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For anyone responsible for a charities budget you will know how important every penny is. And if part of your job is to make sure your Charity gets value of money on your Charity Insurance, then these tips from the UK Social Welfare Insurance Broker could be just what you need.

It is important to remember that charities, not-for-profit and voluntary organisations could possibly pay less for their charity insurance and liability insurance premiums without having to sacrifice on cover. From registered charities employing hundreds of staff to small charities, community groups and voluntary groups on a much smaller scale, savings could well be made by following these simple but highly effective tips.

And regardless of whether your charity is big or small and regardless of your budgets, if you follow these secrets to cheaper charity insurance there is every chance the amount you pay for your Charity Insurance could be reduced without having to sacrifice on cover, excesses or levels of service and support.

Secret number one when looking for Charity Insurance is to make sure you use an insurance provider who actually understands your needs. Buying a one size fits all insurance policy might well seem at first hand like the best solution but will having an insurance policy that is not designed for the voluntary sector actually give you the cover you need? What charities of all sizes and types need is the protection and peace of mind of knowing your policy gives you cover that protects you, your charity, your volunteers and your donors. Failure to get such a policy could very well mean that in the event of a loss occurring you may not be covered. Therefore make sure you use an insurance company or insurance broker who understands what you need and who understand charity insurance and insurance for the voluntary sector. They should be able to offer you advice and guidance aimed at reducing your exposure to risk which in turn could lead to a reduction in your charity insurance premiums.

And if using a specialist Charity Insurance broker or expert is most likely to result in your charity getting the right insurance cover for less, how can you find a Charity Insurance expert?

Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN have certainly made the job of sourcing charity insurance specialists much easier and a simple search of one of the numerous search engines is likely to product information on a whole host of experts for a wide variety of insurance products and type. You should however be careful to check that the company who is claiming to be specialists in charity insurance really are. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to simply pick up the phone, give them a call and start asking them questions. Asking questions rather than just waiting for them to ask you is a great way to find out what makes them experts and how you can benefit from using them. Questions you might consider asking them include what insurance companies they use, how long have they been trading and providing charity insurance and what experience do they have in providing insurance for the charity and voluntary sector. By doing this and asking questions your chances of finding the right charity insurance broker or provider for your charity is likely to increase at the same time as your charity insurance premiums fall.

Another secret which could help you pay less for your charities insurance is one which very companies, let alone charities, use when shopping around for insurance. Secret number two when it comes to sourcing charity insurance is to therefore be totally honest when you are asked what you are currently paying for your charities insurance. Most people, businesses and charities when asked how much they are paying by an insurance company or insurance broker will not tell them. They believe that by doing so they are somehow unlikely to get the best quote in return. The truth is if you want to get the best quote from a charity insurance provider, your chances of success will increase if they have a premium to work against. This does not mean that you should make up a price but simply when asked the question of what are you currently or what is your best premium, tell them the truth and see what happens.

By following these two simple but highly effective secrets, there is a good chance the price you pay for your charity insurance will reduce. Give it a go and see if it works and make the next year the year your charity saves money on your charity insurance premiumsMark Burdett works for NCi Charity. NCi Charity are Charity Insurance Specialists and for details of their Charity Insurance facilities or to get a charities insurance quote, simply visit the Insurance for Charities Experts

Nothing is more harrowing in life than to be diagnosed with a critical or chronic illness. Matters are made ten times worse when your insurer informs you that they wont pay up on your critical illness policy or private medical insurance for the HIV or cancer you are suffering from.

You are asked to read sub-clause five of paragraph 327 of the small print, which informs you that you are suffering from the wrong type of cancer. Only tumours below the knee are covered and only the first five days of your treatment will be paid for, then its down to you to find the finance.

This scenario may sound absurd, but in spite of brokers and insurers being regulated, this type of practice continues to take place. It has been a slow process to clean up the industry and to ensure consumers get a fair deal.

A short time ago Cancer Backup, a registered charity, highlighted this problem by organising a wide ranging mystery shopping survey, which exposed some disturbing facts about the private medical insurance industry. It found that of all the leading insurers only BUPA provided cover for cancer patients throughout the duration of their illness. Only immediate treatment is covered by the majority of health insurance policies. Treatment or care over a prolonged period, such as hormone replacement or chemotherapy is normally excluded.

Although brokers and insurers want to finance long term cover for policyholders with chronic illnesses, they wont always make it clear to potential customers at the time of signing up what they are covered for.

Although both Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Backup have been in consultation with like minded organisations within the industry to raise the standard of sales practices and make the wording of policy documents clearer, progress has been slow since the report was published two years ago.

Private medical insurance and critical illness cover is normally taken out by people who are comparatively fit and healthy. The last thing that crosses their minds is getting cancer. That is why it is so important to spell out a policys exclusions before they sign up.

A statement of best practice for companies writing and selling medical policies has been updated recently by the Association of British Insurers (ABI,) which is a welcome step in the right direction.

The trade body has now recommended that insurers and providers selling these types of insurance should prepare typical case studies, which explain the circumstances when a policy will or will not be paid. Unfortunately insurers are not obliged to adhere to this code, which is voluntary.

Although the ABIs initiative is to be welcomed, the best way of clarifying a policy is by asking the salesman to explain the small print.

Furthermore, industry jargon is still being used by insurers to confuse the consumer. For example it is wrong to classify cancer as an acute or chronic illness, argues Cancer Backup. However insurers are adamant that it should go in the chronic category. Consumers only hear about this when their claim has been rejected.

Although the ABI have their heart in the right place, the insurers can only be forced to improve their standards by the regulator. Better training of call centre staff, who sell the majority of the policies, is also long overdue

More rigorous sales procedures are needed with jargon being eliminated. Ultimately it falls upon the insurers to ensure that their customers are fully aware of the terms of their policies before they commit themselves.The Life-Insurance-Bureau offers great deals on Life insurance, Loans and other financial products. Visit our site for more info. Our sister site Brokers Online offers cutting edge articles and information about Life Insurance Cover, Life Assurance and other great financial products.