Personal insurance covers things like cars, homes, buildings, their contents, holidays and specialist covers for antiques, garden furniture and ornaments, jewellery, pets, personal accidents, private health, and small boats and yachts.

The vast majority of personal insurance policies are taken out for cars, the family home, pets, holidays and treasured possessions. Whilst many people use online comparison sites, others see the merit in using an independent insurance broker who often has wider covers at more competitive premiums.

Personal lines insurance for private individuals typically include:

-  Protection for your house - buildings cover
-  Protection for your house contents - furniture, clothes carpets, possessions
-  Protection for your private motor cars
-  Protection for your garden furniture, bicycles, outside equipment
-  Protection whilst on holiday abroad - death, injury, sickness, cancellations, theft
-  Protection against personal accidents and injuries
-  Protection against the cost of private health treatments
-  Protection for your small boat or yacht
-  Protection for the health of your pet or pets

Wide range of policies and insurers
There is a wide range of policies and underwriting insurers offering their services to the personal insurance market and each likes to place emphasis on different policy elements to focus more or less attention and financial cover on the risk being insured. It is often best to call or visit a qualified insurance broker, like the ones listed in this directory, to explain which policies and insurers are the most suitable and have the mosts competitive prices.

Within each insurance risk type there is a range of policies, each with their own strengths. If you can select a policy that is strong on the elements that are most important to you, it follows that you will be better insured; you might even save money.