Tuesday 26 March 2013

Holiday deals in London-Royal Albert Hall London





The red brick Royal Albert Hall was built in the 19th century, as a multifunctional music and entertainment hall. Today, it is one of London's most recognisable landmarks and a top European performing arts venue.

History
Built in honour and memory of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria and the official Prince Consort, Royal Albert Hall was a tribute to the prince's affinity for the arts and his desire to establish a permanent venue in the city, for the public to enjoy a variety of concerts, dance, and theatrical performances. The venue would be part of the so-called Albertopolis, which was to become a centre for the arts and science. 

After the prince's death in 1861, Queen Victoria hired Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General H.Y. Darracott Scott of the Royal Engineers, to design this proposed building, which was dubbed Great Hall. It is said that the two men were greatly influenced in their design by the ancient amphitheaters of Rome and Greece, as well as by Gottfried Semper’s Opera House in Dresden.

The Building
The circular hall was constructed of red brick with terra cotta ornamentation. In contrast, however, the dome at the top of the building, designed by Rowland Mason Ordish, was fashioned from steel. Records show that the dome was first constructed in the city of Manchester, just to ensure that it fitted together properly; then disassembled and brought to London.

Opening
In March 1871, the hall was officially opened with a speech by Edward, the Prince of Wales, who stood in for the often stoic Victoria, who was too overcome with emotion to speak at the event. A concert followed the ceremony and, to everyone's surprise, it was immediately noticed that the hall had serious acoustic problems, including echoes that made it seem as if each note was being heard twice. The problem was finally cured completely in 1969, nearly a century after the opening of Royal Albert Hall.

Renovations
A series of renovations were completed from 1996 to 2004, offering the hall a state-of-the-art character; and adding enhancement to the acoustics. The grand pipe organ was also rebuilt, now making it the largest in the British Isles, with nearly 10,000 pipes.

Performances
Royal Albert Hall hosts one of the world's largest festivals of Western classical music, called the Proms. The hall has also played host to a number of well-known pop artists throughout the last several decades, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and others. But the Royal Albert Hall isn't just a music venue; for, over the years, it has been used for events such as ice skating, tennis and even sumo wrestling.
Are you considering visiting London and the U.K.? Then contact the London official visitor agency-Visit London and Partners at: 08701 566 366  visitorinfo@londonandpartners.com     

You can also contact the City of London Information Centre: Opposite St Paul's Cathedral:
City of London, Guildhall, PO Box 270, London, EC2P 2EJ     pro@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7606 3030

They can offer you credible, pursuable and realistic information and advice on the following fronts: Cheap flights to London, hotels in London, cheap hotels in London, boutique hotels in London, bed and breakfast in London, guest houses in London, holiday apartments in London, timeshare accommodation in London, youth hostels in London, transportation in London, bus tours in London, river tours in London, coach tours of the U.K., entertainment in London, tourist attractions in London etc.

Tourist Attractions in London-St. James’ Park London





London's St James's Park is the oldest Royal Park in the city and the site of many special events. The 23-hectare (58 acre) park boasts beautiful gardens, a lake that's home to local waterfowl,
and lots of wide open space.

The Park's History
The land on which pristine St James's Park lies was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532. At this site, he built St. James’ Palace. Later, Elizabeth I, who loved pageantry, held many special events in the park, and her successor, King Charles II, made many additions to the park, including more trees and grassy areas. He was the first to open the park to the public.

Throughout the centuries, the park was used as a Royal Zoo, a reservoir, and even a bowling alley, all of which took their toll on the park in one way or another. In the 1830s, John Nash redesigned the park, making it more romantic in style and revitalising the trees, lawns, and gardens.

The Park Today
St James's Park provides habitats for a variety of different species of fauna. The park's lake is home to 15 different species of waterfowl; including pelicans, which were introduced to the park in the mid 1600s.

The park welcomes more than 5.5 million visitors per year; and has become quite popular with the movie industry. Visitors can often view film crews shooting Buckingham Palace. In addition to St James’ Palace, another palace skirts the park –Buckingham Palace, where monarchs have resided since 1837.

Visiting St James's Park
St. James's Park is located in the heart of London, right near Whitehall and Downing Street. Nearby are popular sights like the Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey.
Most visitors simply enjoy strolling through the park, watching the wildlife. There's also a children's playground for the little ones and deck chairs for relaxation, in the warm summer months. Ceremonial parades and important national events are often held at the adjoining avenue known as The Mall.
Are you considering visiting London and the U.K.? Then contact the London official visitor agency-Visit London and Partners at: 08701 566 366  visitorinfo@londonandpartners.com     

You can also contact the City of London Information Centre: Opposite St Paul's Cathedral:
City of London, Guildhall, PO Box 270, London, EC2P 2EJ     pro@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7606 3030

They can offer you credible, pursuable and realistic information and advice on the following fronts: Cheap flights to London, hotels in London, cheap hotels in London, boutique hotels in London, bed and breakfast in London, guest houses in London, holiday apartments in London, timeshare accommodation in London, youth hostels in London, transportation in London, bus tours in London, river tours in London, coach tours of the U.K., entertainment in London, tourist attractions in London etc.

Emlpoyment in London-Work from Home in London



In this era of technological boom, interesting and effective new ways have come to light, through which businesses can economically and expeditiously perform some of their tasks, in a way that by-passes the long standing conventional ways of working. It’s now possible to perform essential tasks for certain companies and organisations, in a way that does not necessitate one’s presence on the premises of such organisations. This has been rendered feasible by a new phenomenon known as “work from home”, which enables the individual to perform task for an organisation from home. Most of the work that can be performed from home is computer-related, whereby the individual is assigned a particular task, which is expected to be completed and the results delivered to the assigning company, within a specified timeframe. Tasks that can be performed from home include: data entering, e-mail responses to customers, generation of particular reports, serving as a writer for certain writing companies etc. Many of these opportunities are largely available in London and numerous other areas in the UK.

Another lucrative way of working from home in London is to engage in your own operations. There are numerous opportunities for online work in London, which can be quite rewarding, depending on the dose of energy you dedicate to the task. You can make money online by writing articles on your blog or website, and renting out your space to advertisers, using any of the online money-making advertisement placement programs such as google adsense. Such adverts can be in the form of text, image, video or a combination of two or more of these elements.
Another possibility of making money online in London is to join lucrative affiliate programs, whereby you use your website as a medium for selling others’ products; for which you get commission for all the products that are sold through your website.

While numerous people employ these online money-making methods as a means to obtain supplementary income in London, incidents are not wanting, whereby people had made a considerable amount with some of these programs, to the degree that they immediately converted it into a fulltime operation.  There are numerous people in London, who survive through online money-making ways. It requires a fair deal of courage and determination to get your feet off the ground, and to commence commanding the level of traffic that would enable the translation of your blog or website into a revenue-generating platform. Nonetheless, once you maintain momentum in the initial stage and get to a certain threshold, the operation might commence unrolling by itself, providing justification for all the hard work you invested in the earlier stages of the activity.

Find employment in the banking sector in London



A bank is a financial institution and a financial intermediary that accepts deposits and channels those deposits into lending activities, either directly by loaning or indirectly through capital markets. A bank is the connection between customers that have capital deficits and customers with capital surpluses.
Banks act as payment agents by conducting checking or current accounts for customers, paying cheques drawn by customers on the bank, and collecting cheques deposited to customers' current accounts. Banks also enable customer payments via other payment methods such as Automated Clearing House (ACH), Wire transfers or telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, and automated teller machine (ATM).

Banks borrow money by accepting funds deposited on current accounts, by accepting term deposits, and by issuing debt securities such as banknotes and bonds. Banks lend money by making advances to customers on current accounts, by making installment loans, and by investing in marketable debt securities and other forms of money lending.
Banks provide different payment services, and a bank account is considered indispensable by most businesses and individuals. Non-banks that provide payment services such as remittance companies are normally not considered an adequate substitute for a bank account.

Banks can create new money when they make a loan. New loans throughout the banking system generate new deposits elsewhere in the system. The money supply is usually increased by the act of lending, and reduced when loans are repaid faster than new ones are generated. In the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2007, there was a big increase in the money supply, largely caused by much more bank lending, which served to push up property prices and increased private debt. The amount of money in the economy as measured by M4 in the UK went from £750 billion to £1700 billion between 1997 and 2007, much of the increase of which was caused by bank lending. If all the banks increase their lending together, then they can expect new deposits to return to them and the amount of money in the economy will increase.
Generally, banks enable access to their variety of services through a wide spectrum of channels, including the following: Automated Teller Machines (ARM); bank branch, call centre; mail; mobile banking; online banking; Relationship Managers; telephone banking, video banking etc.
London has a high concentration of banks and other financial services; and offers you an opportunity to foster your career in banking. There are numerous banking jobs in London to choose from; and the particular banking job you go for would depend on your particular career aspirations or goal.

Sunday 24 March 2013

Jobs in London -Working as a nurse in London



Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector centred on the caring of individuals, families, and communities, to enable them attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life.
Nurses may be differentiated from other health care providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice. Nurses practice in a wide diversity of practice areas, with a different scope of practice and level of prescriber authority in each. Many nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has come to shape the historic public image of nurses as care providers. However, nurses are permitted by most jurisdictions to practice independently in a variety of settings, depending on training level.

Nearly 400,000 nurses in the United Kingdom work for the National Health Services (NHS). To practice, all nurses must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The core function of the NMC is to establish and improve standards of nursing and midwifery care in order to serve and protect the public. Some of the key duties of the Nursing and Midwifery Council include: registering all nurses and midwives and ensure that they are properly qualified and competent to work in the UK; sets standards of training and conduct; establishes the standards for pre-registration nursing education; ensures that those in the profession keep their skills up to date; provides a framework to protect practicing nurses and midwives.

If you are a nurse or midwife, London offers a great opportunity for you to exercise your profession in a highly rewarding manner. You can choose to work as a nurse in the national health service (NHS); practice in one of the many private hospitals and clinics in the city; offer your precious services in a caring home or take up a special contract to carry out a variety of caring activities. Whatever your preferred nursing job, you are bound to find it in London. It would be right to assert that London has the highest number of practicing nurses in the UK; and you can become part of the professional and caring team of London’s nurses.  Remember that to take up a nursing job in London and the UK in a legitimate manner, you need to hold valid registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The title "registered nurse" can only be granted to those holding such registration; as laid down in the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997. Wish you the best in finding a nursing job in London.

London Jobs-Accountancy jobs in London





Accountancy is a profession that is fundamentally preoccupied with the methods for recording transactions, maintaining financial records, performing internal audits, reporting and analysing financial information to management; and the advising on taxation matters. It is the systematic process of identifying, recording, measuring, classifying, verifying, summarising, interpreting and communicating financial information. It enables the revelation of profits or loss for a given financial period, offering insight to the value and nature of a firm’s assets and liabilities and owners’ equity. Accounting provides important information on the resources available to a firm, the means utilised to finance those resources and the outcome achieved through this use.
Financial accounting is a branch of accounting that regards money as a means of measuring economic performance of a business entity, rather than as a factor of production. It embodies the complete system of monitoring and control of money, as it flows in and out of an organisation, in the form of assets and liabilities; or as revenues and expenses.

Financial accounting assembles and summarises financial data to enable the preparation of financial reports such as balance sheets and income statements for the organisation’s management, investors, lenders, suppliers, tax authorities and other stakeholders.
If you are a professional accountant or financial accountant, you would certainly be able pursue an accountancy career in London in a highly satisfying manner because there are so many accountancy jobs in London, considering that it’s a world-famous financial centre and also because of the sheer volume of both national and international businesses which have their headquarters in London.
One way of boosting your chances of picking up a lucrative accounting job in London is to become a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the most important accountancy professional bodies in England. Membership of such a body would offer you good standing in obtaining a highly rewarding accounting job in London.

Jobs in London-Software Engineering jobs in London



Software engineering (SE) is the use of mathematics and technology in the design, implementation and testing of computer programs to optimise their production and support.

Many software engineers work as employees or contractors. Software engineers work with businesses, government agencies (civilian or military), and non-profit organisations. Some software engineers work for themselves as freelancers. Some organisations have specialists to perform each of the tasks in the software development process. Other organisations require software engineers to do many or all of them. In large projects, people may specialise in only one role. In small projects, people may fill several or all roles at the same time. Specialisations in this sector include: (analyst, architects, developers, testers, technical support, middleware analyst, managers) and in the academic field, educators and researchers.
Most software engineers and programmers work 40 hours a week, but about 15 percent of software engineers and 11 percent of programmers worked more than 50 hours a week in 2008. Injuries in these occupations are rare. However, like other workers who spend long periods in front of a computer terminal typing at a keyboard, engineers and programmers are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
There is a vast array of software engineering jobs in London. Therefore, if you are a software engineer seeking a software engineering job, London would be a fertile avenue for you to enrich and fulfill your wildest career dreams.

London Jobs-Computer Jobs in London



The advent of computers has substantially revolutionalised both our personal lives and the business world. Dead and gone are the days when businesses employed mechanical and manual means of documentation, communication, transactions and operational systems.
In an age of free-flowing technological wealth, running a business without computers is like trying to put water in a perforated bucket. Regardless of your personal stance, technology has become an integral part of the way business is done. Even businesses solely engaged in the delivering of services would realise that doing so without a computer would inevitably render their activities difficult.
As the economic and business powerhouse in the United Kingdom, London offers an endless spectrum of rewarding computer jobs for the computer specialist. If you are a computer professional, then the following are among the computer-related job opportunities available in London:

Computer Engineer:
Example includes, a software development engineer, highly skilled in computer programming.

Hardware:
A position as a hardware designer, circuit design, embedded systems, firmware, etc., requires you to design and create a complete hardware package or portions of a hardware device.

Technical Support (Technician or Help Desk):
Helping an end-user or company employee with their computer, software program, and hardware device. A technical support position is a great first step for people interested in working in the computer industry.

Expert in Multi-site Networks

An expert who manages the system for businesses located on multiple sites.  Networking provides tremendous benefits for accounting, standardising and managing your multi-faceted operation. Many companies use point of sale systems to ensure standardised operations within a chain of stores or sites.

Other computer and computer-related jobs available in London include computer technician, Networks system administration (NSA), computer support specialist, system analyst, database administrator, 3D Animation or Graphic design, Repair and fix, etc.

Travel to London -Credit cards in London



London and the UK offer and extensive range of credit card opportunities. While this excellence of choice offers something for everyone, it may also be a source of confusion in itself because sometimes it’s not quite easy to navigate this entire range of credit cards and choose the one most suitable for our needs. However, when applying for a credit card in London, some of the issues to take into consideration are: best rates for transferring a balance, purchases and cash backs.
Credit cards constitute a popular means of commercial transactions in London and the UK; and therefore, having a credit card in London can facilitate many of your transactions. This also prevents you from carrying large amounts of cash on you. There are numerous transactions that you cannot carry out if you are not in possession of a credit card; for instance, should you wish to purchase products or services online, it would be imperative for you to be in possession of a credit card in order to do so.

Whether you desire a credit card that offers a 0% introductory rate, want to save money on interest charges by transferring your debt to a card that offers a competitive balance transfer rate, or you want a permanently low interest rate for purchases, you're sure to find a suitable deal.

Some of the popular credit cards available in London include; Barclaycard platinum Credit card, British Airways American Express Credit Card, Capital One Classical Credit Card, Post Office Credit Card, Vanquis Visa Credit Card etc.

Friday 22 March 2013

How to Open a Business in the UK-Setting up a business in London



Setting up a business in a city like London requires careful planning because there are numerous factors to be taken into consideration. The initial stage would be to clearly identify the service or product you intend to offer to consumers. Identifying a target market should be done against the backdrop of the start-up capital for your business. At this stage, it’s imperative to conduct both qualitative and quantitative market research to determine whether there is a potential market for the services or products you intend to offer; and to also have an understanding of how those already offering identical or similar product operate. Selecting a suitable location for your business is also of primordial importance, because certain venues are more conducive to certain business than others.
Drafting a business plan for your business is also an important stage for your operation, for this would allow you to clearly outline the financial, staff, structural and technical needs for your business.
It would also be necessary for you to determine the economic status of your business; for instance, if you operate as a sole proprietor, then you would shoulder the entire responsibility for your business, but also be the sole beneficiary of its yields. Other options include private company limited, business partnership etc. Whatever type of business you go for, it would be required of you to register your business with the taxation department and to obtain all relevant paperwork and authorisation where applicable.
If you intend to employ some staff members for you business, then you need to have a considerable understanding of the employment law, such as minimum wage, staff safety, recruiting, firing, employment contracts etc. You can also identify computer (IT) needs for your business. These are some of the general considerations you need to take into account when aspiring to set up a business in London.

London English Language Schools-Study English in London



It’s now common knowledge that the English language is the most spoken and the most understood language on the planet earth. The international popularity of the English language stems not only from its oratory elegance, simplicity and flexibility of expression, but also from its highly extensive vocabulary, impressive phonetics and wealthy grammar. As an international lingua franca, English has created an unprecedented powerful bridge amongst various cultures, traditions, regions and nations of the world, which where hitherto experiencing a linguistic barrier; and therefore, remained in mutual exclusion of one another. Consequently, English has played and is playing a pivotal role in facilitating mutual understanding amongst nations, regions and cultures of the world; in advancing science and technology, multiplying international trade, enhancing world peace and in the dissemination of knowledge and wisdom across the world. Below are some of the reasons why you should consider studying English:
·        English is a facilitator and catalyst of international trade
·        English is a major linguistic medium for conducting diplomacy
·        English is the foremost language of science and technology
·        Use your computer more effectively
·        Enrich and advance your career
·        Become a world-class businessman or businesswoman
·        Travel to any country and be understood
·        English is the language of international academic delivery
·        Easier to get an international job

The United Kingdom is home to the English language and approximately 600,000 people travel to the UK every year to learn English. It has the best choice of English language courses anywhere in the world; and its qualifications are recognised wherever you go.
London has an excellent range of English language courses to suite each person’s particularities; and delivered with a high level of effectiveness and efficiency. English Language Schools in London have helped many thousands of people improve their English.  

Property in London-Buying a house or other property in London



Usually, two types of property buyers can be identified as follows: Those who intend to acquire property and pay by their own independent means either immediately or on mutually agreed terms; and those who seek a mortgage provider to purchase the property. Generally, most property acquisitions are carried out by means of a mortgage. With respect to the acquisition of property, a mortgage can be defined as: An agreement by which an individual borrows money from a money-lending organisation such as a bank or building society, and consents to the right for that lending organisation to reclaim ownership of the property, should the person subsequently prove unable to repay the loan or fulfill the loan’s general terms and conditions. To buy a house in London, here is the sequence of steps to take:

Step 1:
Determine the means by which to buy the house; either by personal means or through a mortgage. Equally determine the price range of the property you are looking for.
Step 2:
Register with an accredited and professional estate agent and provide your property specifications with regard to cost, form, capacity, location and others. Estate agents usually have access to a vast range of available property.
Step 3:
The estate agent would provide you with property options compatible with your specifications. This phase is usually characterised by constant communication between the estate agent and the potential buyer.
Step 4:
You arrange property viewing with the agent at mutually agreed times.
Step 5:
If you find property that fulfills your specification and you are interested in pursuing the deal, then engage a solicitor well versed in the domain of conveyance.
Step 6:
Make an offer for the property to the estate agent, who tend transmits the message to the owner or seller of the house, both verbally and in writing.
Step 7:
If offer is agreed, the estate agent carries out the relevant paperwork.
Step 8:
For conveyancing, your solicitor liaises with the solicitor of the seller, to align all matters pertaining to the deal.
Step 9:
Survey and mortgage offer:
A survey of the property will be booked by a surveyor on behalf of the mortgage lender, to identify any structural problems and advise on the property's value.
Step 10:
Exchange of contracts occurs between the buying party and the selling party.
Step 11:
Deal is complete when buyer must have received the full amount of the price of the property.

Thursday 21 March 2013

Other protection policies in London and the UK- income protection insurance, critical illness insurance, accident, sickness and unemployment insurance



Income protection insurance plan
Income protection policies provide an income that starts after a deferred period of your choice, should you be unable to work, due to sickness or injury. Once the income protection policy is accepted by the insurer, the premiums cannot be increased or claims refused, regardless of the number of legitimate claims.

Income protection insurance premiums
Income protection premium rates are based on occupation, age, health, level of cover, term, deferred period, gender and smoking status. Some insurance companies have introduced reviewable premiums that increase depending on the overall claims experience.
There are many different types of income protection policies available. Great care must be taken over examination of the circumstances in which the insurance companies will pay out.
If as a result of sickness or injury you cannot carry on your normal line of work, the insurer may not admit the claim, unless you are incapable of performing any paid employment.

Sickness and accident insurance plans
These plans are general insurance products offered on an annual basis.
This implies that an insurer has the right to refuse to renew or can increase premiums in the event of a change of circumstances or adverse claims experience. A personal accident and sickness insurance policy will offer a lump sum benefit during an accident, in the event of: death, loss of limbs, irrevocable loss of sight in one or both eyes, permanent total disablement.
Generally, the benefits from a personal accident and sickness insurance policy are not taxable; therefore lump sum benefits are paid tax free.

Private Medical Insurance Plan
Private medical insurance policies pay for the cost of medical treatment, regardless of whether the policyholder is an in-patient or out-patient, and provided they require health care.

There are many different types of private medical insurance policies available. Some private medical insurance policies will provide cash payment if NHS treatment is received. The cost is based on age, the number of family members requiring cover and the hospital band required.

Hospital bands depend on the area and facilities available: for example, central London hospitals are the most highly graded.

Premiums are reviewed annually and increase with age and overall claims experience.
Many private medical insurers do not seek medical evidence on new applicants. They simply impose a moratorium that they will not cover any treatment arising from a pre-existing condition for a certain time period.
Generally, the benefits from a private medical insurance policy are not taxable.

Insurance London-Life insurance and protection policies in London and the UK



Life insurance and other protection policies are designed to protect you and your family against the possible occurrence of unforeseeable mishaps or from the inevitability of certain life’s natural events.
Types of life insurance include term assurance, whole of life assurance, income protection insurance, critical illness insurance, accident, sickness and unemployment insurance.
The type of life insurance or protection policy and amount of cover would vary from person to person. It may largely be dependent on an individual's particular circumstances and requirements; such as age, dependants, level of  income, financial liabilities etc.

Term assurance provides cover for a fixed term, with the sum assured payable only on death. Term assurance premiums are based primarily on the age and health of the life assured, the sum assured and the policy term. The older the life assured or the longer the policy term, the higher the premium.

The principal type of life insurance most commonly in use at current is unit-linked whole of life, which offers a variable mix between investment content and life cover.

Whole of life assurance premiums is a scenario whereby the initial premium is usually fixed for 10 years and is generally reviewed at that point to see whether the growth of the investment fund is sufficient to maintain the same premium level. It is possible that the premium may have to increase, or sum assured reduce, at that point. Product types available for whole of life assurance include the following: with profits whole of life; unit linked whole of life; low cost whole of life; universal whole of life and non-profit whole of life. 

With-profits whole of life assurance.
This type of policy guarantees to pay the sum assured on the death of the life assured at any time. The policyholder pays an extra premium to allow participation in the “with profits” fund, which works on a traditional “with profits” basis, in that the sum assured is increased annually by the addition of a bonus – called a reversionary bonus.

Unit linked whole of life assurance.
With this type of policy, the ‘mix’ between life cover and investment is decided at the outset. Each monthly premium is used to buy units in a selected fund at an offer price.
Then every month, the insurer calculates the cost of the life assurance for the next month only, and deducts this charge by ‘cancelling’ just enough of the policyholder’s accumulated units to pay for the cover.
 In this way, the policy grows in value as the number of units held in the policy accumulate and (hopefully), the value of each unit also increases.

Universal whole of life assurance.
This type of policy is a unit linked whole of life plan with further options. As well as cancelling units to buy life cover, they can be cancelled to buy components such as: permanent health insurance, critical illness insurance, personal accidents benefits, and hospital system benefits.

Building and Contents insurance in London



Building and content insurance appear under the banner of home insurance. While contents insurance makes reference to a cover of damages or loss that might occur to one’s personal possessions that are contained but unattached to a particular building or structure, building insurance covers any damages or loss that might occur to the building or house itself, which stem purely from unforeseen circumstances. Both contents and building insurance can be applied separately, but numerous home owners deem it appropriate to obtain these two types of insurance as a blended package.

Buildings insurance:
This insurance provides indemnity to your house in the event of a disaster, whereby your house is severely damaged to the extent that it requires to be entirely rebuilt. The factor which gave rise to the damage must have been completely beyond your control; for example, storm or flood damage, a major fire, smoke or explosions, water leakage/burst pipes, subsidence, or third party vandalism or damage etc. Mortgage providers will insist that you take out this cover, to enable them recover their losses in such events. It is like a type of security or collateral for the loan that they have given to you.

Contents insurance:
This covers all items in your house which do not constitute part of the property itself; for example, furniture, jewellery, appliances and clothing. Most of the available contents insurance policies will even cover aspects like the contents of your refrigerator and freezer! The cheapest type in this category is indemnity insurance. This cover would normally restore exactly what was there before. So, if you claim for a washing machine that was already three years old, you will be given a replacement washing machine that is three years old. The more expensive "new for old" option will give you a brand new replacement of whatever gets damaged or stolen. Contents insurance will cover you in most of the same situations as buildings insurance, but also includes theft. Again, any of these perils must have been beyond your control.

The Importance of contents and building insurance:
Some mortgage suppliers will make this type of insurance compulsory when you take out a mortgage with them, to cover their loan. Otherwise, this insurance is highly recommended, to protect you against unforeseen circumstances. Virtually every home in the country would have this type of insurance just for that reason; and it would ultimately be extremely costly, if you abstain from taking this type of insurance.

Unlimited cover ensures that you secure compensation for damages to your house or content arising from events including: storm, floods, fire, lightening or explosions, fallen trees or branches, subsidence, drag or landslip, breakage of glass or sanitary fittings, damage from escaped water or oil, shock caused to the house by animals, vehicles or aircraft etc. There is a range of optional extras that you can include to your insurance package, but at an additional cost. You can best discourse this with your insurance provider.

Motor Insurance in London



Car insurance can be regarded as an act, measure or provision that offers protection, be it financial or otherwise; in the event where an undesirable event occurs with the car, such as accident, theft, fire etc. Each time your car is driven on a public road by either you or someone else, there is always potential risk of damage to your car, to yourself and to third parties and their property. In London and the UK, car insurance is mandatory for all car owners. Under the UK’s Road Traffic act, it is an offence to drive a car on a public road without insurance. 

The three types of car insurance in the UK are as follows:

·        Third Party Only (TPO) - (the minimum car insurance required by UK law)

·        Third Party Fire and Theft Car Insurance

·        Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance


Third Party Only (TPO) - (the minimum car insurance required by UK law)

Third Party only insurance covers the policyholder against the cost of damage to a third party's property or to the third party themselves.
This implies that if you crash into another car, a wall or if someone is injured by your car, the insurance policy will pay out for everything except damage to yourself or your property. It basically covers damage to anything or anyone effected by your car, except you. The insurance company will not pay out if your car is damaged, stolen or catches fire, nor will the insurance company pay for any of your medical expenses.

Third Party Fire and Theft Car Insurance

This is the same as third party only insurance, with the additional cover against your car catching fire or being stolen. Depending on the vehicle, this can be substantially more expensive than TPO.

Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance

A fully Comprehensive car insurance policy will offer the same protection as above, in addition to damage to your own car and or passengers, even if the accident or incident is your fault. Most Fully Comprehensive Insurance also offer additional cover for your belongings, windscreen cover, medical expenses etc. When comparing car insurance quotes, it is highly recommended that you look at the insurance policy (Certificate of Motor Insurance), and compare the cover being offered.
Remember that Comprehensive Insurance doesn't provide insurance cover for everything. The BIBA (British Insurance Broker Association) has suggested that a good comprehensive policy should provide six key protections as follows:
·        Cover for your spouse - as a 'named driver'. This shouldn't add to the cost
·        Third Party Repair - Pays for the cost of repairing someone else’ scar
·        Third Party Replacement - Pays for the cost of replacing someone else's car whilst theirs is being repaired following damage you've caused.
·        Damage to your car - Covers the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle
·        Third party liability - Pays for the cost of repairing someone else's property (including caravans and trailers) if you damage it. It also covers injuries to passengers and any others involved in an accident.
·        Green Card - In addition, you can expect assistance to making motoring abroad easier. If you travel to continental Europe, you can ask your car insurance company to issue an international certificate of motor insurance, or 'Green Card'. This could simplify dealing with the authorities if you're in an accident.

There are numerous other components that can be added to this particular insurance policy. It’s just a matter of stating your preferences to the car insurance company.