Bicycles are not cheap. Ideally you buy one and want it to last for as long as you want to keep it, so when it gets pinched you will naturally feel devastated! But what can you do?

Taking some extra care when parking your bike could help prevent the likelihood of it being stolen. Look for some good bike locks and attach it to anything you can find that is solid such as a roof rack on the top of your car.

The perfect back-up strategy is to take out some bicycle insurance. If your bicycle cost more than two hundred pounds you may have a problem with some insurance providers. In their world, a bicycle that cost over two hundred pounds is considered ‘high value’. Many prefer to add their bike to their home contents insurance – but as previously mentioned this is not a problem for bikes under the value of £200. For those who find adding a bike to home insurance policies a problem, check out some quotes from specialist bicycle insurance companies for satisfaction. Ensuring that you will be protected in the event of an accident occurring while riding or racing is essential at this stage.

When taking out some insurance on your bicycle it is vital to check the specific requirements of your policy. Make sure you are familiar with parking requirements (it may turn out your bicycle is not insured if parked anywhere other than inside your home). Check also that your bicycle is protected from anything happening abroad if planning on taking your bike on your travels.

Travel insurance is essential when cycling abroad. Many insurance plans will cover you for bicycle riding abroad but not mountain bike riding. By making sure on the outset that you and your insurance company have an understanding is the best way to avert disaster. Travel insurance is vital when cycling abroad because an accident could leave you with astronomical medical bills you cannot afford.

Bicycle insurance and travel insurance – a marriage made in heaven!

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These new reports appear as a result of studying claims made on pet insurance. Every year there are on average nearly twenty nine thousand claims on pet insurance equating to a value of about five million pounds. Many claims are to do with lacerations caused by chasing a stick – that all time favourite pastime of a dog.

Dogs that love to chase sticks can become vulnerable to cuts and grazes to their skin and when infected could become life threatening. If a cut from infected sticks this foreign bacteria could lead to a dog catching septicaemia.

Sticks are not the only problem because there is nothing a dog likes more than throwing himself into a mucky pond or puddle! Poisonous algae are very real concerns causing problems to a dog’s health. Should these kinds of pond growth become ingested, a dog could fall ill. Nearly ten million pounds were paid out in pet insurance settlements because of drinking pond water.

The days of carefree playfulness on walks could be numbered as we all invest in a harmless rubber stick for our dogs to chase and stop our dogs from diving into those ponds.

Unfortunately we can’t protect our pets from every potential disaster out there but we can make things easier on ourselves. One definitive action we can take is to take out some pet insurance – just in case.

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You could easily spend up to five hundred pounds on a new bike with all the accessories in an effort to save the planet as well as petrol costs. But is it worth it when your new ‘pride and joy’ attracts the eye of an opportunist thief within moments of parking it up? It’s rotten I know but a fact of life all the same. Consider these words because you don’t have to learn the hard way!
According to bike theft statistics, a bicycle is stolen every minute or so. Don’t become a complete victim to this rising trend, take some reasonable precautions and purchase some comprehensive bike insurance.

If a thief has in his/her possession a set of powerful wire cutters, there is a strong chance that your bicycle will be stolen. No matter what immobilising device you adopt or locks you use, the determined bike thief will not persevere until satisfaction has been achieved! Whilst a double chain lock system can reduce the chances of bike theft, cyclists are put off by the impracticality of it.

It is always worth it to check on your home insurance whether your bicycle (including accessories and related cycle-wear) is covered on it.
Other types of insurance to check out would be that for public liability to cover you in the event that you accidentally scratch a passing car or hit a dog. While bike theft insurance is of considerable assistance when you need it, public liability can be the most costly of all.

If you are a new cyclist, welcome to the world of cycle lanes and a great workout before work! Remind yourself not to become a statistic and check out insurance for liability and damage to be on the safe side!

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According to the article “Travel insurance priority for fans heading to the World Cup finals” football fans would be well advised to sort out their travel insurance now instead of leaving it till the last minute for fear of something going wrong between now and then!

In many cases customers claim on their travel insurance before the trip or holiday even begins but would not have been able to do so should they have left their protection arrangements to the last minute.

There are numerous things that could go wrong prior to a trip in less than a year’s time such as being made redundant from your job, becoming ill and unable to travel and being called up for jury service.

The people at M&S insurance remind football fans that travel insurance could provide support from the moment a flight is embarked to returning back to England. For this reason it would be unwise to skip investing in a policy that is fully comprehensive well in advance of booking a trip.

All football fans who will seek the bargain offers of independent travel need be aware they will not have any of the protection a package tour operator will provide. Imagine if your flight is cancelled which meant you were unable to make other connections, travel insurance will allow you the freedom to finance the additional unplanned costs of your trip.

Don’t become a casualty of England’s World Cup place. Be organised – get travel insurance!

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Students who rent will need to be prepared for contributing to a shared home, budgeting and cooking. It’s not very ‘rock and roll’, but keeping your home in good order is the best way to encourage everyone to commit to keeping things shipshape so that you get your deposit back at the end of the tenure.

According to the aforementioned article, there is an approved Government tenancy scheme, which has been devised to protect tenants deposits from unscrupulous landlords. It is this deposit protection scheme, mydeposits.co.uk – who offer help and advice.

First off, check how much money you will need from the outset and budget sensibly in order to be able to pay initial outgoings of deposit and first month’s rent. Protect your deposit by ensuring your landlord has signed up with one of the three protection schemes. Ask to see proof that your landlord is on the scheme before handing over any money. If he is unable to show proof, he is breaking the law and you should report him.

While renting a property you are entitled to privacy but a landlord does have the right to inspect his house or flat. Although this is the case he or she will have to provide you with at least 24 hours notice before setting foot in the property.

Keep your home in order or your landlord can hold on to your deposit. Fifty eight per cent of disputes at the end of a tenancy are due to damage or cleanliness so we’re telling you now, look after your new home or suffer the consequences!

Last but not least insure your belongings with home contents insurance. It is not the responsibility of the landlord to provide cover for your I-Pods and laptops so make sure you have taken this on board yourself. Additionally, always ensure your property is securely locked when not in occupation as unfortunately burglars like to target students.

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Holiday scams can come in all shapes and sizes according to this recent article, whether your taxi driver takes you along the scenic route instead of the crow’s flight cheaper option or the timeshare ‘epidemic’ takes hold.

The resorts of Europe are of particular cause for concern because traditionally, out of the Brits who have holidayed there, twenty one per cent of visitors/holidaymakers have been conned in the past five years. As discovered in a recent poll by the travel insurers LV, the average amount of money that has change hands through these criminal dealings is equal to £250. The insurance company were able to surmise the worst culprits for conning British tourists were Spain, Turkey and France. Calling all Brits on holiday in Spain… beware! Out of all the countries in Europe you could be conned or scammed, Spain is the worst.

Backpackers need to be on their guard when visiting certain countries in Europe as research revealed that one in five backpacking holidaymakers were the targets of scams. Does this mean that lone travellers are the worst at risk from a scam artist? No! Even travelling in a couple is not in itself a means to avoid the con artists that work the European resorts. Forty three per cent of people conned on holiday were in fact couples.

If you are horrified by these statistics, you could be further shocked by the fact that these figures are based on incidences reported to the police. It is common knowledge that not all holiday crime is reported to the police and estimated that only one in ten victims do report their scam to the police.

Scamming is much more rife than statistics initially reveal. All Brits who are not holidaying at home this year and about to go on vacation to Europe should check their travel insurance is completely right for their trip. Additionally, ensure that you do report any crime (no matter how small it seems) to the police so that your insurance company can pay out on the claim without delay.

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According to the article “Students ensure your finances are first class” the frivolity of student life can lose its appeal when the bills start rolling in and you have to make all kinds of financial decisions without previous experience. In this article they offer a helping hand with down to earth basic advice for the new student through this life of financial independence.

The student loan is not a huge amount of money so you will need to keep a keen budget in order to leave enough money to go round. To sum up, in order to survive at uni, you will need to find out how to budget, learn to cook, know where the cheapest books are and where the discounts can be had in order to save money. Before leaving for university check out all that is on offer in terms of student discounts and wise up to how much money you will be living on and how far it will stretch. Get some contents insurance sorted for your belongings in case of burglary and the like (this will seem like a painful outgoing but will radically transform into an overwhelming relief!) Above all get some tips from those that know on the subject of budgeting. My nephew was lucky enough to have a Citizens Advice Bureau debt counsellor to help him through the difficult patches (even if he was too proud to ask her at the start!)

According to tescocompare.com not only will you be studying for a BA in say psychology, you will also be getting a BA in budgeting. Quick economics lesson! Everything costs something! Every time you need to eat, you will have to dip into your personal finances to make it happen. There is no one to help you now. You the student are on your own. Don’t worry, you will soon get used to the situation of standing on your own two feet! One thing that students learn very quickly (other than where the best ‘happy hours’ are) is the science of effective budgeting! By the time you leave uni you too will be a worthy shopper of bargains far and wide! Before too long, you too will be preparing a slap up meal for one for under two pounds utilising yesterday’s leftovers and a couple of sticks of spaghetti!

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No one can argue that the sight of the sea from your home is something to behold. A house by the sea is a dream come true for the people who take the plunge and relocate to the shores of England. Unfortunately, according to the Environment Agency, these dreams could easily turn into nightmares as sea levels rise twice as high than was previously forecast by the United Nations two years ago. Additionally, the Environment Agency have announced that as many as one in six people in England are at risk of being flooded already.

Properties by the sea continue to sell like hotcakes even though people are risking flooding and not only that but following a downturn in the property market, it is the sea view homes market which tend to recover with a greater alacrity.

Estate agents are currently observing much demand for mid and top range coastal properties and expect this to continue in the face of warnings from the Environmental Agency. Even when it is pointed out to buyers that properties are vulnerable to flooding or erosion, estate agents claim buyers are not put off! The “It won’t happen to me” adage is very much in play in the waterside property market.

But what about buildings insurance? You may not be able to get your brand new property with the stunning sea view covered by insurance. It can be difficult to get building insurance when your home is the mercy of an enthusiastic tide? On many occasions buildings insurance is not available and when it is a high premium is required. According to the Association of British Insurers, the general ruling is that flood insurance is made available only when there is less than a one in seventy five yearly flood risk. Not even a property perched up high on a coastal hillside out of the way of flood risk is safe from the calculating eye of the insurance provider as some companies base their decisions on post codes and not height above sea water. Beware the perils of buying a property by the sea, as it may not be as idyllic as first it seemed.

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According to the article “Top tips for a hitch free summer holiday” summer holiday insurance doesn’t have to cost a fortune with a little help from the people at the moneysupermarket.com. By cutting back on our holiday insurance in order to save money, we could be walking into a false economy nightmare.

Why not kick off with a good travel insurance deal. Surprisingly, only 52% of the British holidaying public will purchase holiday insurance when vacationing at home! Accidents can happen wherever you are and for as little as nine pounds a family of four on holiday for a week can be covered. Why not get yourself a bargain and buy yourself some peace of mind?

Setting off for your holiday may not always run without a hitch. You could need roadside assistance and your holiday could be set back hours if you haven’t done your preparation! When taking out roadside cover doesn’t it make sense to (at the same time) check out caravan cover, courtesy car arrangements and other added extras that you might consider relevant.

Camping insurance is set to raise a few eyebrows this summer as the price of tents come down and holidaymakers forego the comfortable self catering option en masse for some basic living. Camping insurance is not expensive which is surprising especially as tents are generally left unattended for hours on end. Camping insurance for the year could cost as little as £16 for the year covering equipment to the value of £10,000. While our possessions will be covered by our home insurance policies, the sensible thing to do is to not leave anything of any value inside an unguarded tent.

Caravan insurance offers great value for money in equal measures. If you are planning on caravanning this year for an annual £100 premium a policy could offer you cover of up to £1,125,000 as well as £15,000 personal accident protection.

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An essential insurance is car insurance. It is a legal requirement and the aftermath of an accident could prove very expensive without it. The only way to cut your driving insurance expense is to reduce from fully comprehensive to a third party policy, this way you will save a considerable mount of money without breaking the law. Don’t stop there either as you could shave another pound or two off the bill by shopping around for the most competitive price.

Consider next the effects of cutting your life insurance. According to the article, people who are free of dependants and debt could do worse than consider cancelling their life insurance policy. Keep it going however, if you fear for your children being saddled with your debts or being unable to support them should the unthinkable occur. If you are thinking of cancelling your life insurance do bear in mind that picking up a policy later on in life (when more health issues may possibly come into play) can be more expensive than if you were to continue with the one you have now.

Looking to economise on your home insurance? Take some good advice and leave it well alone as this is one type of insurance policy that is absolutely necessary. If anything you could be able to get a better price by shopping around and therefore even with this save some a few pounds!

While travel insurance is by no means mandatory, you ought to still have it. Shop around for the best deals instead of not getting any altogether. The same applies to pet insurance. Though not an obligatory insurance, the absence of a pet insurance policy could cost you a fortune in the long run. Again, shop around for the best deals.

Economising is a good thing but only when sensibly managed. These tips could save you some considerable dosh without cancelling all the protection you have.

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