Does your bank provide your home insurance, and is it competitive? John Hearne says now may be a good time to shop around.A cost comparison exercise indicates in compelling terms that taking your mortgage provider’s home insurance product without first shopping around is a bad idea. The research, carried out by brokers insuremyhouse.ie finds that some banks are giving quotes up to 90% higher than other rates available in the market. Jonathan Hehir is MD of insuremyhouse.ie. He explains that the broker took four typical home insurance cases and compared prices offered by the main banks with those available in the wider marketplace.“The price differences are huge,” states Hehir. “In more than one case, the bank quoted a premium that was 90% dearer than the cheapest quote on the market.“In monetary terms, we could see that one homeowner could be paying €178 more a year than their neighbour for the same home insurance — depending on who they take … [Read more...] about Banks failing to deliver home insurance value
Life insurance awareness month
100,000 parents sign petition demanding Government’s 15 hours of free childcare to start at nine months rather than age three
MORE than 106,000 parents have signed a petition calling for the Government to provide free childcare when kids turn nine months. Currently, the Government offers at least 15 hours of free childcare for 38 weeks of the year for all three and four-year-olds in England. Working parents who earn at least the national minimum or living wage for 16 hours a week but less than £100,000 each may also qualify for an extra 15 hours a week on top. Some two-year-olds can also get free childcare if their parents are on certain benefits, such as income support or Universal Credit, and they have a combined income of £15,400 a year - or less - after tax. But this new petition asks for the Government to reduce the age on its current free childcare policy to nine months, which is when statutory maternity pay ends and parents typically have to go back to work. Harley Cuthbert, who started the petition, writes that working families are "struggling" to meet the burden of childcare and says that … [Read more...] about 100,000 parents sign petition demanding Government’s 15 hours of free childcare to start at nine months rather than age three
‘You think you’re invincible, one moment changed my life’
'You're in the darkest of moments. You think is anything worth it any more? Is this worth going and playing rugby, is this worth continuing?' Alex Rieder had just received the injury news of his nightmares. Home alone, 24 hours after his comeback from a five-month period on the sidelines following shoulder surgery lasted just just six minutes against Exeter Chiefs, he waited the phone to ring. "I remember being just at home, on my own," he said, reflecting on the call from Wasps head physio Ali James, armed with MRI scan results. "He said it was the worst injury we've seen. Your heart sinks."The damage was jaw-dropping. "My lateral corner, that's your LCL, was torn, my hamstring tendon was torn, my popliteus was torn, my meniscus had tears in it. My ACL was torn and my PCL had a grade two tear, my MCL is a grade two. Then there's the fact it popped out, there could be some nerve damage." I was there in February 2018 to witness Rieder's comeback and a chill descended upon … [Read more...] about ‘You think you’re invincible, one moment changed my life’
Convicted murderers didn’t know about Jason Corbett’s life insurance policy, family claim
Tom and Molly Martens, the father and daughter convicted of killing Irishman Jason Corbett in the US, did not know about a life insurance policy Mr Corbett had until after his death, their family claim. Jason Corbett, 39, was found with fatal head injuries at the home he shared in the US with his second wife, Molly Martens Corbett in Walburg, North Carolina on August 2, 2015. Ms Martens Corbett, 34, and her father Tom, 68, a retired FBI agent, were convicted of the second-degree murder of the father of two at his home at Panther Creek, North Carolina 19 months ago. Jack and Sarah, Mr Corbett’s children were in the family home at the time their father was murdered. The Martens pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed self-defence was the reason behind their deadly actions. Mr Martens has agreed to pay €160,000 to settle a wrongful death action taken in the US by Mr Corbett’s estate. The proceeds will go to Mr Corbett's two children, who are being raised by his … [Read more...] about Convicted murderers didn’t know about Jason Corbett’s life insurance policy, family claim
‘I’ve loved my life
As far as Alex Pandolfo is concerned, there is nothing more uplifting than choosing how to end life on your own terms. The 64-year-old has travelled the world, won a scholarship to Oxford, spent decades fighting for the working man as a trade union activist and seen his beloved Manchester City lift a Premier League title. Not bad for a kid from Miles Platting who got kicked out of school at 14. He would happily have a few more decades if it were possible, but the fact is that won't happen. Alex has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The most common type of dementia, it remains incurable and a life-limiting condition. When he was diagnosed, Alex was told he could expect another five to six years. He has now lived four of them. His symptoms are not yet severe, but have already had a significant impact on his quality of life. He now struggles to read and write coherently, to keep track of time and conversations. Crucially, he can't drive, making it more difficult to travel from his home in … [Read more...] about ‘I’ve loved my life