Indigenous factsheet: Insurance
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ONLINE TEXT VERSION - November 2017
What is insurance?
Insurance helps pay for your expenses or replace property when
things go wrong. You make regular payments for insurance, so if
something happens you can make a claim for some money.
Types of insurance
There are many different types of insurance:
- Car insurance - different types of insurance
cover your car for theft or accidents and can also cover you if
your car hits people or damages someone else's property
- Contents insurance - covers the cost to
replace or fix the things in your home like your TV if it is stolen
or damaged
- Home insurance - building insurance for home
owners that covers the cost of replacing your home if it is
damaged
- Life or funeral insurance - pays a set amount
of money when you pass away
- Health insurance - covers some of your medical
costs if you are sick or injured
Insurance is not savings so:
- You don't get the money back.
- If you stop paying, the policy ends and you don't get a refund
of the money you have paid so far.
- Over time, you may end up paying more than you will receive
from any claim.
Tip: Check what's covered
You can only claim on your insurance if the event that happens
is covered in your insurance policy. You should check what is
covered and what is not.
Case study: Danny needed insurance
Danny decided not to get insurance when he bought a secondhand
car. A month later, Danny had a car accident. Because it was his
fault, it cost him $3,000 to pay the owner of the other car for the
damage and $1,000 to fix his own vehicle.
Danny had to get a loan to pay off the damage and was left with
no car to drive while his car was getting fixed. If Danny had car
insurance, he could have claimed the cost of repairs to both
cars.
Some insurance terms
- Premiums - the price your insurance company
charges for your insurance.
- Claim - when you ask your insurance company to
pay for something covered by your insurance.
- Exclusions - events or property that are not
covered by your insurance.
Getting help
See a free financial counsellor before you sign a credit
document. They can also help you sort out your debts. Call 1800 007
007.
ASIC Indigenous Helpline: 1300 365 957 ASIC Infoline: 1300 300
630
Last updated: 03 Jan 2018