Yes, we are here for Mums and Dads, not just for business

A question we get asked often is “do you look after Mum and Dad’s Insurance?” and the answer is yes, of course!  We look after the whole family too…

We have access to a wide range of policies for homes, cars, boats, caravans, jet skis, bikes, landlords, and more.

So you might ask why would you use a broker for this type of insurance instead of one of the usual direct insurers you hear on the TV and radio all the time? (you know who we’re talking about). They are all over the media and you might have had the same policy for years with them and it is easy, just pay the renewal without much thought every year.

There are many benefits to using a broker over going direct to an insurance company for your household insurance.

The role of the insurance broker is to provide professional advice on complex policies.  A broker has a suite of options available to offer you so you can decide which one you want depending on your circumstances, cover requirements, and affordability. Just like a direct insurer, we earn a commission from the placement however we are not affiliated with one company, and at Rivers we deal with close to 150 different insurers. This is why we have a larger selection of products that you can match to your needs.

Often direct insurers take a cookie-cutter approach.  They rely on promoting a cheaper product as the bottom line. This is heavily supported by mass media advertising that keeps their campaigns light on detail and high on entertainment value. The product is deliberately made cheaper by using strict acceptance criteria and restricting policy coverage and benefits.

An important factor in any insurance buying decision should be how claims are handled.  At Rivers, we recommend insurers based on their ability to provide excellent claims service and have our own dedicated Claims Team to keep on top progress and advocate for you.  Insurance contracts and claim settlements are complex and having professional guidance through the process is invaluable. Policy wordings often have limits, sub-limits, conditions, and exclusions that can potentially create situations where confusion reigns.  At Rivers, we eliminate this confusion.

If price is the single most important criterion in the insurance buying decision, then there can be benefits in using direct market insurers.  However, always take into account that when the price is optimised, the quality of cover usually suffers. Cheaper policies have strict acceptance criteria and the retailers’ call centre consultants have scripts to follow.  The highly regimented and efficient transaction process is designed to deal with the large volume of phone calls. Closing the deal is likely to be the number one priority.

At Rivers, our number one priority is you and making sure you get what you need to support your lifestyle. In the event of an unexpected event, you want to be working with an insurance broker that works for you to process to resolve your claim, and doesn’t make you feel like you are dealing with a big bad wolf (like many direct insurers do).

If you’d like to find out more or even get a quote, please talk to one of our team. We have offices in 3 locations https://riversinsurance.com.au/contact/