Insurance is one of those things that's invisible when it's working and catastrophic when it isn't. A home insurance policy that lapses quietly. A life insurance policy where nobody knows the policy number when they need it. A renewal that auto-renews onto a significantly worse deal because nobody noticed.
SimpliHome's insurance section keeps all your policies in one visible, manageable place — with renewal reminders so nothing expires without your awareness.
Note: Vehicle insurance is tracked within each car record in the Cars section. The Insurance section here covers all other policies — home, contents, life, health, travel, pet, and more.
#Types of Insurance You Can Track
SimpliHome handles all common household insurance types:
| Type | Examples | |------|---------| | Home & Contents | Buildings insurance, contents insurance, combined home insurance | | Life Insurance | Term life, whole of life, family income benefit | | Critical Illness | Critical illness cover, income protection | | Health | Private medical insurance, dental plans | | Travel | Annual travel insurance, single trip | | Pet | Dog, cat, multiple pets | | Income Protection | Accident, sickness and unemployment | | Landlord | Buy-to-let buildings, landlord liability | | Other | Any policy not listed above |
#Adding an Insurance Policy
Go to Insurance in the navigation.
- Click Add Policy
- Fill in the policy details:
Essential details:
- Insurance type — select from the list above
- Provider — the insurance company (search or add new)
- Policy number — your reference with the insurer
- Renewal date — when the policy expires or auto-renews
- Annual premium — what you pay per year
Optional but useful:
- Linked to — associate the policy with a specific house, car, or household member
- Cover amount — the insured value or sum assured
- Excess — the policy excess amount
- Notes — anything else relevant (exclusions to remember, broker contact, etc.)
- Click Save
#Linking Policies to Properties and People
Some insurance policies are directly tied to an asset or person.
Link to a house: Home and contents policies should be linked to the relevant property. This means when you view a property record, you can see all associated policies.
Link to a household member: Life insurance, critical illness, and health insurance are personal policies. Link them to the relevant Circle member so their full financial protection picture is visible.
Link to a vehicle: Vehicle-specific insurance (gap insurance, driving abroad extension) can be linked here. Standard comprehensive car insurance lives in the car record itself.
#Renewal Alerts
The most important function of the insurance section is keeping you informed about upcoming renewals.
SimpliHome sends email reminders before any policy renewal date:
- 6 weeks before — time to shop around for a better deal
- 2 weeks before — time to take action if you haven't
- 1 week before — urgent reminder
This window matters because:
- Comparing quotes takes time
- Switching providers requires notice periods
- The best new-customer deals require you to actively switch rather than auto-renew
Configure reminder timing in Settings → Notifications.
#Why Auto-Renewals Are Dangerous
Most insurance policies auto-renew at the insurer's current rate — which is almost always higher than what you'd pay if you shopped around. Loyal customers are typically the worst-served.
SimpliHome's renewal alerts ensure you make an active decision each year rather than passively accepting the renewal quote.
#Uploading Policy Documents
Store your insurance documents within each policy record.
What to upload:
- Policy schedule — the document showing your policy details, cover level, and exclusions
- Certificate of insurance — proof of cover (important for car, travel, and employer requirements)
- Insurance card — the wallet-sized card for motor or health insurance
To upload:
- Open the policy record
- Click the Documents tab
- Click Upload and select the file
Having policy documents digitally stored means:
- Claims are easier — you have all the information immediately accessible
- You can prove coverage if challenged
- Documents are accessible from your phone when you need them away from home
#Policy Notes
Each insurance policy has a notes field for any information that doesn't fit the structured fields:
- Specific exclusions you need to remember ("extreme sports not covered")
- Broker details if you used a broker
- Claims history reference numbers
- How to contact the insurer for claims vs. general enquiries
- Whether the policy is joint or sole name
#The Insurance Overview
Go to Insurance to see all your policies in one view, sortable by:
- Renewal date — see what's coming up soonest
- Type — see all home, all life, all health policies together
- Annual cost — understand your total insurance spend
This overview is the first place to look when reviewing your household's financial commitments — it shows the complete picture of what you're protected against and what you're paying for that protection.
#Reviewing Your Coverage Annually
A good household insurance review once a year asks:
Have circumstances changed?
- New car? Check car insurance is updated.
- Major renovation? Check home insurance sum insured is still adequate.
- New baby? Review life insurance cover levels.
- Changed jobs? Check income protection still applies.
Is the cover still right?
- Are sum insured amounts realistic for current replacement costs?
- Has the rebuild cost of your home increased with inflation?
- Do you still need travel insurance? Pet insurance? Income protection?
Are you getting value?
- Compare renewal quotes to the market
- Check aggregator sites (Compare the Market, Go Compare, MoneySupermarket)
- Call your current insurer if the renewal quote is significantly higher — they often match competitor quotes to retain customers
SimpliHome's renewal alerts give you the time window to do this review properly, rather than rushing a decision at the last minute.
#Tips for Insurance Management
Add every policy, not just the big ones. A lapsed pet insurance policy when the dog needs emergency surgery is as financially painful as any other lapse. Track everything.
Set the renewal date accurately. The reminder system only works if the date is correct. Double-check against your latest renewal notice.
Store the policy number prominently. In a claim situation, you need it immediately. Make sure it's in the SimpliHome record.
Review the excess when you add a policy. A policy with a £500 excess is different to one with a £100 excess for the same premium. Note this — it affects whether claiming makes sense for smaller incidents.