5 key questions to ask your insurance broker

In a world where it can be really easy to deal directly with your insurer, brokers still play an incredibly important role. Working with a broker can help to ensure that your car, home, and everything in it, are correctly covered for your unique needs and risks – and that you don’t have to be involved when it comes to claims.

But, says Wynand van Vuuren, client experience partner at King Price Insurance, even with a broker at your side, the responsibility for ensuring that you understand the cover you’re signing up for lies with you.

Here are Van Vuuren’s five key questions that you should ask your broker:

What cover do I need for my unique risks? Everyone wants different things from their insurance, and making the right choices can accommodate your needs, risks, and budget. Some choices can even save you money every month. For example, golfers sometimes pay a steep premium to cover their clubs, but having comprehensive car insurance from King Price means that they can protect their clubs for just R1. And, if you live in a secure complex or estate, where the risk of theft is usually lower, you can opt for ‘fire and fury’ cover, which takes theft out of the equation when determining your monthly premium.

What’s covered… And what isn’t? It’s critical to ask your broker what you will and won’t be covered for, and this includes whether the car insurance you’re considering covers you against loss and damage due to accidents, as well as theft and hi-jacking. Some options don’t, and this can mean you’ll end up covering costs out of your own pocket after an incident.

Who’s the ‘regular driver’, and what are ‘excess’ and ‘under-insurance’? The regular driver is just that: The person who drives an insured car most regularly during any monthly period. Excess is the first amount payable on a claim, and you have to pay it. Under-insurance is what happens when your buildings and home contents aren’t covered for their full replacement value at today’s prices. Making incorrect disclosures and decisions here can lead to claims only being paid out proportionately, or not at all.

Are there any ‘conditions of cover’? If you’re insuring a second-hand car, you’ll need to have it inspected. This is called a condition of cover. Similarly, certain security precautions may be a condition of cover. It’s critical to know what all these conditions are, and to do everything your insurer asks you to do.

How are claims handled? While most insurers have fine-tuned their processes to make claims as easy as possible for their clients, having a broker to sort out all the details can boost your peace of mind.

“At King Price, we’re committed to making sure that all our clients can choose the best cover for their needs, at our best possible price. We also work hard every day to deliver royal service with a smile, and that’s why we’re equally happy to work with clients directly, as well as with their brokers,” says Van Vuuren.

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– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) September 10, 2025