Depending on your religion if you're asked about Christmas words such as "Jesus", "Santa", "Turkey" or "Queens Speech" may spring to mind. Asked which words you think of when asked about Insurance may well produce a few others! So what do Christmas and Insurance really have in common?

1. Although many people may wish Christmas occurred more often as we all know it happens just the once a year. Much like most insurance policies with their annual renewal date. Indeed the first line of the famous Christmas song "12 days of Christmas" could be perfect for the Insurance industry as the first principle of Insurance is that of Indemnity (that is if you suffer a loss you will put back in the same financial position you were in before you suffered the loss).

How very different the song would have been if our dear friend the Partridge in the pear tree was instead replaced with:

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me the principle of indemnity.

Whilst the principle of indemnity is one of the best things about insurance not everyone would appreciate receiving it from their loved one.

2. Does the following story sound familiar? You're sat around the Christmas tree on Christmas morning looking at all the presents Santa has left behind. You're hoping that the rather large box with your name on it contains the latest (play station, IPOD, perfume, brew your own beet kit in hours or whatever gift you were longing for) only for you to rip it apart and find inside a (cake baked by your aunt, a box of cheap aftershave, jumper knitted by your Gran with the only 2 colours of wool she had left - pink and yellow - or whatever gift you didn't want).

If this does indeed sound like a familiar Christmas tale in your household then for some people insurance can sometimes throw up the same feeling. You may have taken out an insurance policy and expected it to cover you in the event of a loss occurring only to find out (too late) that it doesn't. So what can you do when it comes to insurance to try and prevent this? Well that leads us to number 3.

3. Your research will be rewarded. Remember all those hints that your wife/husband/children have dropped in the days, weeks and months leading up to Christmas about the present they would really like? Well if you've been paying attention and have made notes in the run up to Christmas and have actually gone to the trouble of buying people what they want then there's every chance you'll have a very merry Christmas.

So then do your research at Christmas and have a jolly good time. Do you research with your insurance and you can:

Find an insurance broker who specialises in the type of risk you want coveringGet discounts for placing more than one type of insurance with themGet risk management advice aimed at reducing your exposure to risk and your insurance premiumMake sure you get the right cover - this means finding the right insurance broker, working with them, listening to their expert advice and deciding on what cover you need

And hopefully if you do suffer a loss you'll have all the cover you need to make sure indemnity kicks in and you're put back in the same financial position as you were in before the loss was suffered.

4. And finally when it comes to Christmas and Insurance Father Christmas has a beard and so do many people in the insurance industry!

Have a Happy Christmas and make sure you, your business and your loved ones get the protection and peace of mind they deserve.