Continuing with our Stretched series, today we look at the cost of insurance - covering car, home, travel and life insurance.
Mark Whelan, Communications Manager with Bonkers.ie, says that there are quite a lot of policies to consider: "Prices have been generally coming down, but people have been paying more than they have to because a lot of people let their banks make the decisions."
Jonathan Hehir of Coverinaclick.ie gave his advice on getting the best deal when it comes to home insurance: "We'd encourage everyone to shop around and get the best value for money."
"You should insure your building for what the rebuilding costs will be. You should always go with those figures rather than the sale price."
Michael Kilcoyne, Deputy Chairman of the Consumer Association of Ireland, spoke about the high cost of motor insurance in particular: "I believe there isn't real competition in the marketplace. That's probably why insurance rates are so high. In theory you should be able to purchase cover from anywhere in the European Union, but that's not the case."
Returning emigrants are just some of the people facing these high costs.
"These are people who were forced to emigrate, and since coming back they are experiencing really severe difficulties, even with opening a bank account," Michael said. "Every place is looking for proof of address. They're treated as if they never existed."
