GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Recent studies indicate that over 50% of vehicles on Indian roads are uninsured, of which two-wheelers make the majority. This is alarming considering the lack of safety features in two-wheelers and poorly maintained Indian roads, which lead to the ever-increasing number of road fatalities.

Despite making two wheeler insurance India mandatory, a vast majority continue to undermine its importance. This may be attributed to the financial product's complexity and uncertainties concerning the claim settlement process. While two wheeler insurance India protects against financial losses and damages from riding accidents, it is contingent on the claim's approval. Insurance providers have recognised the fear of potential policy buyers and have further simplified the process of raising a claim to increase penetration rates in the country.

Follow these tips to ensure the successful two wheeler insurance claim settlement.

How to raise successful claims?

This may come as no surprise, but the best way to raise a successful claim is to follow the insurance company's claim settlement process correctly. It is ideal for complying with the settlement procedure stated on the insurer's website to ensure favourable results. Most insurers have similar processes, which are reasonably straightforward to follow.

However, here are some tips to make sure that your claims are viewed favourably and settled at the earliest.

1. Early reporting:
Inform your insurer immediately after the accident. If you delay the process, you may forget the essential details required to validate your claim. Visit the insurer's website or call their toll-free number to raise a claim. If not possible, initiate the process within a week of the accident.

2. Proper surveying:
It is understood that an accident is a traumatic event to witness or be a victim of, irrespective of its scale. However, to successfully receive a complete settlement, you need valid and comprehensive proof to support your account. While details like the number plate of the other vehicle, pictures showing the damage, etc., are essential, any minute details can help solidify your stance.

3. Maintain precise post-accident records:
The most commonly accepted record by insurance companies is an FIR filed at the nearest police station to the accident site. Any medical expenses or bike servicing costs should also be recorded and submitted to the insurer for compensation.

4. Gather proof of following standard driving protocol:
An accident is an unfortunate event that cannot be entirely blamed on either party. While insurance companies look at the overall picture before passing a judgement on the case, you must ensure that you followed appropriate driving guidelines at the time of the accident. Here are a few reasons that can get your claim rejected:

● Riding without a valid driver's licence

● Riding with a lapsed two-wheeler insurance policy

● Riding under the influence of substances

● Reckless riding

● Use of two-wheeler for commercial or unauthorised use

5. Check your policy's inclusions:
Raising a claim requires knowing your policy's coverage to avoid rejection. You must know essential details like the authorised geographical region, active policy period, etc. Before raising the claim, ensure that you do not fall under any exclusions. Do not make false claims that you cannot support with evidence, as it automatically leads to rejection.

6. Provide all the requisite documents:
In case of incomplete submission of documents, you will have to duplicate efforts and submit the records until you satisfy the insurer's requirement. Usually, the list includes

● Copy of valid two wheeler insurance India

● Contact details of the policyholder

● Copy of FIR filed with the nearest police station

● Claim settlement form

● Copy of driver's licence and registration documents

● Original bills as proof of medical expenses and repairs

Two wheeler insurance India is a prudent mechanism to ensure protection against financial losses and damages to third parties due to your two-wheeler. Despite the general notion of the tedious nature of the claim settlement process, you can raise claims successfully by following above tips and simply complying with the insurer's requirements!

Click HERE to purchase hassle-free two wheeler insurance India policy.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Are you fascinated with the ever-changing and beautiful jewellery designs that keep coming every second day in the fancy showrooms, and go and buy a lot of them? If yes, you must buy a good home insurance policy as soon as possible and safeguard your treasure against any perils.

As you might be stacking a lot of that jewellery in your home cupboards, the policy will protect your home and your most valuable possession.

In this article, let us discuss how home insurance can help protect your jewellery.

1. Go for a comprehensive home insurance policy:

A comprehensive home insurance policy provides umbrella insurance coverage to your house, its contents, or both. Hence, opt for a comprehensive home insurance policy that will protect you and your precious jewellery if ever your home is looted. Even if your house is damaged or destroyed due to natural calamities such as floods, fire, or earthquake, this policy will reimburse you for your house and its contents, including your jewellery. The policy also protects other valuables, such as expensive art pieces, antiques, etc.

2. Insurance valuation services:
A home insurance policy provides protection and coverage for your expensive jewellery after proper inspection and valuation. The insurance company provides accurate valuations of your jewellery, including gold, silver, or diamond ornaments and gold and silver coins.
An insurer covering jewellery expects you to take proper precautionary measures at your house to prevent it from being stolen or getting damaged. Although the size of the jewellery may be minuscule, its value could be in lakhs and even crores. There should be no scope for wrong valuation and interpretation issues between you and the insurance company when a mishap occurs. You expect a swift resolution from the insurance company, for which there should be no room for confusion.

3. Premium amount:
The premium amount varies with the amount of insurance coverage you are seeking. This will depend upon the valuation of your jewellery from a certified valuer of the insurance company. Also, insurance companies now cover up to 100% cost of your jewellery and charge you premium accordingly.
You should compare the premium amount of standalone jewellery insurance with comprehensive house insurance. Also, check the policies of several insurance companies, compare the premium amount of their respective coverage and choose the best among them.

4. Exclusions:
You should also be aware of the few exclusions in your home insurance policy that will not provide coverage for your jewellery.
Wilful negligence –
An insurer will not process your claim for jewellery that has been wilfully mishandled or recklessly handled and damaged by you.
Sale and replacement –
The insurance company will not cover jewellery sold and replaced by a new one. The insurance policy does not automatically apply to a new piece of jewellery. You will have to inform the insurer first, get it valued and complete the required formalities for taking coverage.
Non-payment of premium –
Your home insurance policy will cease to protect your jewellery in the event of non-payment of the due premium by you against the insurance policy.

Jewellery is a great investment for most of us. It is expensive and has good resale value as well. Moreover, there are a lot of emotions attached to them, if they are a part of our family heirloom or have been purchased by us for our dear ones on some special occasion. Hence, it is essential for you to buy home insurance and get them insured.

You should compare the policies and premiums of several home insurance policies and opt for the best home insurance in India. Going for the best will keep you stress free, and you will be assured of the safety of your house and its contents at any point of day or night.

Click HERE to buy the best home insurance in India.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Seller credibility is a crucial factor that affects buying decisions. This is especially noticed in high-value assets and financial products. Since these are transactions involving large numbers and significant interest, it is a must to check the insurer's reliability, which becomes a greater priority in the case of insurance products.

Insurance is a critical product; therefore, before purchasing such policies, checking the insurer's past performance and customer satisfaction is essential to ensure that you choose the best policy.

*For your understanding, we’ll be talking in reference to purchasing a health insurance policy.

The insurer's persistency ratio measures customer satisfaction, making it an important factor when comparing policies offered by various online health insurance companies.

What is the persistency ratio?

The persistency ratio depicts brand loyalty and the continued interest of policyholders in availing of the insurer's services. It is the number of policies renewed compared to the policies issued by the insurer. This ratio may be calculated for a financial year or a continuous period.

Calculation of the persistency ratio.
This is a relatively easy ratio to derive through two methods. It is determined using the annual premiums paid or the number of renewed policies. For newly issued policies, it is calculated in the thirteenth month, after one year for which the insurance plan is valid.

What does the persistency ratio indicate?

A high persistency ratio indicates a favourable position for an insurance company. Apart from showing the number of renewed policies, it offers multiple takeaways, including

1. Customer satisfaction:
The clearest inference from the ratio is the rate of client satisfaction. It indicates the emphasis health insurance companies place on valuing their customer's needs and assessing circumstances when claims are raised. It is an effective way to measure the insurer's performance and ability to facilitate a seamless insurance experience from the enquiry stage up to after-sales services. With the broad range of insurance providers available, customers can choose amongst them based on each insurer's transparency, overall quality of services, and customer gratification.

2. Solvency position:
A business's perpetual functioning depends on its ability to generate and expand revenue streams. The primary revenue stream for online health insurance companies is through the sale of insurance policies. Insurance companies need lower liabilities and higher revenues to maintain a prudent solvency position as regulated by the IRDAI. The higher the persistency ratio, the better the cash inflow and the more favourable the solvency position.

3. Claim settlement position:
If policyholders feel content with the insurer's services, they are more likely to become loyal customers who renew their policies annually. This becomes more likely when the insurer has a high claim settlement rate, which indicates that the company makes the claim settlement process more accessible and resolves claims sooner. Claim settlement rate, persistency rate, and renewals are interlinked, resulting in reduced risk for the insurer and more significant funds at their disposal to settle claims.

Why insurers may have a low persistency ratio?

Like all other ratios that serve as a barometer of online health insurance companies' performance, potential consumers need to understand the possible causes behind the result, irrespective of a favourable or unfavourable ratio. This becomes especially important in case of a negative ratio, which may be caused by the following:

1. Poor after-sales and administration services offered by the insurer.

2. A low claim settlement ratio deters potential buyers from purchasing a policy since the possibility of getting compensated is low.

3. Lack of innovation puts the insurer's products at a disadvantage against other evolved products aligned with consumer demands.

The persistency ratio of online health insurance companies is ultimately a reflection of their ability to retain customers. It is an essential parameter that potential buyers must consider before purchasing their health insurance to ensure that a reliable insurer protects them with a sound claim settlement system and customer satisfaction rate.

Click HERE to buy health insurance that suits your needs.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Two-wheelers are extremely convenient modes of conveyance. Being easy to control and manoeuvre makes them a popular choice, resulting in the continued exponential growth of the Indian two-wheeler market.

While it is known that bikes are relatively unsafe compared to cars, an experienced rider doesn't face safety issues when following general driving rules. The additional cover provided by bike insurance enhances the safety quotient for riders and protects them from contingent financial losses resulting from accidents.

However, if you choose to borrow a bike, it becomes essential to run some quick checks to assess its condition before taking it for a ride. Whether you borrow it from a friend or rent one from a bike rental, here is a list of basic checks before riding a borrowed bike.

1. Inspect the tyres:
A bike's tyres are essential components that can cause or prevent an accident. Before you turn on the ignition system, ensure that the tyres are in good shape. Borrowed bikes have the possibility of having worn-out tyres, which you need to inspect thoroughly before you ride them. This is to ensure that no issues arise while you're on the road that may leave you stranded.
While a quick look can help identify any significant problems, such as deep treads or punctures, it is ideal to use your hand or kick the tyres to check the air pressure. The tyres' ideal PSI is listed on the body of the bike in case you need to fill up air in the tyres.

2. Don’t miss out on the brakes:
Well-functioning brakes are just as important as tyres to ensure the rider's safety. Depending on the type of two-wheeler, you may not have a foot brake to test. In the case of bikes, engage the foot brake and gauge the force required to engage the brake. Also, check the brake levers near the handlebars to test how much pressure is needed to apply the brakes. Even if you skip some of the other steps on this checklist, this is a non-negotiable inspection.

3. Did you check the side mirrors:
Every rider adjusts their side mirrors as per their convenience. While they may not seem important, they are essential for ensuring complete visibility of the rear traffic to make appropriate judgements on the road. If you have trouble setting them right, use this trick- adjust the mirrors such that the inward corners of the mirrors show your shoulder line on each side respectively. This way, you can have an optimal view of the vehicles behind your bike.

4. Indicators:
Poor indication habits while switching lanes and taking turns are leading causes of accidental grazing of vehicles, which sometimes escalate into massive accidents. This can be avoided by simply locating and checking the functioning of the turn signal controls, also called indicators and testing them before riding the borrowed bike.

5. Gear shifts:
What makes bikes difficult compared to scooters is the need to shift gears. If you have borrowed a manual transmission bike, check its gear shift mechanism to efficiently and effectively switch between gears while riding.

6. Valid driver's licence:
For bike insurance to cover any unfortunate accident while you ride a borrowed vehicle, you must hold a valid driver's licence and not drive under the influence of any substance.

*pro-tip
It is legally required to purchase bike insurance for every bike before it hits the road. While the policy can be purchased by either the owner or the short-term user, having valid bike insurance proof is essential. Check if the owner has already purchased a policy. If not, buy one for the short term in case of a rental to avoid legal troubles.

While your friend may have lent you a bike in good faith, it is necessary to check these aspects to ensure your safety. Additionally, inspect the bike's throttle, clutch, display, and the validity of bike insurance to avoid any mishaps and getting involved in unnecessary trouble due to poor maintenance of the borrowed bike.

Click HERE to buy a robust bike insurance.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.