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2019 Old Mutual Insure Broker Award Winners

by Jason Jason No Comments

This year has been like no other and to end the year on a positive note, we are delighted to announce that  JVC Insurance Brokers has received 3rd place in Old Mutual Insure’s broker of the year awards for 2019/20.

Although we have celebrated some amazing wins over the years with our other product providers, this award is a special one for us for us all at JVC Insurance Brokers, as it highlights the hard work, dedication and commitment from our staff to our core value of treating our customers fairly, by offering them independent financial advice from a range of different insurers.

We are extremely proud of the fact that our staff and colleagues have been recognised for their exceptional service by one of the largest and oldest insurance companies in South Africa and we will continue to provide the service levels that our clients deserve.

Thank you to Old Mutual and to our clients for their continued support.

Sincerely,

Johan, Volker and Jason

Claims Check List: Business Interruption

by Jason Jason No Comments

Over the past number of months, Business interruption cover is a topic on everyone’s lips. We have been asked “how do I submit a claim for Business interruption?” and “What documents do I need to provide to have a valid claim?”.

It has become evident that delays in business interruption claims being finalised, have been caused by the lack of first time information being provided on the submission of Business Interruption claims.

This has caused Insurers/loss adjusters to call for further information resulting in frustration on the part of both brokers and clients.

Please see below a generic list of requirements that should be obtained in order to enable a speedy resolution to BI claims (this is a generic list and can will adjusted for a client’s specific circumstances):

  1. The Audited Annual Financial Statements, including the detailed Income Statement, in respect of the past 3 financial years (smaller businesses may not be required to have audited financial statements).
  2. The year-to-date detailed Income Statement for the current financial year.
  3. Monthly management accounts (i.e. on a monthly basis) for the prior three financial years, and for the current financial year to date. The monthly management accounts will be required for the current months, as they become available (3 years’ figures are the best way to determine the trend to be applied for the indemnity period, this is most often a point of dispute, hence 3 years is a good sample of historical figures to trend forward).
  4. Current and prior year budgets if not included in the management accounts.
  5. Forecasts prior and current. Prior forecast assists in testing the accuracy of the current forecast.
  6. VAT 201 returns in respect of the last tax year as well as for the current Financial year to date. The VAT returns will be required for the current months, as they become available.
  7. Copy of the current lease agreement, where applicable (required to establish if there is a Turnover Rent clause in place and whether or not the Insured may be entitled to any reductions such as rental savings/variances etc).
  8. Confirmation and substantiation in respect of the retention of staff; and if retained, remuneration agreements; enforced leave; unpaid leave etc; Application and receipt of any Government assistance (TERS / UIF etc.); Any Government financial relief  in addition to b) above; Confirmation of any rental abatement/relief; Interruption period (start to end dates).
  9. Details and substantiation of any steps taken to mitigate the Business Interruption loss.

Although this list is generic, we believe it is vital for all business/commercial policy holders to have sufficient evidence to substantiate a claim.

Business interruption claims are technical and admin intensive, however good house keeping within your business, is key to a claim not only being paid, but also assists in fast tracking the claims process and allows us as your broker to ensure your claims experience is a good one.

For more information regarding your own  insurance policy, please do not hesitate to contact our offices or your broker personally to discuss and explain your cover in more detail.

Disclaimer: The advice contained in this article is for general purposes only and does not consider individual circumstances, objectives, or financial needs. Accordingly, readers are advised to seek appropriate advice from licensed professionals prior to taking up a financial product or service or amending any current policy.

Diamond Broker Of The Year Hat-trick

by Jason Jason No Comments

We have done it AGAIN!

During these unprecedented times, JVC Insurance Brokers proved resilient by claiming Santam Insurance Company’s coveted West Rand and Vaal Triangle, “Diamond Broker Of The Year award of 2019” for the 3rd year in a row and showing once again who the best in the west is!

It is always such an honour to win an award from the largest insurer on the African continent and we could not have done it without the efforts of everyone at JVC as well as the invaluable support we receive from you, our clients and friends.

Although the announcement of this award gives us hope during these unprecedented times, we remain focused on the reality that it is in these times that we will need to stand together and improve – not to win another award – but to ensure that whatever challenges are thrown our way, we are able to provide the service levels our clients are used to and to continue to improve our systems to cater to each of our clients changing needs.

We thank you for your loyalty, support and for the strong relationships we have built over time and we hope to continue building on this success even during this difficult economic climate.

Finally, to each one of our team members, you have all made us very proud and without you we would not be able to serve our clients the way we do.

Once again, thank you,

Volker, Johan and Jason

Policies Explained: Car Hire

by Jason Jason No Comments

If you have ever gone on holiday and hired a vehicle, been in an accident and been given a courtesy vehicle whilst your car is in for repair, or if you’ve written your vehicle off and needed a hired vehicle to get you from point A to B for a short period of time, then you would have most likely, signed a piece of paper detailing the terms and conditions applicable to driving the vehicle.

You would have probably been unaware of the fact that this little piece of paper would also form the basis of your contract with the car rental company and the damages you would be liable for should the vehicle not be returned in the same condition as you received it.

Below is a list of a few things to keep in mind when you receive a rental car from a reputable car rental company but always refer to your own policy terms and conditions:

  1. Delivery and collection fees

This will usually be free of charge during working hours. However, after hours, on weekends and on public holidays, you will most likely pay a minimum collection or delivery fee that is not refundable.

  1. Appointing additional drivers

 

Before adding another driver, it may be wise to not let anyone drive the hired vehicle other than yourself or the nominated driver that you declare to the car rental company. This is because any damage caused to the vehicle whilst an unlisted/undeclared driver is operating the vehicle is completely excluded!! However, if you do decide to appoint or nominate additional drivers, an additional cost will almost always be applicable.

 

  1. One way Drop off fees

 

If the vehicle is dropped off within the specified maximum distance (usually around 150km) then the drop off fee is usually waived. If you require a vehicle dropped off further than that, then you will pay a minimum fee for the drop off. Our advice is to always ask the car rental/hire company what their drop off fee would be according to your specified location – this will just mean that you can prepare accordingly.

 

  1. There is always a car rental deposit

This is often refunded if the vehicle comes back in the same condition as it was given to you. However you will always pay a deposit, usually in the region of R 1 500 – R 2 000, as well as any e-tolls that are for your own account and you will need to pay for full tank of petrol (its best to always fill up prior to the drop off.

  1. Rental Insurance

You can choose what type of cover you want on the vehicle. It is vital to understand what costs you are in for should you be in an accident or if the hired vehicle is stolen. Often you need to select the type of cover when collecting the vehicle. On your insurance policy, car hire includes limited insurance, however if you are renting a car because you are going on holiday etc, then you need to purchase the cover separately. Furthermore, be aware of the excess applicable. These excesses are usually very high – and hidden admin costs you may not be aware of will also be charged.

  1. Don’t speed!

 

Technology is king and driver telematics devices are now installed in most rental vehicles. These devices measure speed, braking, cornering and much more. If you do drive like a cowboy, be aware that the rental insurance noted above will be cancelled and you will be liable for all costs and damages to the vehicle should there be an accident or theft – not to mention the traffic fines and traffic fine admin costs and accident admin costs the rental company will charge you – and these costs are always stated as a minimum and you could be in for a large personal cost.

If you do need car hire, please always check the terms and conditions from the supplier, taking special care to familiarise yourself with the costs and damages that you will be liable for should something happen to the vehicle.

For more information regarding your own  insurance policy, please do not hesitate to contact our offices or your broker personally to discuss and explain your cover in more detail.

Disclaimer: The advice contained in this article is for general purposes only and does not consider individual circumstances, objectives, or financial needs. Accordingly, readers are advised to seek appropriate advice from licensed professionals prior to taking up a financial product or service or amending any current policy.

Policies Explained: General Exceptions

by Jason Jason No Comments

Recently, the media has been tackling the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic not being covered on a typical commercial insurance policy. This issue has created an uproar across the world due to the crippling effect the virus has had on businesses and on the world economy as a whole.

As would be expected, a typical commercial insurance policy has certain items that are specifically not covered at all. All over the world we are seeing wars, terrorism and in the early 2000s, “weapons of mass destruction” was the term used to describe a scary reality of nuclear weapons causing a third world war. We are all living in uncertain times, but the one thing that is certain is the fact that most business insurance policies are very clear on what is covered and what is not covered.

Typical commercial Insurance policies come in two forms – Peril Based policies and All Risk Policies.

In short, the most common policies are peril-based policies and are policies where what is covered is clearly listed in the policy wording and if it is not mentioned in the wording then it is not covered. Each section also has specific exceptions and exclusions listed for those specific sections, but these policies are very clear as to what is covered and what a client could potentially claim for. With reference to the COVID-19 pandemic or any other pandemic for that matter, this is not included in the wording and therefore not covered.

The less common type of business policies are “all risk” policies, these are policies where, unless the wording states that loss or damage relating to a particular section is specifically excluded, the cover is included, however these policies often do not have

Insurance policies have been scrutinized based on the COVID-19 pandemic not being a valid Business interruption claim, but what if we told you that this isn’t the only disaster or major event not covered on your policy?

Forming the basis of every insurance policy wording are the general exceptions, conditions and provisions that will be applicable to each section on the policy document and must always be read in conjunction with the rest of the policy. These general exceptions are most commonly, the following:

  1. War, Riot and Terrorism
  2. Nuclear
  3. Computer Losses

Each of the above can be broken down in detail. However, just from the headings above, a pandemic may just be a small bitter pill to swallow in the bigger scheme of things.

For more information regarding your own commercial insurance policy, please do not hesitate to contact our offices or your broker personally to discuss and explain your cover in more detail.

Disclaimer: The advice contained in this article is for general purposes only and does not consider individual circumstances, objectives, or financial needs. Accordingly, readers are advised to seek appropriate advice from licensed professionals prior to taking up a financial product or service or amending any current policy.

COVID-19 UPDATE – BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR JVC INSURANCE BROKERS

by Jason Jason No Comments

Dear Valued Client and Business Partners,

Since this unprecedented change to all our working and personal lives, we would like to outline what plans we as JVC Insurance Brokers are implementing in order to continue to service you effectively and efficiently during this period of major disruption and uncertainty.

With this crisis constantly changing, we assure you that we will remain focused and determined in continually adapting our processes and procedures internally, for us to provide the best possible service to you.

The below highlights some of the measures we have taken to tackle this pandemic:

The Covid-19 pandemic and JVC staff health and safety:

Like the actions that many organisations are taking, JVC has already implemented or is in the process of implementing the following with all our staff:

  • Minimise all face-to-face meetings with all external parties, including business partners, clients and potential customers, and conducting such meetings via tele-conference and other video conferencing options.
  • Minimise all local travel within the country, all business international travel is on full lock down.
  • Optimising work-from-home and rotational shift schedules for our staff, thus limiting the extent of exposure to our team by encountering each other and in doing so presenting an increased risk to the wider community.
  • In addition, we are stringently following all the other safety measures which are being adopted by global companies i.e. increased office hygiene practices, self-quarantine protocols for any suspected cases, non-attendance and cancellation of any large gatherings, etc.

Keeping our service promise:

  • Our critical front-line client service staff are already equipped with laptop computers as well as the required internet connectivity to continue with their work away from the office (in this case from home)
  • All our front-line client service staff members are contactable on their cell phones and their cell numbers are available below.
  • We can anticipate some level of deterioration in connection speeds due to the potential surge of many South Africans using their private data networks and such networks not being able to manage the bandwidth requirements. Rest assured we will strive to maintain a consistently high level of service.
  • All business units utilise WhatsApp groups to ensure rapid communications amongst themselves and to escalate issues amongst the team in order to sustain business continuity.
  • Our systems and administrative processes are all cloud based and we will be more than capable to assist and service you, should a full office or nationwide lock down be put in place by government and regulatory bodies.
  • All underwriters and business partners that we partner with have also implemented their own crisis management systems and protocols in a similar nature to us and we can assure you that it will be business as usual.

Key personnel contact details

Herewith the CELL-PHONE and EMAIL ADDRESS details of the following key executives, should you for any reason need to escalate an urgent matter that is not being adequately addressed:

Executive Member Cell Phone Number Email Address
Johan Erasmus 082 410 6153 johan@jvcinsurance.co.za
Volker Grunewald 082 410 6152 volker@jvcinsurance.co.za
Jason Mizen 073 383 1142 jason@jvcinsurance.co.za
Ronel Prinsloo 076 421 7728 ronel@jvcinsurance.co.za

Please visit the contact page on our website for a comprehensive list of all key staff in the underwriting and claims areas.

We look forward to emerging from this crisis stronger and more resilient than before. We believe that this event creates an opportunity for us all to work in support of each other and build even stronger relationship bonds for the future.

We wish you strength and good health in this time of trouble.

JVC Insurance Brokers

SANTAM DIAMOND BROKER OF THE YEAR AWARD

by Jason Jason No Comments

Santam has been in the business of insurance good and proper for 101 years and have seen first-hand how the expert advice of their intermediaries transform the lives of policyholders and their businesses.

They celebrate the vital role intermediaries play in delivering insurance good and proper to their clients, and understand that in a rapidly changing world, you need an intermediary that deeply understands a clients’ insurance needs and can guide them through life’s unforeseen challenges.

It is with great pleasure that JVC Insurance Brokers can once again announce our victory for the coveted Diamond Broker of the Year Award for 2018.

The criteria were once again rigorous, and we competed against the Best of the Best when it came to intermediaries in South Africa and came out top.

We are very honoured to include this Award to our other four Diamond Awards and would like to thank our extraordinary team for their hard work, dedication, passion and all their time and effort that has once again gone into winning this prestigious award.

The entire team would also like to thank each one of our clients who have had faith in us for the past 23 years and continue to trust us with their Personal Assets & Businesses.

We will continue to set the standard for innovation & support and believe that this award is once again testament to our skill, vision and dedication to you as our clients.

Save for Your Retirement.

by Jason Jason No Comments

One of the main risks retirees face is outliving their retirement savings. Many of us will live for 30 years beyond retirement age, so we expect our retirement savings to ‘work’ for as long as we have worked. The ideal time to start saving for your retirement is with your first pay cheque. A good rule of thumb to allow you to maintain your lifestyle later on is to save 17% of your salary starting at age 25. If you start later, you will naturally need to save more or consider retiring later.

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