Insurance Brokers for Tradies
Most tradies will need insurance of some sort. Some will need it because it’s mandatory for them, whilst others will want it simply due to the protection it provides.
One of the best sources of information and advice on insurance for tradies is via insurance brokers. But is using an insurance broker a good idea?
In this article we will look at the role the brokers play in trades insurance. We’ll look at the types of insurance they can assist tradies with and whether or not they are worth using.
The Role of the Broker
An insurance broker’s job is to help you to protect yourself and your business through insurance. They do this by assessing your needs and then providing advice and recommendations, then assisting you through the application process.
Many tradesmen don’t want advice and simply want to find the cheapest policy. This is especially common for the basic forms of cover such as public liability insurance. There is no problem with this, and most brokers will be happy to assist.
But if you are using the services of a tradesman insurance broker, you might as well use some of their experience and knowledge to ensure that you are properly covered. They may suggest some additional forms of cover, but you are not obligated to take them.
Types of Trade Insurance
Insurance brokers cannot look after all forms of insurance for tradesmen.
An insurance broker will generally only be licensed to deal in general insurance products, which include public liability, tool insurance and a restricted form of income protection known as accident and illness insurance.
Other forms of insurance such as full income protection, life, TPD and trauma insurance can only be obtained through a financial adviser or direct from an insurance company.
Tradesman Insurance Brokers
Any insurance broker will be able to help a tradie out with quotes and advice on their insurance, however most tradies will agree that the best option is to use a broker who specialises in the trades industry.
By using a specialist tradesman insurance broker you can be confident that you are dealing with someone who knows the trades industry well and who knows which insurance companies and policies are going to suit you best.
With all other things being equal, a specialist trade insurance broker should be better placed to find better value cover for you and your business when compared to a non-specialist broker.
Should You Use A Broker?
Plenty of tradesmen, and many other Aussie blokes for that matter, like to think that they can do things on their own without outside assistance.
This is a great Australian trait, and one that the writer of this article also shares. But when it comes to insurance, you have to ask yourself whether or not it’s worth risking.
Getting your trade insurance wrong can have dramatic consequences. Most tradies who have been through a serious claim would agree that having gotten the right cover through an insurance broker was the best decision they had made.
If you don’t already have a tradesman insurance broker, get in contact with us and we will match you up with a specialist trade insurance broker who will be able to look after you and your business insurance needs.
