We all know the importance of insurance coverage on the various assets we possess ranging from our houses to the automobiles that we use to travel. Insurance coverage is taken on your life, family, education, and what not. All of this is because of the fact that we do not want to end up without it when something bad befalls us.

But insurance coverage isn’t a once in a blue moon thing that you can avoid caring as soon as you opt for one. Just like the frequent assessments that you conduct for all your possessions, insurance too needs to be reviewed at regular intervals. And you don’t have spend days on it, just a few hours once in a year will do!

Now let us delve into why an individual or an enterprise should revise their insurances annually.
To review the changes in circumstances
One of the prime reasons why one needs to review their insurances frequently is to inform the insurance company about the changes that you and your condition or the objects that you have insured have undergone during that time period. It can be anything from an upgrade on the value of the assets to the addition of a new driver into the clause. Adding this new information into the insurance clauses can ensure that your insurance holds good when the need arises and saves you from the headaches of claims not being paid out in case the necessary details were not furnished in a timely manner.
To avail any discounts or other offers
This is one of the best reasons why you should review your insurances annually. Over time, there might be discounts and bonuses that these insurance companies provide their customers with. Being updated about these benefits at the necessary times can be used to plan your insuring of assets wisely and lead to saving more money.

Discounts and offers include special rates for existing customers, lower rates for insuring more than one automobile with the same insurance provider, the status of usage of an automobile that you have insured and so on. Don’t let these opportunities to miss through your fingers due to negligence.
To notice the surge in insurance premiums
Most of the customers might have programmed their insurance such a way that it is deducted from their bank accounts at the required intervals. For the same reason, they fail to notice the surge in prices that have been affecting their insurance policies.

The increase in prices can be because of many reasons like the increase in government taxation which are legitimate as opposed to the totally ridiculous reasons some providers have for the increase in its policy premiums. So the timely review of the insurances can make the customer more aware of the current rates.
To ensure the status, relevance, and performance of the policy
Some policies get outdated over time in terms of the coverage they provide and the various exclusions in a policy. The conditions and clauses change and the policy that once suited you and your assets may not be the ideal option to cover it. In such cases one must go through the current policy and contact the provider to discuss new policies/clauses that have come up and can be beneficially added to the insurance policy. Any policy or clause that is not beneficial must be revoked and a new one must be adopted.
To ensure the best life insurance policy
Unlike other policies, one of the policies that customer needs to check and review frequently is the life insurance policy. Life, as we know, undergoes constant changes and so should the policy that covers it. Marital status, a new member being born, the health status of the insured, current occupation and so many other life situations have a say in the type or amount of insurance one must choose to cover their lives.
Bottom line…
Taking care of all these facts and the timely review of the insurances will give you the peace of mind you expects when you sign up for an insurance policy. As the saying goes it is always better to be cautious and be happy than lament about missed opportunities.

There is no need to panic if you haven’t gone through your insurance policies in a while, we are here to help you out. Contact New Age, the leading Insurance Brokers in Dubai to know how you can improve your existing plans or choose the best one if you haven’t already! Our experts are here to help!

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) i.e. businesses with a turnover of less than AED 250 Million are the backbone of Dubai’s economy, representing 95% of all establishments in the Emirate. These SME businesses account for 42% of the workforce and contribute around 40% to the total value add generated in Dubai’s economy.[1] The power behind this engine is the business owner/key person.

Defining Keyman Insurance

It is the dream, vision and risk-taking ability of the owner that gives birth to the business and through his hard work, it flourishes. Banks lend to and suppliers work with the businesses because of the ability of the owner/key person to make profits and keep financial commitments.

While a business normally insures all its assets (building/stocks etc.)  However, it sometimes forgets to insure is most valuable asset – the KEYMAN.  Keyman could be the Founding Owner / Director / Key Technical Personnel.

Keyman Insurance protects businesses from falling in the hands of creditors/banks in the event of untimely death of the key person.  In such a situation, insurance policy will pay off to the creditors / banks and business can be passed on to the next generation – debt-free.  Of course, all loans are secured – but if all assets (which are under lien to the creditors/banks) go to repay those liabilities, what remains for the family?

Keyman Insurance is the cheapest form of ensuring that family / remaining shareholders get business without any liabilities, market is assured that it is business as usual and that their funds are secured in CASH and not through sale of assets.

Cost of Keyman Insurance is negligible and most organizations add it to the cost of borrowing.

Following diagrams illustrate this concept:

[1] THE STATE OF SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN DUBAI: A report by Dubai SME An agency of the Department of Economic Development

How does Keyman Insurance Work?

For the Key Employee

A company purchases a life insurance policy on the key employee, pays the premiums and is the beneficiary of the policy. If that person unexpectedly dies, the company receives the insurance payoff. The purpose of Keyman insurance is to help the company survive the blow of losing the person who makes the business work. The company can use the insurance proceeds for expenses until it can find a replacement person.

For the Partnership

Keyman Insurance in partnerships can be used to stabilise business in the event of death of a partner.  Company insures all the partners in the proportion of their share in the firm.   Company pays the premium.  In the event of death of a partner, insurance proceeds can be used to pay deceased partner’s share in the business and surviving partner inherits the business.  This arrangement avoids having to sell off company assets to pay for deceased person’s share.

Having Keyman Insurance is a very effective arrangement as most of the organisations do not have their assets in cash to take care of such contingencies and moreover, surviving partners may not wish to do business with deceased partner’s spouse and vice versa.

How we can help you

New Age Insurance Brokers is a fully-licensed (by the U.A.E. Ministry of Economy) insurance brokerage and represent many local and international companies of repute.  We will assess your need and place your coverage in the most cost-effective way.  If warranted, we may place business with one or more companies.

Car insurance in UAE is mandatory for anyone who owns a car and it is an offense to drive without it. Basically, car insurance provides financial support to the policyholder in case of an accident. And the process of getting the insurance money in such a situation is called claiming the insurance.

Sometimes, when a person tries to claim the insurance, the insurance company may deny the claim, leaving the policyholder with the burden of paying for the damages out of their own pockets. The sad truth is that the policyholder will know that their claim will be denied only after filing for it, making their situation bad to worse.

So let’s see the ways in which insurance companies deny the claim of the policyholder when it comes to car insurance so that it does not happen to you.

Know What the Policy Covers

It is too common to see that people are more focused on the price of the policy rather than what the policy covers. There are two main types of motor insurance policies here in the U.A.E: Third Party Liability plans and Comprehensive Insurance plans. Comprehensive car insurance policies provide bumper to bumper insurance for the car of the policyholder and also covers the driver and passengers in case of an incident. Third Party Liability plans, as the name suggests, does not provide insurance coverage to one’s own car but protects the car and property of those affected by an accident in which your car is involved. So, if you have a third-party insurance policy, you will not be eligible to claim for damage to your own vehicle in case of a known fault accident. However, the plus side is that these third-party insurance policies cost less than comprehensive policies.

So, the best practice is to always inquire about what the policy covers and what it doesn’t before you put down your money on one. Otherwise, your claim can be rejected when you bring it up for compensation.

The Credibility of the Driver

Car insurance companies can deny the claim if the car was damaged when an unlicensed person was driving it. Driving without a license is considered a crime and can have serious fines and even imprisonment if caught. Hence, most of the insurance companies make it clear in their terms that the policy doesn’t apply when an unlicensed person is driving the vehicle.

So, in most cases, the policyholder might have to pay from their own pockets if the driver was not licensed. And this is an easy denial for the insurance company.

Do Not Take Too Long

After an accident has occurred, the police will be on scene and will hand you a report after studying the scene. This report must be filed with your insurance claim, but taking your own sweet time to do so might get you into trouble.

Insurance companies require that you raise the claim during the same policy period as that of your accident. If you fall out of that time frame and raise the claim after your policy has expired, then you might not be able to claim your insurance even though you had insurance at the time of the accident. So you need to make sure that you report the events to the insurance company without delay.

Break The Law and You Will Be Denied

If the damage on your vehicle happened as a result of you breaking the law, then the insurer will most likely deny your claim. For example, if you met with an accident while under the influence of drugs, then the insurer doesn’t have to take the liability since its already mentioned in their terms and conditions.

On top of that, causing damage to people or property as a result of breaking the law is a crime, and you may end up paying a hefty fine, or in the worst-case scenario, even imprisonment.

Conclusion

From what we have discussed, it’s clear that a claim will not be rejected by the Car insurance company  without valid reasons. They are there to help you when you need money the most, and with the right approach, it is always a win-win scenario!