FEATURE ARTICLE
There's no place like home
TIPS & ADVICE
A guide to protecting personal property
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Oak Associates: Welcome Furoshiki
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Personal Property Coverage
EXPAT TIPS
Going Abroad Moving Considerations
ON A GOOD NOTE
A word from our clients
|||| Feature Article
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME by Yan Bui
Global insurance guidelines for international transferees
Whether you’re moving overseas, or you’re helping your transferees with their move, securing international insurance coverage for personal property is paramount. The article below offers guidelines when choosing the insurance coverage that is right for you.
Your international transferee just called, ecstatic about the job she’s landed in Budapest. Her excitement is evident as she talks to you about the new home she’s rented, the new people she’ll meet, and her new life there. You can hear the anxiousness in her voice as she begins to ponder what parts of her life she’ll take with her, and what she will leave behind. Her clothes. Her furniture. Her car. Her children. Her pets. Her collectibles. She starts to ask you for your advice on what she should and should not bring (well, the children perhaps are a must).
For many of your transferees, moving globally can be at once an exciting and frightening experience. But it doesn’t have to be. For one thing, your transferee can take a lot of the comforts of home with her. She can bring her comfortable sofa that saw her through the end of The Wizard of Oz. Or her vast collection of literary works (because really, she’ll want to read that Hemingway novel once more). And that special doll she always took with her when she was away from home. You can help relieve some of her anxiety by making sure everything she brings will be properly covered by insurance, just in case, because, well, accidents sometimes happen.
In the haste of the move, some soon-to-be expatriates forget to secure proper international insurance coverage for their valuables and personal property before their journey abroad. With so many different policies and coverage, it’s easy to get confused and discouraged. The reality is, informing your customers about global insurance packages for their belongings (both property and auto) can be simple and straightforward. Here are some guidelines:
Customization
Everyone has different and unique needs, and your transferee’s needs may differ vastly from fellow expatriates. When choosing a global insurance company, advise your transferee to make sure that they will custom-tailor their products and services to suit her distinctive requirements. Your transferee should also make sure she gets the policy that’s right for her and that will cover her personal items against theft, loss and damage.
Global coverage
Most policies do not offer global coverage. If they do not, your transferee should begin to investigate other insurance carriers or brokers who specialize in global coverage. In addition, your transferee will want to ensure that her valuables will be protected while they are in transit and at their new home. Advise your transferee to make sure the global insurance carrier provides in-transit and at-residence coverage.
Local coverage
Many countries require that your transferee purchase insurance coverage from a local carrier. However, as coverage varies throughout the world, many local policies may offer limited coverage and may not properly protect goods against all types of damages. In such cases, additional insurance can be purchased from a global insurance carrier or broker, which will complement your transferee’s existing coverage and further protect her against damages overseas. Advise your transferee to consult with her preferred global insurance provider to determine the level of coverage she may require.
Experience
Your transferee and her valuables are too precious to entrust to just anyone. Advise your transferee to investigate her insurance company and ask critical questions: How long have they been in business? Have there been any complaints about this company? Do they pay claims in a timely and expedient manner? Your transferee has enough worries already, this policy should reduce her anxiety, not increase it.
Complete solutions
Your transferee might discover that she will need more than one insurance policy. Advise her to choose a global insurance provider that will offer her the most complete insurance package. Some global insurance providers can meet all of your transferee’s insurance needs, reducing the need to deal with multiple carriers. This will save her time and money by consolidating all of her policies into one package, rather than having coverage with multiple companies.
Although there’s no place like home, these helpful tips should guide you and your transferee in choosing a complete insurance solution. During her stay, your transferee will rest easier knowing her valuables, sofa, collectibles and even her doll are properly protected. And you have just added another valuable service to your relocation portfolio.
Reprinted with permission of The International Relocation Associates (TIRA), from the July 2004 issue of Exchange.
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Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Personal Property
It’s not easy packing up your life and moving to a foreign country. The task of deciding what comforts of home are needed to dispel feelings of homesickness can be difficult. Ensure that all of your valuable belongings arrive to your new residence safely and stay protected once you’re settled. Here are some tips and advice to help with your international move:
Packing
Decide on how much of your personal belongings (clothes, furniture, valuables, etc.) you want to take with you. The amount of property you decide to take will depend on how long you intend to stay at a foreign post.
Make a list, check it twice
Make an inventory checklist of what you pack and keep track of the boxes you ship. Doing so will help you quickly determine what is missing and what is accounted for when you arrive at your new residence.
Storage
For the items you will leave behind, it is recommended that you put your property in commercial storage. If possible, store your items in a climate-controlled unit to prevent damage. Also consider purchasing insurance for your goods in storage to ensure you are properly protected in the unfortunate event of a loss.
Moving
Find a reputable mover to ship and deliver your belongings to your new residence. Investigate the companies beforehand to ensure peace of mind. Consider purchasing insurance from a trusted international insurance provider to ensure your goods in transit are properly protected against being lost, stolen, or damaged.
Get insurance
Secure international insurance coverage prior to your move. It’s advisable to purchase transit insurance prior to the move to ensure that your belongings are protected during the move. Also, it is best to secure international insurance for your new residence prior to the move. Doing so will ensure one less worry and one less hassle once you arrive in your new home.
To prevent gaps in coverage, it is strongly recommended that you secure international insurance before you leave. It will ensure that you are properly protected from the moment you leave your current residence to your new home overseas.
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Welcome Furoshiki/Oak Associates
Welcome Furoshiki is a unique, free community service that has welcomed thousands of newcomers and families to Japan for over 22 years. Named after a traditional Japanese cloth that is used to wrap bundles and gifts, the distinctive blue and white Furoshiki contains maps, earthquake preparedness information, newspapers, medical and church information, plus a variety of flyers (gifts and samples) provided by our sponsors, all free of charge. The package is hand-delivered to the newcomer by a trained and friendly Welcome Furoshiki representative, who provides a warm welcome to Japan.
Welcome Furoshiki was started in 1983 by Charlotte Kennedy Takahashi, the president and founder of Oak Associates K.K. Established in 1981, Oak Associates is one of the first foreign owned entrepreneurial companies in Japan. Over the years, Oak has grown from a start-up into a mature, successful Executive Search and Human Resources consulting firm, knowledgeable about the market and human resource issues in Japan. Oak’s knowledge and experience has been mobilized to benefit the business of over 1200 foreign capitalized client firms and has contributed to the internationalization of numerous Japanese organizations.
In 2001, Oak expanded to the US, Europe and Asia, allowing the company to leverage its core competencies and international business experience to provide clients with consistent quality of services across markets. OakBridge, incorporated in the US, mirrors the ownership of Oak Associates. Oak Associates and OakBridge provide services in Executive and Senior Specialist Search, Human Resources Consulting and Outsourcing, Corporate Training and Development, Professional Development and Executive Coaching and Orientation and Relocation.
To learn more about Oak Associates and OakBridge, please visit their website from the links below:
www.oakassociates.co.jp
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Protecting Personal Property Abroad
Moving to a foreign country can be a daunting task. Make sure you choose the right insurance coverage for your new home and your personal belongings. You should also determine which of your belongings should be listed under Unscheduled or Scheduled coverage.
Unscheduled Coverage
Protects most every day items such as clothing, furniture, books, televisions, sports equipment, etc.
Scheduled Coverage
Protects more valuable items such as jewelry, fine arts, silver, home computers, etc. Both Unscheduled and Scheduled Coverage offer “all risks” coverage.
Before your move, you can choose an insurance plan that protects your property during the move and while it is at your new destination. Already at your destination? For those who have already arrived and unpacked, there is also the option of protecting your property at destination only. Clements offers both options to those moving abroad.
Contact your dedicated Clements International Representative at +1(202) 872-0060 or info@clements.com to determine if Plan 1 (Transit and Destination Coverage) or Plan 2 (Destination only Coverage) is right for you. Or click here to learn more about the different plans and rates
Going Abroad Moving Considerations by Joshua Wood, ExpatExchange.com
It's often not easy to decide what to take with you and what to leave at home. In fact, what one expatriate will kick themselves for forgetting, another will curse themselves for carting it across the globe. We've outlined some decisions you'll have to make below.
One often discussed topic is a real heavyweight... books! In some parts of the world, it is often impossible, or very expensive, to obtain books, magazines or newspapers written in English. However, it can be equally expensive to ship all of your favorites to your new destination.
Electronics and appliances - Many people ship their electronics (stereo, television, computer, etc.) without realizing that it might need an adaptor, plug or a transformer kit due to differing electrical standards in the new country. Some will be worth it, especially if it is very expensive. Simply put, if you have a $5000 stereo, then a $250 kit to adapt it will make more sense than buying another stereo at the same cost. However, if you can live with buying a $500 stereo while you're overseas, it makes sense when you consider the cost of the kit and shipping fees for your existing $5000 system.
Household appliances are another matter. If you're moving to Europe for instance, most countries won't have that big washer and dryer that you so adore at what most would consider an affordable price. But what would it cost if an American decided to ship them overseas? And once again, what will it cost to adapt them to the new electrical standard? Some do buy and ship them if they are already are going to have an entire container of household items shipped anyway.
To look up the voltages of your new country, go to: http://kropla.com/electric2.htm.
What you should do, even if you are completely trying to reinvent yourself, is make sure you bring a part of your old life with you. It's a good bet that you'll be doing some serious soul searching while you adapt to your new life, and you might often find yourself wondering, "what was so bad about my old life after all?" Having just enough of your old life around you - pictures, knick-knacks, music that reminds you of home - will be a nice reminder of your old life when you need a taste of what used to be.
Another issue is a mail forwarding service. These providers ensure that you receive your mail and packages in a timely, cost-effective fashion. You'll need to do research about your specific destination before you'll be able to evaluate whether or not you'll require this type of service.
For more information on this article or on the author, please visit www.expatexchange.com
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Here is what our clients have to say...
Dear Clements,
Thank you very much for the expeditious handling of our claim. You can be sure that news about service travels fast in the foreign service and attaché communities.
Warmest Regards,
Attaché
Prague, Czech Republic
Dear Clements,
Thank you for your e-mail and yes, I received all the paperwork in a very timely manner and I have to say that Clements has been a great company to deal with.
I have already sent a customer compliment to my account executive for his incredible customer service - he truly exceeded my expectations with his professional manner, efficiency and empathy (knocked my socks off!). He understood the pressure I was under and took immediate action to assist and support me.
I am very impressed with Clements products and services and am therefore very happy to pass this information with a high recommendation for any of our people needing insurance...
Regards,
Communications Manager
Berkshire, England
Dear Clements,
I would like to draw to your attention the actions of my commercial account executive. I contacted him concerning my daughter's illness which prevented her from being able to attend the first semester of college... From the start I could tell that this was a man willing to listen and try and understand what I had done, who I contacted, and then acted on what he said he would do. He didn't promise anything except to look into and find out answers to my problems. This he did, and did in a very professional manner and in a timely manner.
In all honesty, my wife and I have both been very impressed with Clements International and your insurance partners. Service has most always been fair, fast, and handled in a professional way. While we expect this type of service, I feel Clements went "the extra mile" in digging out the answers, calling back and getting my daughters insurance re-instated in a very fast and timely manner.
Just as a side note, many (most all) the teachers at my school also have wonderful words for Clements International and the Scholars program. Please pass along my many thanks to Clements International and especially my account executive.
Sincerely,
School Administrator
United Arab Emirates
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