subject: Are your digital files covered under your home insurance? [print this page] Are your digital files covered under your home insurance?
The importance of home insurance has been highlighted recently in a number of studies looking at the value of various possessions in UK houses that are currently without cover. Whether its electrical items, computers or hi-fi equipment, policyholders would be well advised to make sure they have all of their home entertainment equipment listed. But as technology progresses, another area has emerged that these same consumers need to keep in mind. With the popularity of broadband internet services having grown considerably over the past few years, more people have fitted their home with the latest web-enabled equipment. This has meant adequate contents insurance has had to take things like laptops, desktops and netbooks into account, as these are now a regular feature in living rooms and bedrooms up and down the country. But downloadable content such as music and video files are also now widely purchased by the public - which could make the possibility of losing your gadgets to a theft or fire even more heartbreaking.
Attention was drawn to this earlier in the year when a study revealed Brits have purchased approximately 1.3 billion worth of digital music files using the internet. With sites like iTunes and Amazon offering easy access to these types of audio options, some have already suggested this is rapidly becoming the standard alternative to CDs and DVDs. Now, with downloadable movies and TV shows available in much the same way, it is not unusual for people to build a very valuable collection of media files locked away on their hard drive. For example, the report showed 36 per cent of the adult population in the UK now owns downloaded music and almost one million consumers estimate these add up to a value of well over 250. It was suggested that as downloads have proven to be so popular in recent years, people should reconsider the details of their home contents insurance in order to reflect items they have purchased from the likes of Amazon and iTunes. For these consumers, it might also be useful to make sure they back-up any collection they have built as an extra precaution.
Of course, there are additional benefits available on many of insurance packages available that may prove tempting in light of all of the above. Certain policies will feature extras like cashback when you combine buildings and contents insurance in one, while others will allow you to compare a number of features and select the one that works best for your requirements. You may also want to consider the benefits of choosing a policy that provides unlimited cover on valuables up to a certain amount. This can be particularly useful if you find yourself splashing out further down the line on a new home cinema system, for example, as your product may not need to change.
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