25 Years Of Service For Business Employee !!

Congratulations to Robin Worden who celebrated 25 years of service with the insurance brokerage from Bude this week. Rob first worked for us whilst he was still at school, initially working Saturday mornings, slowing learning the basics of the insurance trade. After finishing school Rob was brought in to the business on a full time basis and hasn’t looked back since!

Partner Graham Hodgson said “Rob has been an extremely valuable and reliable employee and member of our team and his dedication has been one of the reasons our business has continued to flourish over the years, I would say that in the 25 years I doubt he has had more than 3 weeks off sick and not many employers can say that nowadays!”

We rewarded Rob’s long service with some Center Parcs vouchers, extra time off work, and obviously cakes!!!

New Restaurant Insurance Schemes

Restaurant Insurance Cover

We have updated our panel of insurers who cater for restaurant insurance. We now have a large panel who specialise in the catering trade and cater for all types of restaurants and different cuisines including Chinese, Indian, Thai, Fish & Chip restaurant, American, Turkish, Spanish, cafes, coffee shops, bistros and more.

The policy's are extremely competitive and have been geared up especially for the catering trade and will cover trade contents incl fixed frying ranges, stock, refrigerated stock, business money, buildings or tenants improvements, public and employers liability incl food poisoning and more.

For more information on restaurant insurance to to arrange a quote please go to our Restaurant Insurance page on our website or call our office on 01288 353999.

Female Car Insurance Could Rise By 25% From December

Female Car Insurance To Rise!

The new EU ruling which bans insurers from rating car insurance on gender comes in to effect as from 21st December. Currently female drivers get a much cheaper rate than male drivers due to the cost of their claims being much lower, but the ruling will now stop insurance company's from 'descriminating' drivers and could potentially increase female car insurance policy's by 25%. We should also see male car insurance policy's reduce but whether we will or not, we will have to wait and see!!

A Uswitch.com survey also revealed that between 15-25% of female drivers will be forced to sell or take their cars off the road due to the increased running costs.

Insurance company's have fought to stop this ruling from happening and stats showed that females claim costs were much less than their male counterparts, but eventually failed to overrule the courts decision.

Can Women Do Anything To Save Money?
The only real thing women can do is if their car insurance comes due for renewal just after 21st December is to see if it would be cheaper to cancel their policy and restart a brand new policy before the ruling comes in to force therefor potentially benefiting for 1 more year. Only thing with this is you could be charged more than the savings to cancel the policy 'mid-term', you could also lose out on built up No Claims Bonus unless you already have 9+ years built up.

There are other things you can generally review at renewal time which may help keep the premiums as low as possible including a lower mileage limit (check your last MOT's and see what mileage you have done), if you are married, but your spouse isn't on your policy, add them for a discount. On your own home? you can get a discount for this. No longer use the car to commute to work? many company's allow a discount to exclude commuting cover. If you always garage the car make sure the insurers are aware of this for more discounts!
You can reduce the premium by requesting a larger excess (what you pay towards any vehicle damage), but check the savings, we usually recommend keeping the excess as low as possible as the savings you make will be very little compare to what you will have to pay out in event of an accident.

Please speak to your insurance broker and get advice if you feel you are going to suffer and they should be able to give you the best advice on keeping your car insurance premiums low!!!!!

Gary Hodgson CeRGI
GJT Hodgson Insurance Services

Ageas Complete Groupama Purchase

One of our favourite insurance company's Ageas have just completed the purchase of another broker favourite Groupama making Ageas the 5th largest insurance company in the UK. This will continue to give our customers more choice and more competitive premiums. A good deal all round!!!!

Launderette & Dry Cleaners Insurance Cover

If you own or run a commercial manned launderette or dry cleaners then we now have the insurance solutions for you. Standard shop insurance policy's don't provide the extra covers required for owners including cover for customers goods held in trust, damage to customers goods and loss of customer goods which only specialist policy's offer. As brokers we check the insurance market so you don't have to.

To arrange a quote visit our our new quote page set up for this at Launderette Insurance or give our office a call on 01288 353999.

Fish and Chip Shop Insurance

Our new fish and chip shop insurance quote page is up and running now on our website. We have a specially selected number of insurers on board who specialise in insurance for fish and chip shops, takeaways and restaurants. Our policy's include all the main covers your takeaway needs including cover for your stock, business contents incl fixed frying ranges, business interruption cover, public and employers liability and buildings cover plus a lot more extras. Discounts are also available if your firm is a member of National Federation Of Fish Friers.

If you would like a quotation or for more information please go to our specialist fish and chip shop page here Fish and Chip Shop Insurance or even give our office a call on 01288 353999 to discuss your exact needs.

Follow Hodgson Insurance On Facebook & Twitter

We have finally got around to setting ourselves up on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow our company now and get all the latest insurance news, tips, insurance deals and local Southwest information and general chat.


To follow us on Facebook just click here.
To follow our Tweets on Twitter just click here.

Hodgson Insurance Win Top Prize In National Hospitality Competition

We have just won 1^st prize in a national competition. The competition run and judged by Hospitality Insurance Underwriting Agencies (HIUA) was to find the best supporting broker over a 4 month period. In business for over 35 years we specialise is guest house, B&B and holiday home insurance cover. We competed against and beat a high number of brokers nationally and were rewarded with a fantastic 5 night trip to Las Vegas staying at the world famous Bellagio Hotel.
Partner Graham Hodgson commented: ‘We only have a small team here but they have performed fantastically well to sell our comprehensive Hospitality products and achieve a Number 1 status in this tough market’.

Winter Tips & 2011 Xmas Opening Hours

The last 2 winters have been some of the coldest in history causing havoc around the country and large claims for insurance companies. Here we bring you some top tips:

Top tips for homeowners.

• Check for loose tiles on the roof. This can be done from the ground or in the loft where drips of water or gaps letting in the light are tell-tale signs of missing tiles.


• Ensure the chimney stack is safe. Again, this can usually be done from the ground.


• Check that guttering is in order and not blocked with leaves. If it’s blocked water can make its way inside a property causing damage. DIY stores sell leaf guards to prevent blockage. Essential if there are trees nearby.


• Aerials and satellite dishes need to be securely fixed.


• Weak fences and posts should be secured to minimise the risk of causing damage to other parts of a property if blown down in the wind.


• Trees should be checked to ensure that any overhanging branches are cut back and can’t damage a home or neighbouring property should they fall in a storm.


• Garden furniture should be stored safely away so that it can’t get blown around in a storm.


• Outside taps should be turned off from inside the house and the pipe drained to avoid a burst if it freezes.

Top tips for motorists.

• Get the car serviced. Fixing any mechanical problems now will hopefully reduce the risk of a break down at a later date.


• Pump up the tyres. The current legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but during the winter months it is a sensible idea to ensure your tyres have at least 3mm of tread depth.


• Check the lights are working properly so drivers can see and be seen.


• Make sure your wiper blades are in good condition so that drivers can see out of the windscreen.


• Prepare a survival kit to include torch, spade, blankets, food and water, ice scraper and de-icer, and first-aid kit in case of emergencies such as breakdown or being trapped in snow.


• Only essential journeys should be contemplated if severe weather is forecast.
  
  Top tip: Haynes motoring manuals suggest cleaning the wiping edges of wiper blades with tissue dipped in neat screen wash additive. This will help to stop smearing and prolong their life.

Christmas Opening Hours.

We would like to thank all our customers for your continued support throughout 2011 and hope to bring you great products, services and competitive premiums again in 2011 !!!!!

Dates & Opening Hours.

Thu 22nd Dec. 9-4
Fri 23rd Dec. 9-5
Sat 24th Dec. 9-12
Sun 25th Dec. Xmas Day - We better be closed.
Mon 26th Dec. Boxing Day - Closed, another day to recoup.
Tue 27th Dec. Closed.
Wed 28th Dec. 9-12
Thu 29th Dec. 9-12
Fri 30th Dec. 9-12
Sat 31st Dec. 9-12
Sun 1st Jan 12. New Years Day, Closed, Probably recovering from hangovers.
Mon 2nd Jan. Closed.
Tue 3rd Jan. 9-5 Back to work as normal, fresh from the break !!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone and have a great New Year !!!!!

Gary Hodgson & all at GJT Hodgson Insurance Services

Insurance Guidance Following London Riots !!!

The recent rioting and disturbances across the UK are of great concern to us all. If you have suffered damage or losses to property by the rioting then we would advise you to speak to your insurance broker or insurer immediately to ensure any claim is dealt with as soon as possible.

Losses caused by rioting can be recovered from the local Police Authority in whose areas that damage occured under the Riot Damages Act (1886), but claims must be made within 14 days of the incident to the authority. The definition of a riot is that '12 or more persons must be present together and use or threaten unlawful violence for a common purpose and the conduct of them is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety'.

The Act does not cover cars left on the public highway, but damage to vehicles should still be reported to your insurer immediately.

Therefor if you have any losses, please report the incident immediately so your insurers can look to recover the losses from the necessary authorities and avoid your policy suffering future premium increases and avoidable terms.

Gary Hodgson CeRGI
GJT Hodgson Insurance Services.

Female Motor Insurance To Increase After EU Ruling

Insurers have been using gender as a 'risk factor' in motor insurance since forever, but an ECJ ruling (European Court of Justice) today has ruled this as 'gender discrimination' and insurers in the UK will no longer be able to charge different premiums if you are male or female.

Up until now females, especially young females have been paying lot lower premiums for their car insurance as it's been statistically proven that females safety records are better than men.

ABI have stated that male drivers under 21 are twice as likely to have an accident than a female driver under 21, the average cost of a claim for a male 18 years old is £4,400 compared to £2,700 for an 18 year old female involved in an accident.

The ruling will not come in to force until 21st December 2012 to give insurers time to fully revamp their pricing structures and the way they offer insurance to customers.

It is predicted the average female motor insurance policy will increase by 25% and in some cases up by 50%. This should in theory reduce the cost of male insurance policys slightly but whether this happens remains to be seen.

Hodgson Insurance Services believes this EU ruling is ridiculous for the UK market. It's in proven stats that females are a better risk so this should definitely be a 'risk factor' in motor insurance. What will be next, discrimation against where somebody lives in the UK. It's another sign that good old common sense has gone out the window !!!!!

Protect Your Property This Winter & Opening Hours

Last year was one of the coldest winters it's been in the last 30 years and the industry saw over 60,000 household claims made with £194 million paid out in claims. Already November this year has been one of the coldest on record with plenty of snow hitting the UK, it's nice to start with but certain areas the weather has caused havoc, (in sunny Bude we've hardly had a single shower), and it's not looking to improve any time soon. Winter weather can seriously damage your home and here are some tips to help protect your home before it's too late:

1. Check all your pipes and tanks are fully lagged, one of the main winter claims is burst pipes from unlagged pipes.
2. Is your loft insulated? If it is, great, but make sure it's the recommended dimensions and also in good condition. If not, buy some insulation now, it's cheaper to buy than you think, it'll save you money by reducing your heating bills and will reduce the possibility of burst pipes.
3. Check that your heating is in good working order, if you have an open fire, should that chimney be swept.
Repair any loose or fallen of slates to reduce the risk of them falling off causing damage and stopping the elements from getting in, also clear those gutters to avoid water overflow.
4. Check doors, windows and fascias are in condition and will not allow rain to penetrate.

If you are going to be away over the winter or you have a holiday home which may be unoccupied at times read these tips:
1. If you are going away even for a night we recommend the heating is kept on at all times, don't just have the heating coming on say twice a day for a couple of hours. You could possibly also open up the loft door to allow the warm air to circulate to your pipes.
2. If you want to turn the heating off, then drain the central heating system and switch off the water supply at the mains.
3. Get a friend or family member to check the property daily. If there are any problems they can be dealt with quickly.
4. If you have a holiday home then you will probably find their are conditions in your policy which insist on tip 1 or tip 2 being undertaken through the winter.


Christmas Opening.
We will be open over the Christmas period, times and dates are below. If you cant get hold of us and you need to make a claim, for motor claims please contact Kindertons on 08456 766261 who manage all out motor claims. For all other claims on property, travel, liability we would recommend you digging out your policy booklet which will have the necessary phone numbers in them.

Friday 24th Dec 9-12.
Saturday 25th Dec Closed
Sunday 26th Dec Closed
Monday 27th Dec Closed
Tuesday 28th Dec Closed
Wednesday 29th Dec 9-12
Thursday 30th Dec 9-12
Friday 31st Dec 9-12
Saturday 1st Jan Closed
Sunday 2nd Jan Closed
Monday 3rd Jan Closed
Tuesday 4th Jan Back to normal 9-5


Hope the above tips help you this winter, thanks to all our customers, we will continue to service you the best we can again nexty year, have a great Christmas and New year, see you all soon.

Quinn Direct Insurance In Administration

The insurance company Quinn Direct were placed in to administration from 31st March 2010 and were forced to stop writing any new business in the UK. Quinn Direct, an Irish insurer who entered the UK market just a few years ago, have been growing substancially through their cut throat rating in the young driver car insurance market and public and contractors liability arena.

Ever since they arrived they have been shrouded in controversy, at the end of 2008 the company were fined nearly £3 million, and company director Sean Quinn himself was fined 200,000 euros for making unauthorised loans.

GJT Hodgson Insurance Services, business development officer Gary Hodgson commented, "We have seen this coming for a long time. In the motor market they have been charging out unsustainable low premiums and in the liability market they have been undercutting their rivals without any real underwriting involved. It was only a matter of time before they had to start to pay out for large injury claims and it looks like now they don't have the financial backing to cope with it. We have never used Quinn Direct at Hodgson Insurance mainly because of the concerns we had about the way they dealt with things and we regularly advised customers against using them, but when customers are being told Quinn Direct can offer you a policy half the price of yours they cant not take it up. Unfortunately those customers have now got to hope the company don't go bust or they will lose all the money they have put with them and claims may not be fully settled."

From today, the regulators have told Quinn Direct that they may start providing car insurance cover for provisional licence holders, but our advice to you would be to steer well clear, no matter how cheap they look, you usually get what you pay for. Use a respectable insurance company or you may find yourself in financial problems !!!!!

Escape Of Water Campaign

With winter now well and truly here, we are reminding customers about the importance of taking simple measures in helping stop the escape of water through freezing pipes and joints, leaks and internal flooding. Sudden freezes can and do cause havoc with thousands of homes and businesses, causing millions of pounds of damage and untold disruption and destruction to customers.

We should know, in the last 6 months we had an escape of water claim in our office. A washing machine leaked from a flat above, although maybe not a lot of water from a single wash, it caused nearly £5,000 worth of damage to electrical equipment, computers and general contents. It took weeks to get the office running back smoothly again and this was a fairly minor incident compared to some.

While we cant control the weather, we can help ourselves by reducing the risk in the first place. We have teamed up with one of our partner insurers Fortis to bring some handy hints and tips in how to avoid an Escape Of Water disaster striking you.

Escape of water insurance claims costs are spiralling and ultimately it will be customer who will pay the premium in increased premiums. In 2008 3 out of 10 claims were for Escape of water incidents and claims costs have doubled from £46 million in 2006 to £93 last year, so it's a growing concern.

To help you, just click here which takes you to the Fortis Insurance website and download your FREE toolkit, and make sure you are not one of those above stats. There is one which is aimed at private homeowners and one which is for business owners.

Good luck with it and have a great Christmas and Happy New Year !!!

Christmas Opening Hours & Merry Christmas Everyone !!!

We would like to wish all our customers a Happy Christmas and hope you all have a great new year, don't drink too much. We will be open over Christmas, below are our opening hours:

Opening Hours Over Christmas

Tue 23rd. 9 - 5
Wed 24th. 9 - 12
Christmas Day. Closed
Boxing Day. Closed
Sat 27th. 9 - 12
Sun 28th. Closed
Mon 29th. 9 - 12
Tues 30th. 9 - 12
Wed 31st. 9 - 12
New Years Day. Closed
Fri 2nd. 9 - 5

Merry Christmas !!!

Small Business Owners Warned About Reducing Cover To Save Costs

Insurance companies have been sending out messages warning small business owners about reducing cover on their insurance policies.
With the credit crunch affecting the majority of businesses in the UK, everyone is obviously looking to save money where they can, but reducing cover on their insurance could have a reverse effect. It's easy to remove cover on a shop for perhaps stock, or reduce the sums insured on your buildings or contents, but in the event of perhaps a fire or flood you could be even more out of pocket, not being reimbursed for your loss or if underinsured possibly not being paid enough to get your business back where it was before the claim and putting your business at more risk of going under.
Our recommendation.... Speak to a professional insurance broker who will be able to give you advice on what you should insure and for what amount and only remove the covers which are unnecessary for your business. They should then be able to search the market and find you the right product, and at the right price!!

New Online Quotes Available For Classic Car Insurance & Pleasure Boat Insurance

Two new additions have been added to the GJT Hodgson Insurance Services online product range.

The first is for Classic Car Insurance and we have teamed up with Lancaster Insurance to provide owners of older and classic vehicles with a specialist policy which can cover vehicles on an agreed basis. Lancaster will quote for all types of vehicles including cars, classic vans, classic motorcaravans like VW Campers, American classic cars, classic 4X4s amongst others. Checking over 20 specialist companys, discounts are also available for limited mileage, Classic Car Club member discounts, garaging discounts, no claims and limited drivers discounts. Breakdown cover and legal expenses cover is also available. Best of all you can get an instant quotation online in minutes and if acceptable cover can be given there and then . Just log on to Classic Car Insurance for your instant quotation.

The second offering is for owners of pleasure boats. Again this is an instant online quotation system for customers to get instant quotes on. Through the UK's number 1 motor boat and yacht insurer, Navigators and General (Zurich Insurance), competitive quotes can be given in minutes for craft including dinghies, general small boats, narrow boats, inland craft, cruisers, powerboats and others up to a value of £10,000,000.

Do you have to have boat insurance ???... Yes and No, Evidence of third party insurance is compulsory at most marinas, harbours and in recognised mooring areas. To obtain an inland waterways licence, you need to produce proof of third party insurance, most lakes and reservoirs require the same.

Again check the site out for a quotation at boat insurance and get that competitive quotation now.

Short Term Car Insurance

People looking for quick cover to insure themslves on a car temporarily then look no further. Via GJT Hodgson Insurance Services we can offer you cover for up to 28 days on any type of private car or small van from our partner Temporary Cover Limited. Maybe you want to insure yourself on a friends vehicles for a few days or maybe you have a relation staying and you want them to borrow your vehicle. Whatever the reason you can get an instant online quotation and take up instant cover if the price is acceptable and the take up is high with it's competitive pricing. You do need to be over 21 to take out this cover through and you can pay online through a secure payment facility.
Just log on to our site here 'Short Term Car Insurance Here' and get an instant quote now.

New Insurance Scheme For Guest House Owners

GJT Hodgson Insurance Services have just set up a new guest house insurance scheme. A new website has been created for customers to send their quotations through, and already is very popular with extremely competitive prices being provided. We have a panel of top insurance companies including Norwich Union, Royal & Sun Alliance, Axa, Primary, NIG & Fortis to provide the best policies on the market for the guest house owner. Cover can include buildings ,contents (business & personal), stock, guests effects and of course public liability cover.
View the new website now at www.guesthouseinsurance.co.uk

Childcare Insurance Specialists Receive Top Award

Top Award for Morton Michel

Childcare insurance specialist, Morton Michel has received a top award, Schemes Intermediary of the Year, in this year’s UK Broker awards, which are run by Insurance Age. Morton Michel has been specialising in insurance for childcare professionals for more than 40 years and is now the established leader in this field. Its insurance schemes are underwritten by Sterling Insurance Company and support virtually all areas of professional childcare.

Over 500 people attended the UK Broker awards ceremony, which took place in The Brewery in the City of London. Morton Michel was presented with the award by Irish comedian, Ed Byrne, who said, “Schemes Intermediary of the Year is always a popular category in these awards with a large number of superior entries. The winner was extolled as a real gem by the judges and it has dominated an important sector of the market – childcare insurance.”

Morton Michel partner, Samantha Beere, received the award with her two partners, Nick Beere and Jerry Beere. “We are just thrilled to receive this award,” said Samantha, “it is wonderful to have this recognition from our peers for all the hard work that we have put in over the years.”

For the category Schemes Intermediary of the Year, the judges were looking for a company that could demonstrate a commitment to meeting customer needs and to delivering a high quality of service across all its activities. This had to be coupled with a proven track record of successful and innovative expansion into new or existing markets.

Insurance Age received over a hundred entries for its awards with a particularly high number of entries for the Scheme Intermediary of the Year. “This is one of the most hard fought of all the categories,” said editor of Insurance Age, Michelle Worvell. “Furthermore, the quality of the entrants was exceptionally high this year and there were some real top players competing for this particular award.”

Morton Michel are the preferred insurance company used by GJT Hodgson Insurance Services. As you can see they are the No1 in the childcare insurance sector. We can provide insurance through them for all child care sectors including:
Day Nurseries, Social, Voluntary, Educational and Charity Groups, Residential Children’s Homes, Children’s Activity Areas, Crèches, Childminders, Pre Schools, Out of School Clubs and Children’s Sports Clubs. If you are looking for insurance then please contact our office on 01288 353999 or visit our website at www.hodgsoninsurance.co.uk