Insurance is designed to provide you with the financial support when something bad happens. This could be anything from losing your mobile phone or having your car stolen, through to long term illnesses or even death. Many people don’t have the financial strength to deal with these types of problems and taking out insurance allows you to pass the risk onto someone else. There is a fine line between the cost you pay and the benefit you get, so making your money go as far as possible is important. Here are our best, quick grab ideas that will help you make your insurance dollar go as far as possible.
Do your research
Many general insurance policies such as car and house will increase in cost over time. However, if you don’t keep those price rises in check, you’ll often find that the price of your policy is rising faster than the market. Insurers rely on people not taking the time to do their research, so call their bluff and shop around.
Investigate the commissions
Depending on what insurance you’re looking at, 5-40 percent of your premium will go in commissions. Some online comparison sites will only list policies that pay them a commission, so hunt around as much as possible if you want to find the best value policy. If you’re looking for life insurance, search for a financial planner that will either give you a refund of commission or a discount on the premium. A financial planner can elect to forego commission and instead give a lifetime discount on your policy. The lifetime saving will allow you to either save money, consider a higher level of cover, or help you to hold onto your insurances when things are a bit tight.
Check the options list
Check what you’re actually insured for. Many insurance policies come with options that diminish the value that you’re getting. When considering your options, you should weigh up the value that you’re getting and ensure that you’re covering the things that are important to you. Also consider what additional cover you could get instead of taking out options.
Consider putting insurance inside of super
Consider what insurances you can have in your superannuation fund. The money that goes into your super fund goes in before tax. That money is then used to pay for your insurances which are in your fund. This makes insurances such as life and total and permanent disablement (TPD) effectively tax deductible.
Claim deductible insurances in your tax return
Are you insuring something that helps you to produce an income? This could be your laptop, tools, or your car if you use it for work. It could also be your ability to produce an income that you insure with an income protection policy. If this is the case, you may be able to claim a deduction at tax time. Check with your accountant which of your insurances can be claimed in your tax return.
Consistently ranked one of Sydney’s top financial planners (Adviser Ratings), Brenton helps his clients life a great life by making the most of their money. Read his full bio here.
