du Chateau Limited
Kim du Chateau
Insurance advising
Getting your insurance right, before you need it!
The time to find out what your insurance really covers is not at claim time.
Who I help
I work with individuals, families and business owners who want to make sure they have the right insurance in place, without having to navigate the insurance maze themselves. I also work with businesses wanting to look after their people through Group Health Insurance and employee benefits. Whether you’re putting cover in place for the first time, reviewing insurance you’ve had for years, or wondering if you’re still getting good value for what you’re paying, I can help.
The problem I solve
Insurance can be confusing, and most people have better things to do than spend hours trying to understand policy wordings and comparing insurers. I take that hassle away. I work out what you actually need, explain your options in plain English and go to market to find the best fit for you, your family or your business. If you already have insurance, I can look at what you’ve got, what you’re paying for and whether it still makes sense for where you are today. And when it comes time to claim, you don’t have to work through it alone, I’m there to help.
My point of difference
Insurance has been a family business for me for a long time. My father started our business, and today I’m looking after some of the children and families of clients he originally advised. I think that says a lot about the relationships we build and how we look after people. I’ve also been around insurance long enough to know that the cheapest premium isn’t always the best answer. I know the insurers, understand the differences and can go to market to find the right fit for each client. Most importantly, I’m still there after the policy is in place. My clients know they can pick up the phone and call me, especially at claim time, when having someone in your corner really matters.
My niche market
A growing area of my business is working with companies to establish and manage Group Health Insurance schemes for their employees. It’s a great way for businesses to look after their people and provide a benefit that employees genuinely value. I also work extensively with professionals and business owners whose insurance needs can be a little more complex, particularly when it comes to protecting income, business interests and family. And increasingly, I’m helping people who already have insurance but have seen their premiums climb significantly and want to know, “Do I still have the right cover, and what are my options?”
Key benefits
• Advice that is tailored to you, your family or your business • Access to a range of New Zealand’s leading insurers • Clear explanations, without all the insurance jargon • Regular reviews to make sure your cover continues to suit your situation • The ability to go to market and compare options when appropriate • Help navigating underwriting and policy changes • Someone in your corner at claim time • An adviser you can actually pick up the phone and talk to
Problems my clients avoid
• Paying for cover they don’t need, or being underinsured where it really matters • Finding out at claim time that their policy doesn’t work the way they thought it did • Choosing an insurer based on price alone, rather than benefits, policy wording and suitability • Letting existing cover become outdated as life, income, family or business circumstances change • Cancelling valuable existing cover before understanding what they may lose • Trying to navigate different insurers, underwriting requirements and policy options on their own • Going through a claim without someone experienced in their corner
About
Most people don’t get excited about insurance, and I don’t expect them to! But I do want my clients to understand what they have, why they have it, and know it will do what they expect when they need it. I advise on Life, Trauma, Income and Mortgage Protection, Private Health and Business Insurance. I also work with businesses to establish Group Health Insurance schemes, a valuable employee benefit that can help attract, retain and look after their people. I work with a range of New Zealand’s leading insurers, so it’s about finding the right fit for the client, not fitting the client to one insurer. For me, good advice is about more than arranging a policy. It’s asking the right questions, keeping things simple and being there to advocate for my clients at claim time. Insurance might be what I do, but looking after people is really what my business is about.
Products and services
I provide insurance advice across: • Life Insurance • Trauma and Critical Illness Cover • Income and Mortgage Protection • Private Health Insurance • Business Insurance, including Key Person and Shareholder Protection • Group Health Insurance and Employee Benefits Reviewing the cover you already have is just as important as putting new cover in place. Life changes, businesses change and insurance products evolve, so I review existing policies to make sure they still suit your situation and needs. Where appropriate, I can go to market and compare your existing cover with other insurers, looking at benefits, policy quality and cost, not simply who has the cheapest premium. I also help with underwriting, policy changes and, importantly, claims.
Why I am a member
Running your own business can sometimes be a bit of a bubble, so I love being part of a group of women who all do completely different things, and are really good at what they do. For me, one of the best things about NZ Businesswomen is simply the time we spend together. Over time you get to know the women, their businesses and the people behind them. That makes it really easy to refer someone when a client, friend or family member needs help, because you’re recommending someone you actually know and trust. I love the conversations, the laughs, learning about everyone’s businesses and having a group of women who are genuinely happy to see each other do well. Of course business comes from it too, but I think that happens naturally when you spend time with good people and get to know and trust each other.
Skills
- Business insurance
- Health insurance
- Home, contents & vehicle
- Income protection
- Key person & shareholder cover
- Life & trauma cover
An invitation
Can’t remember the last time you looked at your insurance, or your premiums keep going up and you’re wondering what you’re actually paying for? Let’s have a chat. Bring me what you’ve got and we’ll work through it together. If it’s still right for you, great. If it isn’t, we’ll look at your options. Sometimes the best advice is to change nothing at all.