There’s nothing more worrisome and frightening than watching your home shake, your belongings fall to the ground, and facing the real fact that your loved ones could be hurt. An earthquake can occur at any time. There is little warning that it will occur and, even if there is some evidence that it will, there’s very little you can do to protect yourself, your family, or your home. In fact, the only way to minimize some of the financial risk you face is to have the right home insurance in place. Do you have earthquake insurance?

Examine Your Policy Today

The recent earthquakes in our area have done more than just shake the ground. They’ve also exposed the real need to update home insurance policies and business insurance plans to better reflect the ongoing threats in the area. Earthquake insurance is a key component to any structural policy, but it is not always included in a basic plan. Take a close look at your existing insurance plan to determine if you have this coverage or if you need to purchase a new policy.

Earthquake Insurance Offers Peace of Mind

The recent earthquakes in our area came as a surprise. Most people did not suffer any damage, but there is an ongoing risk that additional earthquakes can occur. Alpha Direct offers the support and guidance you need to protect yourself financially from these losses.

How can earthquake coverage help you?

Alpha Direct’s insurance plans cover damage to homes and businesses.
This covers cleanup efforts should damage be significant.
It can help to pay for all repairs necessary on your home or your business property.
It can help cover the costs of damage to the structure, foundation, windows, roofing, and much more.
It aids in helping you to recover from losses related to damaged and lost property and personal belongings as well.
Experiencing loss from an earthquake is a very real risk here in Botswana. That is why it is so important for you to have adequate insurance to minimize your financial losses. Most importantly, recognize that most property insurance plans can affordably cover earthquake risk – you do not have to pay significantly more to have this type of protection. Contact your agent at Alpha Direct to find out how you can protect against the risks of unknown earthquakes. Let our team help you to find the coverage you need today.

There are many ways to protect your home. At the heart of the process is the need to protect the actual belongings you own including the home itself. Home insurance does that through property insurance. However, other risks exist for any homeowner including the risk that you could face a lawsuit if someone is hurt on your property and you are found to be at fault for it. This is why every property owner needs to have ample liability insurance.

What Are Liability Risks at a Home?

You may believe your home is safe. You take every step possible to keep your home safe including keeping it clean, organized and locked up. Yet, even in these situations, there are risks that homeowners cannot avoid that can lead to a sizable financial loss if a lawsuit occurred. Here are some examples.

A friend is visiting your home. He or she slips and falls on the flooring. This leads to an injury requiring medical care. Those medical bills are a liability to you that your home insurance may minimize.
Your child’s friend is visiting your home and falls. He’s hurt badly because of a hit to the head. He requires surgical procedures and a long hospital stay. Those may be your medical bills to pay as well. Liability insurance can help you here as well.
Someone comes to your home to make repairs. While there, the individual is hurt on the job. The company doing the work does not have adequate insurance in place. This leaves you, the homeowner, at risk as well.
It is important to take steps to reduce the risks in your home. You can do this by:

Keeping your home clutter-free.
Removing anything from the floor that could cause someone to be hurt.
Reduce risks outside as well, such as tree limbs hanging into someone else’s area.
It’s important to be vigilant about these risks of risks because they can lead to a significant lawsuit in many cases. Yet, you cannot prevent them all from happening. This is why your home insurance needs to also include a liability component. It needs to protect you from risks associated with what you cannot prevent from occurring.

Making the decision to file a claim for a home insurance policy is not always easy to do. Many people believe that if they file a claim, their insurance will go up in cost. However, you’ve invested in this policy for a reason, to protect yourself from financial loss. This is especially true in liability claims. These types of home insurance claims can often be more expensive, especially when the incident is a negligence claim. Should you file a claim, then?

When to Contact Your Insurance Agency

If someone has fallen or otherwise been hurt on your property, do not delay in filing a liability claim with your insurance agency. Even if the other person has not brought any claims against you yet, you’ll want to keep your agent informed about what is happening and what occurred. They can offer outstanding support and guidance to you should you face liability claims down the road.

How Can Your Insurance Company Help You?

Let’s say someone is hurt at your home. They are in need of medical care. The costs continue to rise as their injury impacts their ability to work as well as their ability to care for their family. When you contact your home insurance company and file a claim with them, they will help you one step at a time through the process.

They can help gather information about the claim from the other person. This eliminates your need to do so.

They will pay for the costs up to the limit of your policy. In many cases, this can be a significant amount of money that you do not have to pay out of your pocket.
If the case goes to court for any reason, your home’s liability insurance helps to cover your legal defense against the claims made against you. And, if there are awarded damages by the court, the insurance company will cover those up to the limits of the policy.
Because of these benefits, homeowners need to have adequate liability insurance in place. The risk of something happening on your property is higher than you likely realize, but with this type of property protection, you are assured support throughout the process.

Homeowners need property insurance coverage for their home. Many factors play a role in determining which policy is best for your specific property. When you work with your insurer, ask key questions about what the policy covers and what it does not. One key question of concern relates to the amount of coverage the policy offers. Is it enough protection for your belongings?

How Much Do You Own?

A quick look around your home can show you just how many assets you own. If a fire occurred at your home, imagine what the damage could be. The structure is only one element. You would also lose the contents of your home including your personal belongings. The insurance policy you select should cover all of these items by providing a coverage limit that’s high enough.

To determine if you have enough property coverage, obtain an appraisal of your home and contents. It is important, at the very least, to estimate the value of your belongings yourself. A few key things to consider includes the following.

What is the cost to rebuild your home? Your home insurance policy should not be based on the resale value of the property, but rather on the actual cost to rebuild it. Rebuilding can be significantly more expensive than the current market value.
What are your belongings worth? Consider your clothing, appliances, home furnishings, and other valuables. Estimate a value of these items. While you do so, create a home inventory. Use photos or a list to write down a description of the item and an estimated worth. Add this up to determine if your property insurance offers enough contents insurance to protect you.
What high-end valuables do you own? Most home insurance policies have a per-item limit. If you have very expensive items, such as jewelry, antiques, expensive electronics, or other very valuable items, it is important to have a special insurance rider on your policy to cover the value of these items.
To have the property amount of insurance for your home and belongings, you need to take a closer look at your property’s value. Estimating these values can help you to make sure your policy offers comprehensive protection to you. Work closely with your insurance agent to ensure you have proper coverage at the best value possible. Don’t put your finances at risk because you don’t have enough coverage.

Alpha Direct Insurance currently offers short term insurance only. First things first, what is short term insurance? With short term insurance you are covering possessions for the shorter term. Remember that with any type of insurance cover, you are covering either a specific item or a specific eventuality for a period of time.
A short term insurance policy provides cover against loss, damage, liabilities and more.

To compensate coverage of a loss you suffered on your insured items, you will pay a monthly or annual premium to an insurance company providing you with cover. Calculation of your premium is based on your risk profile (age, gender, where you live, security measures, item insured, value of the item, claims history of the insured etc.)

High risk = high premium and low risk = reduced premium. Consideration of risk profiles is super important so as to avoid instances where low risk profiles end up subsidizing high risk profiles. You as the client deserve so much better and you most definitely need not to spend more than you should, hence Alpha Direct’s sophisticated underwriting system.

Alpha Direct’s short term insurance products include of the following;

• Household Contents
With this cover, we will cover your household contents against theft, as well as damage caused by a power surge or a burs geyser. Even damage to your contents due to fire, lightning storm, hail and flood is covered.

• House owner’s Insurance
This policy will cover the replacement cost of your house including outbuildings, fixtures & fittings, Swimming pools, perimeter walls against loss, destruction or damage arising from or caused by storm, fire, lightning, and flood.

• Personal All Risks Insurance
You’ll receive cover for items you take or use outside your house such as laptops, cell phones and any other valuables.

• Motor insurance
With this cover, you vehicle is protected from damage caused by accidents, theft and fire. Also, accidents caused by your actions to third parties are covered for.

• Fire insurance
Covers damage done to property, buildings and structures by fire, lightning or fire bolt & explosion.

• Workman’s compensation
This policy covers the legal liability owed to employees in terms of the Worker’s Compensation Act of Botswana arising out of and in the course of their employment.

And so much more including but not limited to;
• Third party liability
• Personal liability
• Fidelity insurance

As for the policy wording, it is analysed in conjunction with the policy schedule to determine cover, excesses, extensions, conditions and exclusions.

Having a travel insurance is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. Clearly during travelling you need not to worry about anything. You need to travel at ease by letting Alpha Direct Insurance’s best travel insurance take care of all your worries. Our competitive prices depend on the type of plan, destination of voyage and duration of travel.

Alpha Direct Travel insurance covers the following, emergency medical expenses, baggage, personal accident, missed departure and personal money and documents to mention a few.

As much as travelling is a fun some experience worth cherishing every moment, we cannot undermine the possible risks that it entails. Not only are vacation problems be costly, they could spoil your vacation.

So here are some tips to help prevent common travel problems from happening to you;
 Always carry your medication, valuables (jewellery, keys, cameras etc) and important documents including money, credit cards and driver’s license with you.

 Be sure to label your bags. Bags should have your name, telephone number and address clearly marked both inside and outside.

 Because of an endless stream of nearly identical bags, you may also mark your bags by tying a colorful ribbon, stitching a unique patch or jus anything that will help distinguish and identify your bag.

 To avoid accidental openings and in order to discourage thieves, always lock your bag.

 Make a list of what you are packing and keep it with you in your carry- on bag. This list will help you identify your property should any of your checked bags get lost or stolen.

 Most importantly, be safe and always be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

Finally, remember goods illegally acquired or not declared at customs may not be covered by your insurance company if lost or stolen.

UNDERSTANDING COVERAGE;

1.I want to insure my car, what paperwork is needed?
It is very important to have information about your vehicle readily available. The make, model and year of the car to be insured are required. Also you will need to indicate whether your vehicle was purchased or leased. For brand new cars, this is what you need; purchase invoice, registration book, driver’s license and a proposal form. For second hand cars; you need an inspection and valuation report, registration book as well as a driver’s license.

You will also be asked how the car will be used. Is it for business or pleasure? Will you be commuting to work every day and if so, what is the estimated mileage and the distance driven annually?

2.What does auto insurance cover?
At most, you will want to protect against liability risks as well as property risks. You need to protect against other people causing accidents and damaging your car and from the damage you cause to your vehicle or the property of other people. Your policy should offer as much protection as possible in these areas.

Third party motor insurance: In the event you are found at fault in an accident, liability insurance will cover you. It will cover the cost of repairing any goods damaged by an accident as well as paying medical bills from resulting injuries. Liability only covers damages or injuries done to third parties and their property, not to the driver and the driver’s property.

Comprehensive: Comprehensive goes beyond liability to third parties. Comprehensive covers not only damage to the third party but also damage done to your own vehicle. This type of coverage is great to have if it fits your budget as it has the widest full coverage benefits that range from fire, theft, to windscreens.

3.Do you insure imports?
Imports are insured, however, a valuation report needs to be completed prior to going on cover. This can be done at Key Link Loss Adjusters or Edwards Vehicle Claims management.

4.How can I get an insurance discount?
Companies often offer discounts to policyholders who have not had any accidents and who drive fewer kilometers per year than the average motorist for instance. Find out if there is any discount that the company has that you qualify for. For example, with Alpha Direct, you can get a discount if you insure more than one car or you buy more than one type of policy such as car insurance and home insurance.

RATES AND PAYMENTS;

5.What is a premium?
Premium is the money charged by insurance companies for coverage.

6.How is premium calculated?/How much will it cost to insure my car?
The cost of an insurance policy depends on your risk, which in turn reflects the likelihood you will need to make an insurance claim. The higher the probability of a claim, the higher the premium. Such risk factors vary from the value of what you are insuring, age, driving history, residential location, when the driving license was attained and so on.

7.My premium is high, how can I reduce it?
Car safety and security features; Driving a car that has a number of built-in safety features, such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, and security features, like GPS, anti-theft and engine cut-off systems, may qualify you for discounts on your auto insurance premiums. Vehicles with such features are statistically less likely to be stolen or be in an accident as compared to those that do not have such, hence a reduced premium.

8.What is excess?
Excess is the amount of money you have to pay toward repairs before your insurance covers the rest. Generally speaking, the larger the excess, the less a consumer pays in premiums for an insurance policy.

9.What happens if I forget to pay my premium?
For monthly payment plans , a debit order is run. Should the debit order be run and it bounces back, the client will be notified by our friendly accounts team. The debit order will then be run again the following month, should it bounce back three times, the policy will be automatically cancelled.

10.How do I know if I am getting a fair deal?
Prices differ from company to company, so it pays to shop around because you will be in a much better position to compare prices. Because of our sophisticated underwriting systems in Alpha Direct we could save you money by considering your individual risk profile. Premiums are calculated according to a client’s unique risk profile, meaning low-risk clients generally do not subsidize high-risk clients. Therefore, if you have a low-risk profile, you could save 15% or more on your insurance costs.

MAKING POLICY CHANGES;

11.What happens if I cancel my policy before the contract expires?
With Alpha Direct, there is no cancellation fee and you will be refunded the unexpired premium.

Every business needs to be insured.The more successful your business becomes, the risks of doing business without proper insurance will increase rapidly. But, as a first-time business owner, it may sound like a mission impossible to navigate through the maze of plans. Here are some tips that will help you sail through buying your business insurance;

1.DO YOUR HOMEWORK: Shopping around for insurance is the best you can ever do for your business and yourself. Not only does it give you peace of mind, but it also keeps more money in your pocket. Prices differ from company to company, so to get a good deal you most definitely need to compare quotes. Get at least three price quotes.

You can call companies directly or research the information online. Most importantly, do not shop by price alone. Ask friends and relatives for their recommendations and read online reviews about the company. Sometimes company reviews contribute a whole lot more to your final decision. Not only do these reviews give you an insight about the company, but also gives you an idea on how customer focused and result oriented they are.

Be sure to also find out how they deal with claims. Should you insure with them, are you certain your claim will be paid and paid well on time?
Fortunately, with Alpha Direct, there is definitely no need to run around getting comparative quotes. Let us worry about that! When you claim, we do all the work for you. With us, there is no six-week waiting period for a stolen vehicle claim to be processed. Valid claims are paid out as soon as the necessary administrative process has been completed. Because of our highly trained staff, you are sure to have a speedy claims process.

2.REVIEW YOUR OPTIONS: At this point you have done all your research and have narrowed down your options to at least two. Find out about the kind of coverage you will be receiving. Business insurance has a wide range of cover including but not limited to the following; office contents ,material damage ,workman’s compensation, business’s portable property insurance, theft insurance, buildings insurance and motor traders insurance to mention a few.

3.REDUCE THE RISK OF YOUR BUSINESS: Reducing your (and your property’s) risk, will help you reduce the premium. There are a number of factors that may contribute to cost. You will be asked about these during your application. Such include types of locks and alarms on your property, location of your property etc.

4.HOW YOU CAN SAVE MORE: The good news is, If you have been trading for longer and have subsequently demonstrated that you run a successful business, your insurer may offer you a small discount in recognition of this.

Newly established business? Worry not! If your company is a recent start-up, you may find that your first year of cover is a little more expensive than average, but this should drop with each successive year of operation.

5.CHEAPEST ISN’T ALWAYS BEST: Yeah sure we all want to save money, but Don’t try to get a cheaper price by reducing the levels of insurance on your property cover – if you under-insure it’s unlikely you will get the full pay out when you make a claim.

At the end of the day, you are the boss and the buck starts and ends with you, if you do not protect your business, who will?

Travelling is an inevitable yet adventurous part of our lives that creates memories which we will forever cherish. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go on a vacation amidst scenic lands, pampered days and carefree moments just to take a breather from our hectic lives.
However, as much as we love travelling, we should not undermine the risks that it entails. So why not make your travel itinerary fool proof by adding an insurance coverage to it.

Travel insurance should take care of any of the following unforeseen circumstances during transit; theft of baggage, delay of flights leading to financial loss, loss of important documents to mention a few.

Clearly during travelling you need not to worry about anything. You need to travel at ease by letting Alpha Direct Insurance’s best travel insurance take care of all your worries. Our competitive prices depend on the type of plan, destination of voyage and duration of travel.

Here is why you need to consider Alpha Direct Travel insurance;
 Cancellation or curtailment
 Emergency medical expenses
 Personal accident
 Baggage
 Personal money & Documents
 Personal Liability
 Missed departure
 Holiday Abandonment

Our travel insurance consists of 3 main components;

1.TRAVEL ASSISTANCE SERVICES
This entails paying for your expenses you will incur should you be hospitalized due to an accident, making necessary arrangement for the insured’s transport and meet the cost of transfer expenses to the place of interment, cremation or funeral ceremony, paying for the purchase of necessary clothing and toiletries if the checked in baggage has been delayed for more than 6 hours as well as reimbursing for the travel, accommodation, prepaid meal expenses that are unused and non-refundable in case of trip cancellation or termination.

2.PERSONAL LIABILITY
This covers expenses incurred for accidental bodily injury or death of another person or actual loss or damage to another person’s property due to the traveler’s negligence.

3.ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND PERMANENT DISABILITY OF INSURED
This covers the traveler’s accidental death or permanent disablement one hour before the scheduled departure until one hour upon arrival or scheduled arrival on the designated return date whichever comes first.

So…planning on travelling soon? Better get covered!!!

It’s 2017,a year to brainstorm, prioritize and execute. Start off the year with a bang by shopping for insurance. If saving money was your priority this year, then you most definitely need to consider having your car insured. But first things first, it all comes down to which insurance to go for.

SHOP AROUND: Prices differ from company to company, so it pays to shop around because you will be in a much better position to compare prices. Get at least three price quotes. You can call companies directly or research the information online. Most importantly, do not shop by price alone. Ask friends and relatives for their recommendations and read online reviews about the company.

Because of our sophisticated underwriting systems in Alpha Direct we could save you money by considering your individual risk profile. Premiums are calculated according to a client’s unique risk profile, meaning low-risk clients generally do not subsidize high-risk clients. Therefore, if you are a low-risk client, you could save 15% or more on your insurance costs.

DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH: Be sure to find more about the company. How do they deal with claims? Are you certain your claim will be paid and paid on time for that matter? We cannot talk about insurance without talking about claims as well because accidents happen all the time.

With Alpha Direct, there is definitely no need to run around getting comparative quotes. Let us worry about that! When you claim, we do all the work for you. With us, there is no six-week waiting period for a stolen vehicle claim to be processed. Valid claims are paid out as soon as the necessary administrative process has been completed. Because of our highly trained staff, you are sure to have a speedy claims process.

REDUCE COVERAGE ON OLD CARS: It pays to review your coverage at renewal time to make sure your insurance is in step with your needs. For example, if your car is worth less than 10 times the premium, purchasing the coverage may not be cost effective. When this is the case, consider dropping collision and/or comprehensive coverage.

DRIVE A CAR THAT IS CHEAPER TO INSURE: Before you buy your next car, check car insurance rates for the models you are considering. The vehicle you drive affects your car insurance premium, particularly if you buy collision and comprehensive coverage. Safe and moderately priced vehicles such as minivans and small SUVs tend to be cheaper to insure than flashy and expensive cars.

SEEK DISCOUNTS: Companies often offer discounts to policyholders who have not had any accidents and who drive fewer kilometres per year than the average motorist for instance. Find out if there is any discount that the company has that you qualify for. For example, with Alpha Direct, you can get a discount if you insure more than one car or you buy more than one type of policy such as car insurance and home insurance.

If you do not have any insurance cover, you most definitely need to consider getting one. It is reassuring to know that you are covered financially if you are involved in an accident. Let the frustration,stress, depression and financial strain of being uninsured remain a 2016 thing. Get cover. Let your insurance worry about your car while you take a sip on the good side of life knowing you are covered.