Whenever you are thinking about buying insurance, whether from a local insurance broker or online, these are some of the questions you are likely to be asking yourself:

• exactly what kind and level of insurance is required – whether it is for your home, let property, motor insurance, caravan insurance or business insurance;

• closely related to what you might need is the question of whether and where is available the insurance to cover that requirement; and

• having decided the cover you need and the products that might be available, how do you go about arranging it.

Just three logical steps may appear to make it a very simple and straight forward issue. In practice, however, the complexity and margin for potentially very expensive error may be surprisingly wide.

The pitfalls

You may have a pretty good idea of what you want insurance to cover – but is it possible to be sure that you have covered every angle and not overlooked some vital risk or peril?

Even if you have that certainty, do you know the insurance market so thoroughly that you are able to identify the products that best fit your particular needs and circumstances?

You may have identified your needs and found a suitable policy, but where is the best place to buy it?

The local broker

The professionals with the expertise and experience to answer these questions are likely to be close to hand – your local broker.

One of the professional bodies representing local brokers and helping to maintain the high standards of the industry is the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), whose website has a handy search facility for finding your local broker. If you live in Kent or any of the surrounding counties, for instance, you can find us at our local GSI Insurance offices in Whitstable.

A local broker is well placed not only to thoroughly understand your particular needs and requirements, but also has a knowledge of the way these might be affected by local circumstances. As the Citizens Advice Bureau recommends, a broker may be in the best position to advise you about the policy you might need.

A broker is able to do this thanks to the intimate and extensive knowledge of the insurance market, enabling him or her to scour every corner in order to come up with a solution that may be tailored precisely to your particular needs and circumstances.

Expert help and knowledge

To do this, a local broker employs an entirely personal touch to identifying your needs, providing quotes on the most likely solutions and arranging the cover upon which you decide. If anything subsequently goes wrong and you need to make a claim, the broker is also there to help smooth the way in negotiating a settlement that is full and fair.

With a local broker you are dealing only with real people on a personal basis and avoiding the frustrating anonymity of agents in a call centre – you get straight through to the lines dedicated to your local office.

You may also find that  a local insurance broker rewards your business with special deals, too. Check out our current offers page to see our latest deals.