Consumers need to be more assertive

At this time of the year, many people renew insurance policies.

Most of us want to ensure that the big-ticket items in our lives are properly covered for another 12 months. Everything from sailing boats to standard or miniature poodles, anything from fancy golf clubs to combine harvesters are routinely, almost automatically, insured for another year when the relevant renewal notice drops through the letterbox.

A little later in the year, many people, though not the 60,000-plus people who cancelled health insurance over the last year, will sign up to one or another health cover provider. This safety net has already become very expensive but it will be even more so in the not too distant future — some premiums are expected to rise by around 20%.