Tag Archives: policies

Miscellaneous

The Little Things

Leave a comment

So Enda Kenny recently tweeted “Twitter, it’s been a while… but it’s time to talk about the #littlethings“. Little Things, in case you don’t know, is the motto for the latest mental health PR campaign to hit Ireland and is run by the HSE. Ya know, the same organisation which manages our healthcare system.

So, Ireland and mental health. Yeah, we don’t even like saying mental health here, let alone do we like to talk about the issues surrounding it. It’s taboo, it’s worse than talking about anything else in the country. Mental Health issues? Nah, next topic please! The problems with these campaigns are that they never stick it out. The posters are left up for a while, the tweets flow for a little bit and the buzz words do the rounds on Kildare Street. We need a long term strategy to help the nation. We need to make our kids know that it’s ok to talk. That it’s ok to cry. That it’s ok to not feel strong all the time. Above all else we need to let them know that a permanent solution to a short term problem is not the answer.

What’s harder to ignore than mental health issues are the consequences of just presuming someone will be grand and ignoring the figures. For a moment I want you to think about how many funerals you’ve been to that were caused by suicides.

7. That’s how many I can recall right now. 7 funerals that were wholly avoidable if someone had just talked, or perhaps, if there was less of a stigma behind saying that you need help. 7 funerals. There were whispers at each one, whispers met with glances which clearly meant we don’t talk about that sort of thing. I heard an interview on the radio years ago and it has stuck with me ever since. A lady lost someone to suicide and she said something which has stuck with me ever since. As long as we keep whispering suicide we’ll still be dealing with suicide. As long as we keep denying that suicide exists we’ll still be dealing with suicide.

I am of the opinion that we are not a mental health friendly country. It’s all fine and well to show the public face on these things. It’s great, it definitely makes it look like we’re doing something. But are we making it more acceptable to stand up and say I need help? No, I don’t think so. We’re all supposed to grin and bear it and have our problems on our own. After all, we don’t want to make someone uncomfortable, do we?

It’s an unfortunate situation and it’s a high pressure one. For me the strain is starting to show. I’m getting married in less than a week, I’ll have my first baby in less than 5 weeks and I don’t have a steady income at the moment. It’s not that I don’t want to work, I have looked and applied and I have been rejected countless times. It’s killing the confidence, to be honest. So much so that I have a serious amount of doubt in myself at the moment. I find myself thinking;

Did I just waste all those years in college? What was the point in getting the masters? Why bother applying, you don’t have the experience, they won’t want you! It would probably be better if I wasn’t here!

It may sound crazy, but these are thoughts which flow through my head every time  I apply for jobs or even consider applying. These thoughts are made much better when it’s suggested I should just get a job (somehow I don’t think lack of applications is where I’m going wrong here).

I found myself at the recent open day for CarTrawler looking at jobs I was really interested in, but when I got in there I had a panic attack and I could not wait to get out. I put on a nice suit, brought copies of my CV, polished my shoes, had a haircut (Thanks to the lovely Michelle, without whom I would lose my freaking mind altogether) and even cleaned the car. As soon as I got in there I convinced myself I did not belong and thought about nothing but getting out. That was alarming. It felt like the weight of the world was on my chest and I could not breath. This has happened before so luckily I was fairly certain it wasn’t a heart attack. I just stayed in the car for 15 minutes, calmed myself down and kicked myself the entire way home, as you do.

The truth is that I’ve never really stopped kicking myself. It stops when it gets bad and everything just kind of comes to a head. Luckily I have Michelle and my Mother to read me like a book and help me through the rough patches. On the whole though, I’m a stubborn Irish man and I believe that I should be able to just get on with things. I should be strong and silent, but I’m afraid to talk about my mental health, that’s why I stay silent on the matter.

I’m afraid to talk about it because there is still a stigma in Ireland around the whole matter. Depressed? Nah, you’re just feeling down at the moment! Stressed? Nah, probably just a hangover! Suicidal? Sorry, eh, that’s my phone, see ya later!

I don’t know what’s crazier – Admitting I’ve thought about ending it all (I don’t anymore, I couldn’t do that to my wife-to-be or unborn child) or being afraid to ask for help for fear I might be shunned like a leper! 

Why would I be so open about this? Hopefully this might ring a bell with someone and make them feel less alone and less hopeless. Hopefully it will make someone look for The Little Things in their life which make them happy. So what do we need? We need to have a long term view on this. We need to be able to stand up and say “FUCK IT! I’m not alright!”. We need to teach the next generation that it’s ok to talk and that it’s ok not to be strong all the time. It’s ok to let someone else take a bit of the burden.

We need a change in thinking and to destigmatise mental health issues. But overall, we can only do this by changing little things as we go along. It’s easier to move rocks than it is to move mountains. Little steps, little things.

 

Insurance

Get the DL on the AKA’s in Insurance

Leave a comment

Don’t let a 3 letter word throw you for a loop

So you’ve read the blog on how to cut down the costs of your premium, now how about getting to grips with some of the aka’s in the insurance industry?

You’re confident enough now to ring the insurance company yourself; completely sure in the fact that you will get the best deal available, but hang on, what was the last thing they said? In the Insurance Industry there’s a sea of abbreviations and acronyms out there. Enough to make your head spin. We know that insurance can be difficult to grasp sometimes, and that’s why I want to make the whole thing easier for you, the client.

The Most Commonly Used Abbreviations

Your Insurance shouldn’t make life more difficult for you by throwing abbreviations at you, but from time to time you may hear, or see, the following abbreviations in your search for the best quote. Don’t lose faith if an insurer is trying to confuse you with lots of letters, just take a minute and check it out before you either commit or walk away.

  • BA – Breakdown Assist. Often an additional extra. Usually this is included with fully comprehensive polices, but if not you can get it specifically with most insurance policies.
  • CCE – Company Car Experience. If you have been driving nothing but the company car for the last few years then you may have built up some valid ODE (Other Driving Experience) with your company car. This is most useful for those drivers who are now getting their own car and their own policy for the first time. This may afford you a discount with some insurance companies, but not all. Proof of CCE must be provided by your company.
  • CPF – Closed Premium Finance. Some companies won’t issue a policy through Direct Debit Payments, but don’t worry, because Chill Insurance have that sorted for you. CPF will allow you to pay your premium through direct debits, even if the insurance company doesn’t, Chill can organize that for you.
  • DDM – Direct Debit Mandate. This is the form you get which will allow your Direct Debit payments to commence.
  • DMD – Distance Marketing Directive. Before payment is taken for any product you buy the agent on the phone will read the DMD. The DMD outlines your position regarding refunds and the cooling off period. Basically you are entitled to a refund within 14 days if you change your mind about a product or service you have just purchased online.
  • DOC – Drive Other Cars. Commonly referred to as DOC around the office this allows a driver, who meets the specific requirements set in the specific policy, to drive other cars (as long as s/he has the permission of the owner so don’t go taking any old car).
  • DP – Data Protection. This refers to the storage and use of your personal data.
  • Fully Comprehensive. This is the highest level of cover a person can obtain on a private motor insurance policy. If you have a car worth a few quid then get fully comp. It will cost extra, but it’s worth, and you get more items as standard.
  • MTC – Mid Term Cancellation. If you decide to cancel your policy, for whatever reason, during the lifetime of the policy, this is referred to as Mid-term Cancellation. This usually incurs administration and cancellation fees.
  • NCB – No Claims Bonus. This refers to the number of years you have been driving without having to make a claim. You will most often see this in correspondence with an insurance company or broker. Please note that some companies have different definitions of a full NCB. What companies in Ireland need to hear is how many years NCB you have, not points on scale, but years. If you have 4 years, say 4 years etcetera.
  • NCD – No Claims Discount. This is roughly the same as the NCB. Some companies will use the term No Claims Discount and some will use NCB.
  • RTA – Road Traffic Act. The Road Traffic Act (1961) is the act which made Motor Insurance compulsory in the Republic of Ireland. The minimum insurance a person who intends to operate a motor vehicle on public roads needs is Third Party Cover.
  • SOF – Site of License. A copy of your (and any named drivers) licence, simple as.
  • SOF – Statement of Fact. Who you are, where you live, what you drive, any modifications to the car? These are some of things which may be considered statements of fact.
  • TP – Third Party. This is the minimum cover which must be obtained by a qualified person wishing to drive on public roads. It is there to cover any damage which a driver may cause to others through their own fault. Often this is used by first time drivers, however, this will not cover any damage which a driver may accidentally inflict upon their own vehicle.
  • TPFT – Third Party Fire and Theft. This covers third party’s involved in any Road Traffic Incidents (RTI’s) which you may cause. This also covers the theft of your vehicle or damage caused by malicious fires. This policy suits drivers who are gaining experience on their own policy and is often the step up from TP and just before the person is able to get Fully Comprehensive insurance.

Unfortunately this isn’t the full list used in the Insurance Industry, but this is the list that will matter to you, the person looking to get the best deal and the best saving. Remember, when getting your insurance, don’t be afraid to ask questions on anything you don’t understand. The last thing you should have to do is to start your search all over again. Get the best deal and get it the first time.