Life Assurance & Home and contents insurance

ivorystraws

Hi,

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas and is enjoying the time off work!

I just have a couple of quick questions regarding renewal of my Life Assurance and Home and Contents insurance policies.

• What's the difference between Life Assurance and Life Insurance?
• Is there a sticky somewhere that details a number of links to obtain the best quality cover for both of these at the best price?
• Anyone have any general advice on the above or have been in a similar situation with these renewal quotes?

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

ivorystraws

OK, I've done some digging myself and basically, it looks like the best option for me is to

calculate rebuilding costs using the following reference guide: 2007 Guide to House Rebuilding Insurance

Then shop around for Home & Contents Insurance using the following online insurers:
http://www.getcover.ie
http://www.123.ie
http://www.quoteline.ie
http://www.insure.ie
http://www.aaireland.ie

I don't think I'll need to get a (reinstatement cost) valuation survey done!?

Then obtain Mortgage Protection Life Assurance (the decreasing term mortgage protection life assurance which is the most basic and usually cheapest form) using one of the following brokers:
http://www.MyLife.ie
http://www.LABrokers.ie
http://www.monitum.com
http://www.primafinance.ie

I discovered that Mortgage protection IS a type of life assurance, just that it's assigned to the lender to clear the mortgage if you die before the mortgage is repaid.

Colonel Sanders

It may also be a good idea to get a few quotes directly from Home insurance providers (either online or over the phone). Direct pricing can be different from broker pricing (no middle men to pay) and there may also be online discounts. A few I can think of off the top of my head are:

Axa
Allianz
FBD
Hibernian
Quinn
Zurich

Also from time to time you can get very good special offers from banks selling home insurance so try the likes of AIB and Bank of Ireland as well

As a rule insurance through banks tends to be more expensive due to the very high commissions they are paid but they some times have great special offers

broker2008

What's the difference between Life Assurance and Life Insurance?

Generally speaking they are the same thing. Technically life assurance will have a payout ; assured of payout and would be linked with whole of life policies. Life Insurance is usually Term or Level Term Insurance where cover is for a specific term and can be Mortgage Protection too. Payout if death occurs during the period of insurance (term).

ivorystraws

Perfect guys, thanks for all your help! Much appreciated.