Hi °C | Lo °C It must be the approach of St Valentine's Day. Irish Life has gone utterly bonkers. The insurance company is giving away free life cover to the value of €25,000 for a year to 20,000 parents aged 55 or less who have a kid aged 13 or younger. The offer is limited to the first 20,000 parents who log on to www.irishlife.ie or else go through their broker or financial adviser. Fill your boots. Meanwhile, we're comparing the cost of €25,000 worth of term life cover for a 55-year-old male non-smoker over the next 20 years.
Best: Lowcommission.ie (Friends First) €13.13 per month
Saving: €80.64 per year
contact: www.lowcommission.ie or 0818 300 388
Non State-owned banks & demand accounts
After the excitement of 'prom night' and the deal on the bank debt, things are looking a bit brighter. (And that may have even been a snowdrop in the garden.) Perhaps it's time to take your money from under the mattress and lob it into a bank? Interest rates are still pretty sucky but beggars can't be choosers, or something. For the grand old sum of €50,000 over a year. Despite everything that has happened, we still don't want to give the banks our money for a fixed term, so we're comparing demand accounts.
Best: KBC 3 per cent
Avoid: Investec 0.25 per cent
Saving: Up to €1,625 in interest
contact: www.kbc.ie or 1800 51 52 53
A gazillion TV stations
Just how lardy would you become if you had up to 108 telly stations plus Sky Movies and Sky Sports? You might end up featuring in one of those Living channel documentaries about people who are so big that they actually live on their sofa. Well, it's all ahead of you... if you want. Sky has 108 stations versus UPC's 106 on this bumper package. Sky is also offering a cheapo deal for online customers, that'll bring this price down.
Best: UPC Select Extra plus Sky Sports/Movies €76.71 a month
Avoid: Sky Entertainment Extra plus Movies/Sky Sports €79
Saving: €27.48 per year
contact: www.upc.ie or 1890 940 624
Car cover with cashback
How about getting a big lump of cash back from your car insurer... assuming you're not a complete eejit. There's the potential of getting €300 back after three months from FBD's nononsense.ie under a brand new wheeze called Smartdriver. For a 20-year-old male driving a €6,000 valued 2005 VW Golf 1.4. Comprehensive cover and the all important breakdown assistance. Fiendishly clever stuff.
Best: Nononsense.ie €1254.01 (potential for 30 per cent back)
Avoid: Liberty €1882.95
Saving: €628.95
contact: www.nononsense.ie or 1890 25 27 37
Apartment insurance
There's a vicious price war going on for the custom of apartment owners looking for insurance. Yay! Why pay three times as much just because the insurer's HQ is in a shiny office block? Check if the building is covered under your tenant or management agreement, in which case you'll only need contents cover. Apartment contents insurance of €60,000 for a 2 bed apartment in Galway City for two 28-year-olds. No claims. Excess €250. No accidental damage.
Best: Chrome Insurance €99
Avoid: Zurich €410
Saving: €311
contact: www.chromeinsurance.ie or 1890 247 663
Irish Independent
