In-Touch with Keystone : January 2020
Welcome to the January issue of “In-Touch with Keystone”
I hope you and your family enjoyed the Christmas break and have had an excellent start to the New Year. With children just heading back to school, it finally feels like 2020 is properly underway.
The start of a new decade is a perfect time to take a look at your insurance to see if it still fits your needs. Get in touch if you'd like to review your existing cover and make sure it protects the things that are important to you now.
Please take a few minutes to enjoy this newsletter, and we will be ‘In-Touch’ again in a couple of months.
Do you need a will?
Many people underestimate
the value of having a will, assuming that if they pass away, their assets will automatically go to their next-of-kin. That's true, but as this NZ Herald article illustrates, it can take many months - even years - for an estate to be settled without a will, leaving loved ones to make ends meet while they wait for frozen assets to become available.
If you don't yet have a will or your existing one hasn't been reviewed for some time, then you might want to consider taking action this year to organise one. I can assist by putting you in touch with some wonderful, reasonably-priced estate advisers.
Check out this short video which contains more information on wills.
What is an enduring Power of Attorney?
An enduring Power of Attorney is a document that allows someone to sign legal forms on your behalf, even if you are mentally or physically incapacitated. An enduring Power of Attorney is particularly useful if you are seriously injured, and your family needs to claim on your medical or trauma cover to help pay for your treatment. This video explains how an enduring Power of Attorney can help when you need to make a claim but can't sign the documents yourself.
Review your house insurance in 2020
There's one New Year's resolution that I recommend people make (and keep) every year - reviewing their house insurance. As the cost of building new houses soars, so does the cost of replacing your home if you suffer a total loss. Your old sum insured may no longer be sufficient to return your house to the same size or standard that it is today.
If you don't wish to go to the expense of engaging a valuer or surveyor, you can use the Cordell Homebuild Calculator to estimate the cost of rebuilding your home. Simply enter your street address, and the calculator will use council information about your property to generate an estimate for your sum insured, including demolition and legal costs. Next, check all the elements listed to ensure they are correct and amend any that are not - then you're done.
Click here to use the Cordell Homebuild Calculator
When choosing your house insurance, it's important to remember that the cheapest product isn't always the best. There is a wide variation of cover in provider policy wordings and usually, the lower the premium, the lower the overall protection. Another point to remember is the value an adviser (advocate) can bring to the mix, should you need to make a claim. I have assisted clients to successfully challenge situations where an insurer has declined their claim.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your house (and contents) insurance options.
Recipe of the Month
Try this delicious, fluffy, low-carb recipe for afternoon tea or in lunchboxes. It's free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar and nuts, so it's great for those with food sensitivities.
Click here for Luke Hines' low-carb banana and blueberry bread
New Zealand health awarness events
Awareness is the key to disease prevention and an important factor in raising money for research into major conditions. If you're keen to improve your wellbeing or participate in a good cause, here are some health-focused events coming up over the next couple of months.
February is usually the hottest month of the year, which means lots of time outdoors in the sun. Make sure you cover up, wear sunscreen and sunglasses, and try to keep out of the sun during the part of the day when the UV rays are strongest. Sunsmart has a great webpage that tells you the hours during which you need sun protection each day.
March is Kidney Health Month, encouraging the early detection of kidney disease to promote better outcomes. Head over to Kidney Health New Zealand to find out how you can get your kidneys checked.
It's World Sleep Day on March 13th. This international event was created to raise awareness of the adverse effects of sleep deprivation and the role it plays in many health issues.
March 20th is World Oral Health Day. Take the pledge to look after your mouth! More information is available at the World Oral Health Day website.
March is also Hearing Awareness Month, and the National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing is challenging people to Take 30 For Hearing Loss. Register to participate with a group of friends or workmates and step into the shoes of someone who is deaf or hard of hearing for 30 minutes.
Thanks for reading
It's been a pleasure to bring you this edition of our regular newsletter. If any of your details or circumstances have changed lately, get in touch so we can make sure you're still adequately covered. Enjoy the rest of the summer, and we'll be back soon with the next issue of In-Touch.