An insurance broker can save you time, money and worry. Whether it's home, car, life or business insurance, brokers provide advice and assistance to make sure your properly protected.

Don't go broke. Every business needs an insurance broker.

Your home & contents

Following is a list of the most common types of domestic insurance. Policies vary so it's always wise to consult a broker before deciding on your cover.

For many people, their home is the biggest and most important investment they will ever make. Not only does it represent a huge financial investment, it also carries great emotional value. It therefore makes sense to insure it properly to prevent an unexpected and unavoidable financial disaster caused by such calamities as fire, storm or burglary. In Australia an estimated 31% of homes are uninsured. Of those with insurance, 43% are severely underinsured. The tragedy is that most people who have insufficient cover don't realise this.

If you work from home, you may need separate or special cover, for contents used for business purposes and for public liability. These are not usually covered by home policies.

There are three main types of home insurance:

Building Insurance: Most policies cover the main dwelling, garage and other outbuildings, walls, gates, drives, verandas, patios, in-ground swimming pools and landlord's fittings and fixtures. Check you have reinstatement and replacement cover, which is for all of the above structural items. Also check whether you have "accidental damage" policy cover, or a less expensive "defined events" policy. Accidental damage cover is, logically, more expensive because it covers more.

Also, check the policy allows for the full cost of rebuilding. There are also variations in things like depreciation costs, temporary accommodation, site clearing... the list goes on.

Contents Insurance: The cost of replacing furniture, carpets, personal possessions, etc, can be substantial, whether your home is big or small, owned or rented. The cost of contents insurance by comparison is trivial - but policies vary greatly.

For example, some policies provide complete replacement cost as new for all contents. Others include some contribution to the claim by you, depending on the age of the items.

Items like artworks, antiques, collections and similar items have special claim limits on standard policies unless otherwise arranged. Then there is personal valuables insurance which covers personal possessions away from home - although there is usually a limit for unspecified items.

It is very important to separately value and list expensive personal items such as jewellery and furs. And if you're travelling overseas you should ensure you have either permanent or temporary travel insurance to cover baggage, clothing, etc while you're outside Australia.

Personal Liability: Most contents insurance automatically includes personal liability insurance. This covers you should another person be injured or have any of their property damaged while on your property - for example if someone in your house falls down the stairs. It does not cover people who work in your home, such as cleaners or contractors.

An insurance broker can advise you about domestic insurance, home business insurance, contents insurance and liability insurance. Find a qualified insurance broker for expert insurance advice.