations around the UK including in Bournemouth, London, Huddersfield, Hitchin and Bristol.

LV = Recruiting For Over 300 Staff

LV= offers a wide range of financial products and services including life insurance, protection, home insurance, investments, car insurance, pensions and retirement solutions, pet insurance, travel insurance and commercial general insurance products.

Many of the roles will be based in the company’s general insurance division and include positions in sales, customer services, claims and technical management. Other roles currently on offer are within various head office functions including marketing, ecommerce, finance and human resources.

The company has undergone a transformation since 2007 when a new board led by CEO Mike Rogers, was appointed. As well as a new brand image, the company has opened new offices around the UK and made a number of corporate acquisitions including Highway Insurance and the former GE Life business ‘Tomorrow’.

David Smith, HR director of LV=, said: “LV= is going through a period of significant growth so it’s a very exciting time to join us. Our general insurance operation is a particular hotspot for growth and we are looking for people both with experience in this field but also for individuals who are looking to move into this sector from other careers. When many other financial companies are making cut-backs we are actually expanding so this not only means that there is the opportunity to join us but also lots of great career prospects.”

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LV= Finds Dodgy DIY Improvements Damage House Values

New research by home insurer LV= has revealed that in the last few years as many as 4.05m homeowners have undertaken electrical jobs without professional help, 3.3m have attempted plumbing work and 1.35m have carried out structural work such as removing walls. 900,000 have undertaken major building works, such as loft conversions, and 450,000 have tackled potentially dangerous gas repairs.

According to the LV= survey, many homeowners admitted undertaking these works in an attempt to improve the resale value of their homes. However, the effects of doing these jobs badly can reduce the sale price of a property by more than 5% in some cases.

John O’Roarke, managing director of LV= home insurance, said: “With house prices falling or stagnating in some parts of the UK, it’s understandable that many homeowners should try to bump up the value of their properties through DIY home improvements.

“But although nine out of ten people in our survey (88%) recognised that jobs like gas work should only be left to the professionals, nearly 0.5m Brits are still prepared to give it a go. Not only could bungling these jobs be dangerous, and costly to put right, but if they caused a serious problem with the property it could invalidate the home insurance cover.”

The LV= report surveyed both homeowners and estate agents, and reveals a myriad of conflicting opinions when it comes to the impact of DIY improvements. 21% of home owners believe that redecorating adds the most value to a house, followed by kitchen refurbishment (14%), garden work (12%), and bathroom replacement (6%).

Meanwhile 69% of estate agents believe decorating will make no difference at all to the asking price of a property. 64% responded that garden landscaping won’t add value; whilst 22% said even a new kitchen won’t improve the price. Estate agents also believe that the sale price of a property could decrease by more than 5% in some cases, if ‘improvement’ work was done poorly.

Despite popular opinion, estate agents say that some of the most costly jobs are likely to have only a minimal impact on the asking price of a home. Those agents who believe that improvement work usually or always adds value reported that a new kitchen, if done well, can add around 2.5% to the price, while a good new bathroom or garden landscaping can each add 2.2%.

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Lloyds TSB Is Searching For The The Weather Photographer of the Year

A leading panel of award-winning photographers and acclaimed meteorologists launched a major amateur weather photography competition – with a top prize of £10,000.

Lloyds TSB Is Searching For The The Weather Photographer of the Year

The Lloyds TSB Insurance Weather Photographer of the Year will run for six months, culminating in a public exhibition in London where the finalists’ entries will be on show ahead of the winner being announced in November.

The winner will be chosen by an expert panel featuring acclaimed weather photographers Roger Coulam and Mark Humpage – who will be looking for images that capture our love of the weather, demonstrate originality and creativity, and chart the ever changing British climate.

In addition, the public will also have the opportunity to vote on their favourite pictures online, with £100 going to the most popular photo uploaded each week.

Entrants can upload their photos at http://www.lloydstsb.com/weathercompetition.

The Lloyds TSB Insurance Weather Photographer of the Year has been organised by the leading insurer, which is proud to sponsor the Channel 4 weather.

Paula Llewellyn, Head of Marketing Services at Lloyds TSB Insurance said: “As a proud sponsor of the Channel 4 weather, we’ve launched the Lloyds TSB Insurance Weather Photographer of the Year Competition so Brits can show us what they love about the climate, and what ‘British Weather’ means to them.”

Lloyds TSB Home Insurance provides cover for a range of weather related problems such as windstorm and lightning damage.

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Molly Is The New Face Of M&S Pet Insurance

A beagle from South Wales is to become the new face of M&S Pet Insurance after winning a national competition to find a cat or dog with true star quality to feature in a future marketing campaign.

To enter the competition, which ran from April until the start of June, M&S pet insurance customers were asked to simply submit a photo and a few words about why their cat or dog is a star. Following the huge response to the competition and after some close deliberation by the judges, five-month-old Molly, who lives with The Mainwaring family in Blackwood, Gwent, was named the M&S Pet Star contest top-dog.

This means that Molly will now have a professional photo shoot and be featured in promotional material for a forthcoming M&S Pet Insurance campaign. The Mainwaring family will receive £100 worth of M&S vouchers. Sian Mainwaring said: “Molly is very mischievous and certainly has a mind of her own but we forgive her anything – most of the time. She means so much to us and it is wonderful that she will now be the face of M&S Pet Insurance.”

Amanda Newman, M&S Head of Marketing, said: “The huge response to the competition illustrates the fact that we are a nation of cat and dog lovers. It was wonderful to spend time looking through all the photos and reading why the cats and dogs mean so much to their owners.”

About M&S Money
M&S Money (the trading name of Marks & Spencer Financial Services) was founded in 1985 as the financial services division of Marks and Spencer Group plc. The company is now a top ten credit card provider and the second largest travel money retailer in the UK. M&S Money also offers a range of insurance cover, including travel insurance, home insurance, car insurance, loans, savings and investment products.

In November 2004, Marks & Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 9,500 offices in 86 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$2,527 billion at 31 December 2008, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as ‘the world’s local bank’.

M&S Money has an executive committee comprising an equal number of representatives from HSBC and Marks & Spencer.

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Insurancewide Warns Staycationers Of Travel Cover Importance

The first five months of 2009 have been filled with surveys from the travel sector predicting that the number of Brits holidaying at home due to the pound’s weakness against the euro and the dollar, will skyrocket this summer. Sainsbury’s Finance, for example, recently said that caravan holiday bookings are up by more than 40 percent on last year’s levels. Financial information provider Defaqto also revealed that the number of overseas trip taken by people in the UK in 2009 is likely to decline for the first time in 20 years.

insurancewide-travel-insurance

However, Insurancewide – a specialist UK insurance comparison website – is urging so-called ‘staycationers’ not to neglect purchasing travel insurance, even if they are only holidaying a few hours away from their home. Many insurers sell UK travel insurance policies for less than the cost of a cinema ticket, so there should be no financial excuse for forgoing cover on a holiday at home.

Purchasing travel insurance for a holiday at home might not seem as essential as if you were going on holiday in Europe, but it’s still an important consideration. For example, just because you haven’t left the country, that doesn’t mean there’s less of a chance of your belongings being stolen or misplaced. With travel insurance, this eventuality will be covered.

Similarly, UK travel insurance will cover disrupted travel arrangements – if you’re travelling to your British holiday destination of choice by rail and your train is cancelled or severely delayed, you could make a claim on your travel insurance policy – provided you’ve remembered to buy one before setting off. This could be particularly useful if you’re travelling over a long distance – for example, Aberdeen to Brighton – and a delay meant that you missed your connecting train in London. What’s more, many UK travel insurance policies also include a certain level of medical cover – so if you are injured and need a private ambulance to take you to the nearest hospital or back home, your insurance policy should take care of this.

Insurancewide lets travellers compare UK travel insurance online, allowing users to request quotes and contrast policy benefits from different insurers across the market. In addition to purchasing travel insurance, Insurancewide is urging stay-at-home travellers – especially those who are caravanning or camping this summer – to check their car insurance policy for breakdown cover. Many motor insurance providers do not include breakdown cover as standard and travel insurance policies are unlikely to incorporate this feature either, so anyone planning on driving during their holiday should ensure that they are adequately protected.

About Insurancewide
Insurancewide, also known as Insurancewide.com Services Limited, is an online insurance comparison website offering insurance comparison tools that allow users to search the market and procure the best insurance policies and quotes. Insurancewide was launched in August 1999 as the first insurance comparison website on the internet. The site also powered tools used on popular website Confused.com. Insurancewide is FSA regulated.

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M&S Money Has Urged People Travelling Abroad This Christmas To Make Sure That They Have Travel Insurance At The Top Of The Christmas Shopping List

M&S Money, the financial services division of Marks and Spencer, has reported that up to one million people are planning on visiting friends and family abroad this festive season. As such, the financial services company is encouraging those travelling to make sure travel insurance is at the top of their Christmas shopping list.

M&S Money has revealed that DIY holidays have become more popular than traditional package holidays in recent times, increasing by six million in just five years, with fewer than half of Christmas trips abroad booked as complete packages from a travel agent.

The rise of independent travel makes insurance even more important, but further research reveals that 49%of consumers don’t know what their travel insurance covers them for. For example, most policies don’t offer cover for the collapse of an airline, as thousands of people found to their cost in recent months.

However, M&S Premier Travel Insurance now includes independent traveller cover as part of its annual multi trip policy and as an optional extra with single trip and standard trip travel insurance. This means people who book a holiday without using a tour operator will be covered if their flight is cancelled and if other parts of their holiday are affected.

Judith Roberts, M&S Money Insurance Manager, commented: “For most people, Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family, even if that means making a trip abroad. Travel insurance was originally designed for the package holiday market and we felt that it was time to improve our policy as so many people now book independently. For example, if your flight is cancelled you may be unable to claim for subsequent connections and face the cost of new flights or accommodation. M&S Premier Travel Insurance is one of only a few policies that covers these types of situations that are often not included in traditional policies.”

About M&S Money:

M&S Money (a trading name of Marks and Spencer Financial Services plc) was founded in 1985 as the financial services division of Marks and Spencer Group plc. The company is now a top-ten credit card provider and the second-largest travel money retailer in the UK. M&S Money also offers a range of insurance cover, including home insurance and car insurance, as well as loans, savings and investment products.

In November 2004, Marks & Spencer sold M&S Money to HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations with over 9,500 offices in 85 countries and territories.

With a market capitalisation of US$190 billion (as at 7 October 2008), the HSBC Group is one of the world’s largest financial services organisations. Over 100 million customers worldwide entrust HSBC with US$1.2 trillion in deposits. With a tier one capital ratio of 8.8% and a loan to deposit ratio of 90% as at 30 June 2008, the Group remains one of the most strongly capitalised and liquid banks in the world.

M&S Money has an executive committee comprising an equal number of representatives from HSBC and Marks & Spencer.

The company employs 1,200 staff at its headquarters in Chester, delivering personal financial services to its customers, reflecting the core values of Marks & Spencer – quality, value, service, innovation and trust.

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LV= Has Reported That One In Three People In The UK Believe That Their Neighbourhood Has Declined Since They Moved To The Area

LV=, the UK insurance company, has commissioned a new report that has revealed that UK neighbourhoods appear to be in decline, with one in three people (33%) believing that their neighbourhood has gotten worse since they moved to the area. Moreover, a quarter of people said that they would like to move out of their neighbourhood, with less than one in ten saying that they would like it to remain ‘as it is’.

The ‘UK Neighbourhoods Report’ from LV, commissioned amongst more than 4000 home owners and home renters in the UK, paints a bleak picture of the declining standards of neighbourhoods in the UK. People say that compared to five years ago, they feel less safe, that local amenities and services have deteriorated, plus they have a growing fear of becoming a victim of street crime.

The report revealed that for most people, the concept of an ideal neighbourhood is one where they can live a quiet life free from the threat of street crime and anti-social behaviour. However, one in three people (32%) in the UK said that they feel they have seen an increase in street crime in their neighbourhood, with only 8% of people saying they have seen a drop over the last five years. This led to one in four people (28%) saying they feel unsafe walking in their neighbourhood at night.

Recently the Government announced that crime prevention and neighbourhood safety would be taken more seriously, with Communities Minister Baroness Andrews announcing a £500 million plan to revive deprived communities across the country, with the aim of cutting crime levels, improving educational achievements and boosting job opportunities.

John ‘O Roarke, managing director of LV Home Insurance, said: “This report shows that a large number of people throughout the country are not happy with the area they live in and, although there are many reasons for this, part of this is because of the apparent rise in street crime over the years. It is only natural for people to feel they should be able to rely on the police and crime prevention measures to make them feel secure but most people see standards largely as ‘average’, with a further quarter saying they actually regard it as poor.

“This paints a bleak picture of how large parts of society view their local areas, so this announcement by the Government to inject £500 million into certain areas to help tackle street crime is much needed.”

According to the report from the home insurer, the most popular thing that people in the UK want to change about their neighbourhood is the level of council tax they pay, with four out of ten people (40%) saying this is the biggest issue for them.

John ‘O Roarke continued: “Council tax has never been the most popular of bills but the fact that so many people are unhappy with the level they are paying can probably be linked back to the fact that people generally appear to believe that their local services need a lot of improvements made.

“It’s all too easy to say that if people are that unhappy with their neighbourhood, then they should move to somewhere else but with the current housing market decline and the credit crunch, it’s a difficult period for those who are aiming to sell their homes or move on. The Government has announced a number of steps to tackle neighbourhood concerns but only time will tell if they are enough.”

About LV=
LV= offers car insurance, home insurance and travel and pet insurance direct to consumers by telephone from its UK call centres in Bournemouth and Croydon and online.

LV= is a trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and LV= is a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.

Via EPR Network
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LV= Has Announced That It Has Become An Official Sponsor Of Harlequins Rugby Club

LV=, the UK based insurance, investment and pensions group, has announced today that it has become an official sponsor of Harlequins Rugby Club, with a three year deal.

The deal signifies the strength of the club to attract a new investment, as well as LV=’s ability to continue to expand its business even during the current economic downturn.

In addition to branding rights on the team’s kit and perimeter boards, the West Stand of the club’s home ground, the Twickenham Stoop Stadium, has been renamed the LV= Stand’.

Harlequins play at the top level of English rugby, the Guinness Premiership, and also internationally in the Heineken Cup, which has started well for the team with a win in both of their first two matches, with a recent 42-21 home victory against Ulster.

LV= has sponsored the most prestigious title in domestic cricket, the LV= County Championship, as well as sponsoring a number of community and educational sponsorships local to its headquarters in Bournemouth, but this deal represents the first time that LV= has stepped into the world of rugby.

LV= Group Marketing Director David Radford says: “This is a great opportunity to take our brand in an exciting new direction. Harlequins has a strong heritage and a loyal following in rugby, which matches well with our business target audiences.”

Dean Richards, Harlequin’s Director of Rugby comments: “We’re delighted to welcome LV= as an official sponsor. The backing of a brand with a long tradition yet a bright, fresh appeal makes a good match for our club. We look forward to enjoying a successful first season together.”

About LV=
LV= is a trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and LV= is a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.

LV= employs over 2,700 people, serves more than 2.5 million customers and members, and manages more than £7.7 billion on their behalf. LV= is the UK’s largest friendly society and a leading mutual financial services provider, aiming to help customers find freedom from financial worry by providing a wide range of reliable and good value financial products, including home insurance, car insurance and pet and travel insurancedirect to consumers.

LV also offers insurance products exclusively to brokers via the Highway and ABC Insurance brands.

Via EPR Network
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