Insurance – a student’s best friend

Starting a new year at Uni can be daunting. Then there’s finding insurance for precious items such as your car, your laptop, your ipod, not to mention your health. This can be a lot to think about as students find their way around campus.
In the event of a sudden or unexpected disaster, insurance is your best friend.  It could be that your dorm room or flat is burgled; an accident writes off your car; or you have a major health scare. If you have up to date insurance it will enable you to recover from the setback.
State Insurance is helping students cover all bases as the academic year starts.
“Students around the country are living away from home for the first time, and probably haven’t realised that they need contents insurance.  It’s not something most students think about, but it can save a lot of money and stress down the line”, says State’s National Sales and Support Manager Mike Tully.

“Likewise, students may be covered by their parents’ medical policy, but only to a certain age, so it is worth looking into your own health insurance”, says Mr Tully.

Most students rent but not a lot are aware that they could be responsible for the cost of any damages they cause to their flat. State Contents insurance offers protection if there is accidental damage to the landlord’s property, which includes costs up to $1,000,000.
State also offers package discounts when customers take out both car and contents policies. As part of the Fly Buys program, customers collect one Fly Buys point for every $20 of paid premium.
State offers a range of products to protect students from the unexpected. From car and contents and insurance, to health and travel policies, State provides comprehensive cover and great ways to save, with contents policies from as little as $3.50 a week.
For first-time car owners, Third party car insurance is a must. To make it easier to insure your wheels, you can purchase car insurance with State online.
To view the range of State policies, visit www.state.co.nz. or call 0800 80 24 24 to talk through your options.

Tips for protecting your belongings:

• Keep important papers such as receipts and other documents so you can show your ownership.
• Photograph unusual and valuable items.
• Keep a written record of your valuables and collections (such as CD’s) and store a copy of that list away from your flat.
• Record the serial numbers of things like stereos, TV’s, digital cameras, computers and other electronic equipment.
• Keep heaters away from curtains or other items that could catch fire, and install detectors.
• Use power-surge protection devices to protect expensive electrical items like computers.