During the next few weeks, drawers and cupboards in homes up and down the country will be filled with expensive Christmas gifts, and burglars know it! Jewellery can make up a large portion of Christmas gifts and will be most attractive to thieves, being both valuable, portability and sellable. If you’re buying an expensive Christmas gift that you would like to keep a surprise from a special person, don’t keep it a surprise from your insurance broker! Levels of additional cover over the Christmas period will vary from one insurer to the next, so you should read your policy documents carefully to know exactly what you’re covered for. If you throw out any branded boxes the gifts came in, break them down as much as possible, otherwise you’re advertising the contents of your home to potential burglars! If you’re lucky enough to receive a particularly valuable Christmas present this year, it might be worth a quick call to your insurance…

Employee wages represent a significant expense for most businesses, and can become a major cause of underinsurance in the event of a loss. When calculating gross profit sum insured, businesses need to decide whether or not to subtract employee wages – and if so, to what extent. Getting it wrong could have a substantial bearing on the adequacy of that business’s gross profit sum insured. Tackling wage roll misunderstandings When calculating gross profit, accountants will usually subtract employee wages to arrive at a final figure. However, for insurance purposes, the significance of wage roll needs to be determined before deciding whether or not to subtract it. This difference in approach is a regular source of underinsurance. Where does wage roll fit in? Depending on the nature of your customer’s business, a proportion of their wage roll might constitute an uninsured working expense (UWE). By declaring a UWE, you are stating that those wages will not continue following a loss, and…

Fires represent one of the greatest threats to tenants and properties, but fire doors can play a pivotal role in minimising losses. There are on average 162 building fires in the UK every day, with 80% occurring in residential properties. Fire doors, if fitted correctly, are a vital safety feature in buildings as they help to prevent the rapid spread of fire and are a legal requirement in a significant proportion of residential properties. However, they are not always used to best effect. Here, we look at some common challenges and explain what you can do to help improve fire safety in properties. Fire door failures are surprisingly common Figures from the London Fire and Rescue Service suggest that in around a dozen fires each year in the capital, there are significant failures due to fire doors having been replaced, left open or fitted incorrectly. Common fire door faults can include: Wedging open of self-closing doors Damage to, or removal of, self-closing devices (typically over-head closers)…

Whether you own properties in Scotland or England and Wales, you should be aware of new energy performance regulations that are coming into force, firstly in Scotland in September, and then in England and Wales in 2018. Energy performance regulations in Scotland Scotland’s new energy performance regulations, known as Section 63, came into force on 1 September 2016. The changes require property owners to produce an Action Plan for Carbon and Energy Performance (ACEP) at the point of marketing a non-domestic building for sale or let, outlining the measures the new owner should take to improve its energy performance. The required works could vary significantly from property to property, but may include changes to lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Energy performance regulations in England and Wales In England and Wales, landlords will need to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), which require a building to achieve at least an ‘E’ Energy Performance Certificate rating. Lack of awareness There will…

Property Owners insurance is designed to protect you as an owner of a property whether it be a Commercial or Residential let. It is to safeguard your assets and protect your investment. Ashleigh Mackay and Associates pride themselves in having many years’ experience in this field. Cover is generally on an “All Risks” basis so this will include Accidental Damage as well as the usual risks of Fire, or Water Damage. Major catastrophes, such as serious fire damage to your property would be covered for any rebuild or refurbishment required, so you would need to insure the rebuild cost of your property adequately to cater for this. Your Legal liability for claims made against you as owner of the property is also included for usual indemnity limit of £2,000,000. You would also be insured for your loss of rent in the event of the property becoming uninhabitable due to a fire or serious water damage, where the tenant would have…

“My needs within the field we operate are very specific and it’s encouraging to deal with a broker who works with our ever changing business model throughout the year “ “ Well, they say you never know the value of insurance until you’ve made a claim. The process couldn’t have been made simpler and I cannot thank Ashleigh Mackay enough for essentially getting our business back on its feet. “ “ I hadn’t changed broker for many years and I am so pleased I took up your offer of a free review. Honestly I can’t say thank you enough – a) for getting the covers right but b) for reducing my premium over the course of the past year. “ “ Thank you! I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Ashleigh Mackay to any of the businesses we work with.” “ The reason I deal with Ashleigh Mackay is because when I need an answer to something I can just pick up…