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Life Protection
Added value benefits
Highlighting the everyday value of protection policies – 5 things you should read
With many individuals and households facing rising living costs and a squeeze on their income, there is a risk that valuable protection insurance products are seen by clients as a non-essential cost and therefore they may either forgo the cover entirely or cancel...
How can protection plans help clients manage their mental wellbeing?
This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and intended to raise awareness of the various issues surrounding mental health. The foundation and it’s awareness campaigns aims to promote better prevention and...
Which insurers offer second medical opinion services?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers include access to a second medical opinion service Aside from the life assured, which immediate family members can use the service The value of second medical opinion services through a case study For clients...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
How important is good nutritional health and what relevant benefits do insurers offer?
In reading this article you will understand: The link between poor nutritional health and certain chronic conditions Which insurers include access to nutritional guidance and consultations How those nutritional support services compare This week (14th-20th March)...
Support services the clients spouse, partner or children can access – 5 things you should read
Additional support benefit such as virtual GPs, second medical opinions and physical wellbeing services are a valuable extra included on many protection plans and in some cases, insurers extend access to the client’s spouse, partner or children. With services such as...
Which insurers offer remote gp services and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer GP services to protection clients Apart from the insured, who else can access GP services and any restrictions that apply How many times per annum these services can be used With unprecedented waiting...
Which insurers offer health mots and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers provide access to health MOTs How those insurers differ in the service they offer to clients Who offers the best health MOT benefit As we all know, prevention is better than cure. If risk factors or the early...
Which insurers provide the best estate administration support?
Providing financial help to clients and their families upon death, illness and accident is the main purpose of protection. However, should the worst happen, clients and their loved ones will likely require a whole range of additional help and support at that difficult...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
How different would ‘A Christmas Carol’ be if key characters had insurance?
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous Christmas stories and has been told numerous times on stage, screen and even by the Muppets. Have you ever wondered however, how different the story might have turned out if some of the key characters had...
Guardian unveil neurological support service
Guardian have unveiled a new service designed to help and support clients diagnosed with neurological conditions. Teaming up with occupational therapy specialists Krysalis Consultancy, who have developed ‘Neuro-Logical’, the new service is specifically designed for...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Which insurers provide nutritional support to clients and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers offer nutritional support to clients The details on how these services differ in terms of who can access the service, how, the consultation methods, and the nutritional areas covered Which providers have the...
Which insurers can help with later life social care costs?
Introduction It seems like a lifetime ago that Boris Johnson pledged to fix the social care crisis ‘once and for all’ in his first speech as Prime Minister. That was in July 2019, before Covid-19 had become part of our daily vocabulary and had placed even more...
Protection insurance support benefits – 5 things you should read
With the announcement this week from Legal & General of their new Umbrella Benefits – Fracture Cover and Private Diagnostics – the spotlight is once again on the support benefits included on protection policies. Private Diagnostics is a unique new benefit, that in...
Guardian to provide free virtual gp service to advisers
Support benefits such as GP services, second medical opinions or counselling services are an increasingly integral part of protection plans. Whilst genuinely helping clients to manage their health and access medical support when it is needed, they’re also an important...
Helping clients keep fit – how insurers compare
One of the consequences of the Covid pandemic and lockdown response is that many of us spent more time at home, engaging in far less physical exercise. The changes to working and lifetyle habits that the last 18 months have brought about also mean that many of us are...
Value Added Services – Everything you need to know
In reading this article you will understand: Granular detail about a range of popular Added Value Services that providers offer and how providers compare What products each service is offer on How such services are provided Restrictions that apply Which providers our...
Can added value benefits keep the north pole running?
Over the last couple of years “added value benefits” have become a core component of most protection plans. It seems that every insurer now offers wider benefits that can help consumers stay healthy both in mind and body as well as benefits that can improve recovery...
What to expect from Aviva’s DigiCare+ for individual policyholders
On the 30th September, Aviva launched their new and innovative DigiCare+ benefits package to members of their group income protection and group critical illness schemes. Next week, the much anticipated launch of DigiCare+ for individual protection customers goes live...
buyback options
Which insurers have the best life and critical illness buy-back options?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers allow clients to reinstate cover free of underwriting after a successful claim through buyback option The range of buyback options available and which providers offer what Restrictions that apply in terms of...
Claims
Using claim case studies to save protection policies – 5 things you should read
As individuals and households face an unprecedented squeeze on their income as a result of rising energy prices, tax increases and general price increases, many will be forced to make cutbacks and savings on their monthly expenditure. There is therefore a concern that...
Support Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry, support services and benefits such as second medical opinion services, counselling, virtual GP services etc. have rightly become a core part of plans with use of such services...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
The year’s best claims stats and stories
One of the remarks we heard repeatedly at yesterday’s Protection Review in London, was the need for the industry to do more to share positive claim stories. We’ve seen improvements in recent years in press coverage of protection claims, with more of a focus on...
Zurich’s Claims Stats highlight Fracture cover is not just for active clients
A broken bone or ligament tear can have severe implications on our ability to carry out day to day tasks. It is also something that is not unfamiliar as it is not uncommon to pass someone on the street in a cast (when we could pass people on the street) or see someone...
Supporting the claims process – Everything you need to know
As the pandemic reaches new heights, and we all hunker down for another full lockdown, it’s likely that we’ll see increasing claims in 2021. Whether these continue to be dominated by income protection and life, or an expected increase in critical illness claims will...
What to expect from claims in 2021
In the second edition of our ‘thoughts on 2021’ series, we consider claims. With the pandemic reaching new heights it is likely that the spike we saw in claims in 2020 will continue into 2021, but will these claims continue to be predominately for Income Protection...
Claims… Everything you need to know
Nobody wants to have to make a claim on a life insurance policy, however when a life changing illness or injury happens the reassurance of the financial security they bring can quite literally save a persons life. Our industry is quite rightly proud of the number of...
Going the extra mile – Aviva’s new claims initiatives
At Protection Guru, we are always interested to hear how insurers are going above and beyond what might be reasonably expected of them. In terms of claims, we expect insurers to pay all valid claims, however it is often the little touches that a client may not expect...
Everything you need to know
Protecting clients whilst their application is being underwritten – 5 things you should read
Whilst in an ideal world protection insurance policies could be applied for and placed on risk immediately, unfortunately there are many scenarios where that isn’t possible. This could be down to medical disclosures made by the client that require further evidence, to...
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
Protection insurance for mortgage clients – 4 things you should read
When putting in place a protection plan (or plans) to cover a mortgage there are a number of things to consider. Matching the sum assured and term of the plan to the liability is the simple part, however there may be other considerations for advisers. Will the plan...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
product development, underwriting outlook and adviser wishes for 2022 – 4 things you should read
Our monthly Protection Forum brings together advisers, representatives from insurers and other industry professionals, to provide a platform to discuss and debate important topics. For our final event of 2021 we did things slightly differently and head from a number...
What were advisers talking about on the september and october protection forum – everything you need to know
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. Our September and October events covered a diverse and important range...
Breast and gynaecological cancer awareness – 4 things you should read
September and October marked two important cancer awareness months, with September dedicated to Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month taking place in October. In support of these important causes we published several insights, two...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
WHAT ARE ADVISERS TALKING ABOUT ON PROTECTION FORUM – 7 THINGS YOU SHOULD READ
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. One particularly interesting and timely discussion on our July forum...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
Protection insurance support benefits – 5 things you should read
With the announcement this week from Legal & General of their new Umbrella Benefits – Fracture Cover and Private Diagnostics – the spotlight is once again on the support benefits included on protection policies. Private Diagnostics is a unique new benefit, that in...
What are advisers talking about on protection forum – 6 things you should read
WHAT HAS THE PANDEMIC TAUGHT US ABOUT PROTECTION SALES? MAY PROTECTION FORUM PART 3 This post is recounting the great conversation from the second session of our May Protection Forum, which focused on what the pandemic has taught the industry about protection sales....
Family income benefit
How to calculate non-medical underwriting limits for family income benefit
Family Income Benefit is a sometimes overlooked, but very useful type of life insurance cover. The policy is the same as conventional life insurance except that the benefit is paid out as a regular income rather than a lump sum. For the family of the deceased, the...
non-medical underwriting limits – everything you need to know
As the country gradually eases out of lockdown and the vaccination program continues to progress, Covid related pressure on health services should hopefully start to ease. Some strain on the NHS is however likely to continue, and in this context obtaining medical...
Family income benefit features – Everything you need to know
The world we live in has changed immeasurably over the last 12 months but if there is any positive to take away it is that the pandemic, and especially the furlough scheme, has opened many consumers eyes to the benefits of replacing income when the worst happen. It’s...
When can family income benefit be increased without underwriting?
As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted protecting a clients income is a vital part of any advice process. Whereas income protection will replace lost income due to a clients’ inability to work through ill health, Family income Benefit will replace a family’s lost...
Is converting family income benefit to a lump sum worth it?
We can all make an educated guess about what life has in store for us and work towards certain outcomes, but we never really know how things will pan out – for good or bad - until they happen. Financial planning helps people prepare for life events and achieve their...
Free Cover
What free cover is provided on life insurance applications?
Without adequate protection insurance in place, most individuals and households could face serious financial hardship should the worst happen and they fall ill or pass away. Unfortunately there still persists in the UK a large protection gap, i.e. a gap in the...
What cover is offered in advance of a plan being put in force… everything you need to know
Over the last six months there has been a lot of focus about the length of time it can take to get cover in place, especially when medical underwriting is required. The reasons behind this are numerous and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the debate and desire to...
Guaranteed insurability options
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
What guaranteed increase options do insurers offer on life and critical illness cover?
In reading this article you will understand What Guaranteed Insurability Options (GIOs) are and how they help clients whose circumstances change How providers differ in their approach to GIOs in differing life circumstances The limits and restrictions insurers place...
How can rental clients increase their protection insurance cover?
The UK is experiencing a so-called ‘cost of living crisis’ and many are finding their monthly costs rising considerably, from groceries to utility bills. New research from the ONS suggests that renters are being hit particularly hard, with private rents rising at the...
When can family income benefit be increased without underwriting?
As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted protecting a clients income is a vital part of any advice process. Whereas income protection will replace lost income due to a clients’ inability to work through ill health, Family income Benefit will replace a family’s lost...
Everything you need to know about when cover can be increased without underwriting
When recommending protection to a client, advisers will weigh up many different factors in order to ascertain the right policies and the right level of cover. This will include factors such as current income/expenditure, liabilities and what their family might need if...
What are the important considerations when recommending life and critical illness cover?
In reading this article you will understand What the differences are in the way life and critical illness cover can be structured Which insurers offers standalone critical illness cover What the differences are in how much would be paid based on how a life and...
Are two single life plans better than a joint life plan?
A frequently asked question during my time as an adviser was whether two single life policies are better than a joint life policy. Sometimes that question can come from clients, often unfamiliar with the cost differences and technical aspects of different life plans,...
What are the benefits of Menu Plans?
It is hard to disagree that for most clients their protection needs will not be solved by one product. Mortgage protection will pay off their mortgage in the event of death or critical illness, if included, but how will their family cope without their income? What if...
Insuring Couples – Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: The merits of two single life or joint life plans The benefits of menu plans and how providers offer different approaches How providers support clients when one partner works, or becomes a carer or if the...
Advising on multiple benefits… Everything you need to know
When recommending protection to clients there will often be multiple needs that cover will be required for. Whether this be protecting the clients income against ill health, covering a liability or simply providing their family with financial security in the event of...
Minimum/maximum limits
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
Age limits for life and critical illness cover – how insurers compare
Age restrictions apply to many things that people can buy or do, from buying alcohol to getting married. Most of the time, age limits are focused on minimum ages to prevent young people doing something that they are deemed not mature enough to do responsibly – gamble,...
Life Cover for older clients – who offers what?
In reading this article you will understand The maximum age limits and minimum ages at entry that providers apply to life cover plans The increases to maximum ages LV= have made today and how this benefits clients How providers approaches differ across the age ranges...
Sum assured limits
Terminal Illness
Who provides the best life insurance terminal illness benefit?
Contemplating our own mortality is not something many people want to spend their time thinking about, but when there are family or loved ones dependent on us, or financial liabilities to contend with, it’s important to adequately plan for the worse. Without sufficient...
Underwriting limits
Who has the highest non-medical underwriting limits for life insurance?
Understanding an insurers’ requirements to assess a protection application before submitting the case can make a big difference in ensuring the process is as smooth as possible. Obtaining medical evidence, either because the client has medical disclosures, or because...
Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting GP reports?
In reading this article you will understand When GP reports are automatically requested for IP, CI and Life cover What age basis insurers use for automatic underwriting limits Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting a GPR and who doesn't...
How to calculate non-medical underwriting limits for family income benefit
Family Income Benefit is a sometimes overlooked, but very useful type of life insurance cover. The policy is the same as conventional life insurance except that the benefit is paid out as a regular income rather than a lump sum. For the family of the deceased, the...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
LV= increase life insurance non-medical underwriting limits
In a welcome move that should help improve access to cover and make the application process a little easier, LV= have announced an increase to the non-medical underwriting limits on their Life Insurance products. The new limits will apply to their Flexible Protection...
When is medical evidence automatically requested… Everything you need to know
For most clients, submitting an application where there are no medical or other disclosures will mean that terms are offered pretty quickly. Such clients are usually deemed as relatively low risk and as such medical evidence will not be required. Where the client is...
Waiver of premium
what is waiver of premium on life and critical illness cover and how do insurers compare?
When clients find themselves out of work due to ill health, redundancy or other factors, it’s likely they’ll be forced to review their monthly outgoings and make cutbacks to some of their expenditure. Of course in a perfect world they’ll have some form of income...
Critical illness
Added value benefits
Highlighting the everyday value of protection policies – 5 things you should read
With many individuals and households facing rising living costs and a squeeze on their income, there is a risk that valuable protection insurance products are seen by clients as a non-essential cost and therefore they may either forgo the cover entirely or cancel...
How can protection plans help clients manage their mental wellbeing?
This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and intended to raise awareness of the various issues surrounding mental health. The foundation and it’s awareness campaigns aims to promote better prevention and...
Which insurers offer second medical opinion services?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers include access to a second medical opinion service Aside from the life assured, which immediate family members can use the service The value of second medical opinion services through a case study For clients...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
How important is good nutritional health and what relevant benefits do insurers offer?
In reading this article you will understand: The link between poor nutritional health and certain chronic conditions Which insurers include access to nutritional guidance and consultations How those nutritional support services compare This week (14th-20th March)...
Support services the clients spouse, partner or children can access – 5 things you should read
Additional support benefit such as virtual GPs, second medical opinions and physical wellbeing services are a valuable extra included on many protection plans and in some cases, insurers extend access to the client’s spouse, partner or children. With services such as...
How do British Friendly’s new mutual benefits updates compare?
We’ve had a fairly busy start to the year, with a slew of product updates and announcements from various insurers. As well as changes/improvements to core products (Zurich & Aegon) and completely new products (LV=), one area of focus has been on ‘support...
Which insurers offer remote gp services and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer GP services to protection clients Apart from the insured, who else can access GP services and any restrictions that apply How many times per annum these services can be used With unprecedented waiting...
Which insurers offer fracture cover and how do they compare?
Many insurers now offer a range of additional benefits and support services alongside their core cover, designed to provide clients with either additional help or a further financial safety net if required. One such benefit offered by a few insurers is fracture cover....
Which insurers offer health mots and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers provide access to health MOTs How those insurers differ in the service they offer to clients Who offers the best health MOT benefit As we all know, prevention is better than cure. If risk factors or the early...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
How different would ‘A Christmas Carol’ be if key characters had insurance?
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous Christmas stories and has been told numerous times on stage, screen and even by the Muppets. Have you ever wondered however, how different the story might have turned out if some of the key characters had...
Which income protection plans include carer benefits?
In reading this article you will understand: Which income protection plans include additional benefits for clients who take on care responsibilities Which family members are covered by the carer benefits What amount can be claimed on carer benefits Given the impact...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Which insurers provide nutritional support to clients and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers offer nutritional support to clients The details on how these services differ in terms of who can access the service, how, the consultation methods, and the nutritional areas covered Which providers have the...
Which income protection plans pay a lump sum on death?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer a lump sum death benefit on their income protection plans How each provider calculates the funeral benefits Through examples, how much each provider would pay at different benefit levels Income...
Aviva update Global Treatment and underwriting approach
It is not often at Protection Guru, that when an insurer removes a service from a feature we are positive. However, when that service adds very little and causes a significant delay in a client receiving the benefits, things are slightly different. Today, Aviva have...
Rehab support on income protection plans – how providers compare
The financial support that income protection provides will be a lifeline for many people who become unable to work through illness or injury. However, no policy will replace all of a client’s income in this situation, as people cannot be financially better off by...
Protection insurance support benefits – 5 things you should read
With the announcement this week from Legal & General of their new Umbrella Benefits – Fracture Cover and Private Diagnostics – the spotlight is once again on the support benefits included on protection policies. Private Diagnostics is a unique new benefit, that in...
Guardian to provide free virtual gp service to advisers
Support benefits such as GP services, second medical opinions or counselling services are an increasingly integral part of protection plans. Whilst genuinely helping clients to manage their health and access medical support when it is needed, they’re also an important...
Helping clients keep fit – how insurers compare
One of the consequences of the Covid pandemic and lockdown response is that many of us spent more time at home, engaging in far less physical exercise. The changes to working and lifetyle habits that the last 18 months have brought about also mean that many of us are...
Value Added Services – Everything you need to know
In reading this article you will understand: Granular detail about a range of popular Added Value Services that providers offer and how providers compare What products each service is offer on How such services are provided Restrictions that apply Which providers our...
Can added value benefits keep the north pole running?
Over the last couple of years “added value benefits” have become a core component of most protection plans. It seems that every insurer now offers wider benefits that can help consumers stay healthy both in mind and body as well as benefits that can improve recovery...
What to expect from Aviva’s DigiCare+ for individual policyholders
On the 30th September, Aviva launched their new and innovative DigiCare+ benefits package to members of their group income protection and group critical illness schemes. Next week, the much anticipated launch of DigiCare+ for individual protection customers goes live...
buyback options
Children’s critical illness
Which income protection plans include children’s critical illness cover?
According to some claim statistics from insurers, children’s critical illness cover it’s now one of the top claimed-for conditions, highlighting unfortunately the prevalence of major illnesses in children and the importance of having protection in place. A child being...
Are all children eligible for children’s critical illness cover? How providers compare
In reading this article you will understand Which children are eligible for critical illness cover under the adults’ plan How providers differ in their eligibility criteria Restrictions that apply to some children Children’s critical-illness cover is a difficult issue...
What are the age and payout limits on children’s critical illness cover?
In reading this article you will understand: What the maximum policy cease age is for children's CI across various insurers How providers differ when it comes to covering the child from birth or 30 days old What the maximum payout amount is that each insurer offers...
Hospitalisation and rehabilitation support benefits- 5 things you should read
Whilst any protection insurance policy is ultimately intended to pay the claimant an amount of money if they die, are diagnosed with a major illness or are incapable of working due to sickness, increasingly insurers do so much more than this. At the early stages of an...
Which critical illness plans support parents when their child is hospitalised?
For any parent, witnessing their child suffering in hospital must rank highly among the more stressful times in their entire life. Feelings of helplessness, fear and anxiety will be soaring. The need to focus on the child’s support and care is paramount, leaving...
who helps advisers introduce critical illness cover to young people?
Children outgrow many things their parents provide for them. Everything from clothing with in-built animal ears to child-friendly tablets will eventually be cast aside for something more age appropriate as the years pass. The animal ears become fashionable hoodies...
Do royal london’s recent improvements bring anything new to children’s funeral cover?
The death of a loved one is never easy to cope with, but to lose a child brings unimaginable grief because it goes against the way it ‘should’ be. Parents who have had a good run at life are ‘supposed’ to go before their children and for it to be any other way, before...
Royal London’s Critical Illness improvements – The Full Details
With July continuing to be the month of product launches and updates, Royal London are the latest insurer to unveil a number of product changes. Primarily the changes impact their critical illness cover, with amongst other things, increases made to the payouts for...
Enhanced payments on critical illness cover – 5 things you should read
Protection insurance policies increasingly offer more value beyond the core cover. Whether it’s additional support services, such as virtual GPs or extra payments for life changing illnesses on a critical illness plan, cover can now extend well beyond the main...
Claims Statistics and stories-Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: The stories behind the claims statistics How insurers compare in what support they offer to claimants How you can use claims information in conversation with clients Claiming on a protection insurance policy...
Project Teddy – How aviva have been supporting the children of clients
Having to claim on a critical illness policy must be hard at any time. If the claim is due to a condition that your child is suffering then one can only imagine the anguish the parent is going through. If your child is in pain, just being able to see them smile, if...
How children are covered on critical illness plans – everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: How providers compare in the way they offer critical illness plans for children How eligibility, age and sum assured limits differ across providers Who supports and pays what if children are hospitalised or...
IF OVERSEAS TREATMENT CAN SAVE A CRITICALLY ILL CHILD, WHO WILL PAY FOR IT?
When a child is suffering from a critical illness, the best treatment or even pioneering surgery that could save their life may only available abroad. However, as we all know, medical costs in other countries are so expensive. With no equivalent to our NHS elsewhere...
who has the broadest eligibility for children’s critical illness cover?
There’s no point talking to clients about the children’s element of any given critical-illness plan until you know whether their children meet the eligibility criteria. Advisers might know their favourite insurers’ plans inside out and wax lyrical about the range of...
Everything you need to know about… How children are covered on critical illness policies
Raising children is one of the greatest joys in life but also one of the biggest responsibilities. Not only do you financially support your children, you also need to give them your time. Nobody wants to think about doing these things in the context of their children...
Claims
Using claim case studies to save protection policies – 5 things you should read
As individuals and households face an unprecedented squeeze on their income as a result of rising energy prices, tax increases and general price increases, many will be forced to make cutbacks and savings on their monthly expenditure. There is therefore a concern that...
Support Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry, support services and benefits such as second medical opinion services, counselling, virtual GP services etc. have rightly become a core part of plans with use of such services...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
The stories behind critical illness claims
Dave's Story Dave had his Legal & General critical illness policy for 19 years when he was sadly diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020. Hear how the payout following his successful claim took away the financial pressure so he could focus on his recovery and...
The year’s best claims stats and stories
One of the remarks we heard repeatedly at yesterday’s Protection Review in London, was the need for the industry to do more to share positive claim stories. We’ve seen improvements in recent years in press coverage of protection claims, with more of a focus on...
Project Teddy – How aviva have been supporting the children of clients
Having to claim on a critical illness policy must be hard at any time. If the claim is due to a condition that your child is suffering then one can only imagine the anguish the parent is going through. If your child is in pain, just being able to see them smile, if...
Zurich’s Claims Stats highlight Fracture cover is not just for active clients
A broken bone or ligament tear can have severe implications on our ability to carry out day to day tasks. It is also something that is not unfamiliar as it is not uncommon to pass someone on the street in a cast (when we could pass people on the street) or see someone...
Supporting the claims process – Everything you need to know
As the pandemic reaches new heights, and we all hunker down for another full lockdown, it’s likely that we’ll see increasing claims in 2021. Whether these continue to be dominated by income protection and life, or an expected increase in critical illness claims will...
What to expect from claims in 2021
In the second edition of our ‘thoughts on 2021’ series, we consider claims. With the pandemic reaching new heights it is likely that the spike we saw in claims in 2020 will continue into 2021, but will these claims continue to be predominately for Income Protection...
WILL COVID IMPACT INSURER’S CLAIMS PHILOSOPHIES? WHY THE PRECISE POLICY WORDINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT.
An insurance contract is a promise on a piece of paper, and the point of claim is the moment of truth. For the life insurance industry paying claims and helping consumers when the unforeseen strikes is the most important thing we do. It is also something that we are...
Claims… Everything you need to know
Nobody wants to have to make a claim on a life insurance policy, however when a life changing illness or injury happens the reassurance of the financial security they bring can quite literally save a persons life. Our industry is quite rightly proud of the number of...
How one adviser is using her experience to highlight the benefit of protection
As many advisers know stories behind protection claims can be a powerful tool to help clients understand the importance of protection. Claims statistics can highlight that the industry does pay the vast majority of claims, but the stories behind these claims show the...
Going the extra mile – Aviva’s new claims initiatives
At Protection Guru, we are always interested to hear how insurers are going above and beyond what might be reasonably expected of them. In terms of claims, we expect insurers to pay all valid claims, however it is often the little touches that a client may not expect...
Where will COVID-19 cause critical illness claims Pt. 2
In our last articlet our independent panel of medical experts identified the two critical illness conditions where insurers are most likely to see an increase in claims due to Coronavirus because of admission to an intensive care unit. In the most severe cases of...
Critical illness conditions
A valuable benefit helping critical illness claimants with the cost of living
Many of us are having to manage with rising living costs and are facing increases in things such as our energy bills, fuel, food and other essentials. For clients who have been diagnosed with a critical illness, the financial impact of that diagnosis combined with...
How do critical illness plans cover stroke?
The month of May is Stroke Awareness Month, an annual health awareness campaign organised by the Stroke Association and intended to raise awareness of this condition. This year’s campaign is focused on stroke research and the importance of funding more and better...
How do critical illness plans cover multiple sclerosis?
In reading this article you will understand What Multiple Sclerosis is and how it affects the body The long term prognosis of Multiple Scleorosis How Multiple Sclerosis is covered by critical illness plans and how different approaches could lead to different outcomes...
How do critical illness plans cover parkinson’s disease?
In reading this article you will understand The main symptoms caused by Parkinson's Disease The long term prognosis of Parkinson's Disease How Parkinson's Disease is covered by critical illness plans and how small wording changes can make a big difference to cover The...
How do critical illness plans cover bowel cancer?
In reading this article you will understand: What bowel cancer is and what the risk factors, symptoms and incidence rates are How critical illness policies cover bowel cancer A case study of one client who was diagnosed with bowel cancer and the impact their critical...
How is kidney disease covered in critical illness plans and what preventative benefits do insurers offer?
Today marks World Kidney Day, a global health awareness day intended to shine a spotlight on kidney health and chronic kidney disease. The theme of this years day is ‘bridge the knowledge gap to better kidney care’, with the aim being to highlight the need for a...
World cancer day 2022 – everything you need to know about cancer and critical illness cover
Today (4th February) marks World Cancer Day, a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control, raise awareness, improve education and drive collection action in the prevention and treatment of cancer. With Macmillan estimating there to be around 3...
How Useful is Total Permanent Disability Benefit On Critical Illness PlanS?
The financial consequences of suffering from a long term illness or disability can be enormous, so having a comprehensive protection insurance safety net in place is crucial. Whilst Critical Illness Insurance policies increasingly cover an extensive list of different...
What cover do critical illness plans provide for accidents and hospitalisation?
In reading this article you will understand Which insurers provide cover for accidental hospitalisation on their critical illness plans How much those insurers will pay-out What restrictions or limitations insurers impose on their accidental hospitalisation benefit A...
Breast and gynaecological cancer awareness – 4 things you should read
September and October marked two important cancer awareness months, with September dedicated to Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month taking place in October. In support of these important causes we published several insights, two...
What impact does family history of breast cancer have on underwriting outcomes?
In reading this article you will understand: What the risks are where there is a family history of breast cancer How insurers underwrite a family history of breast cancer What terms may be offered for some example scenarios Last week we published the first of our...
How do insurers underwrite breast cancer – part 1
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every October, is a worldwide annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. The initiative is intended to help and promote risk reduction measures and better screening, as well as improved...
World heart day 2021: How is a heart attack covered on critical illness plans?
World Heart Day, which takes place every year on September 29th, was created by the World Heart Foundation to drive education and help raise awareness of the risks that can lead to cardiovascular disease. The campaign aims to encourage better lifestyle choices and...
Gynaecological cancer awareness month – how is ovarian cancer covered in critical illness plans?
In the second of our insights marking Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, today we're focusing on ovarian cancer. You can read the previous insight published last week here, which focused on cervical cancer. With UK survival rates for ovarian cancer among the worst...
Gynaecological cancer awareness month – How is cervical cancer covered in critical illness plans?
Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every September and was established by the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, aims to bring recognition and awareness of all gynaecological cancers. These cancers include cervical, ovarian, uterine/endometrial,...
Everything you need to know
Protecting clients whilst their application is being underwritten – 5 things you should read
Whilst in an ideal world protection insurance policies could be applied for and placed on risk immediately, unfortunately there are many scenarios where that isn’t possible. This could be down to medical disclosures made by the client that require further evidence, to...
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
Protection insurance for mortgage clients – 4 things you should read
When putting in place a protection plan (or plans) to cover a mortgage there are a number of things to consider. Matching the sum assured and term of the plan to the liability is the simple part, however there may be other considerations for advisers. Will the plan...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
product development, underwriting outlook and adviser wishes for 2022 – 4 things you should read
Our monthly Protection Forum brings together advisers, representatives from insurers and other industry professionals, to provide a platform to discuss and debate important topics. For our final event of 2021 we did things slightly differently and head from a number...
What were advisers talking about on the september and october protection forum – everything you need to know
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. Our September and October events covered a diverse and important range...
Breast and gynaecological cancer awareness – 4 things you should read
September and October marked two important cancer awareness months, with September dedicated to Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month taking place in October. In support of these important causes we published several insights, two...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
WHAT ARE ADVISERS TALKING ABOUT ON PROTECTION FORUM – 7 THINGS YOU SHOULD READ
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. One particularly interesting and timely discussion on our July forum...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
Protection insurance support benefits – 5 things you should read
With the announcement this week from Legal & General of their new Umbrella Benefits – Fracture Cover and Private Diagnostics – the spotlight is once again on the support benefits included on protection policies. Private Diagnostics is a unique new benefit, that in...
Free Cover
Which insurers provide free cover for critical illness applications?
We’ve published several insights this year highlighting possible solutions to the challenges of underwriting delays leaving clients un-protected. These have included information on underwriting limits thresholds, which if avoided mean automatic evidence (such as a GP...
What cover is offered in advance of a plan being put in force… everything you need to know
Over the last six months there has been a lot of focus about the length of time it can take to get cover in place, especially when medical underwriting is required. The reasons behind this are numerous and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the debate and desire to...
Funeral Cover
Do royal london’s recent improvements bring anything new to children’s funeral cover?
The death of a loved one is never easy to cope with, but to lose a child brings unimaginable grief because it goes against the way it ‘should’ be. Parents who have had a good run at life are ‘supposed’ to go before their children and for it to be any other way, before...
Funeral Cover – Which insurers give more?
The passing of a loved one is an emotional and stressful event. At a time where a family will understandably want to grieve, the last thing they want to think about is how they are going to cover the associated costs, such as the funeral. In this article, we look at...
Guaranteed insurability options
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
What guaranteed increase options do insurers offer on life and critical illness cover?
In reading this article you will understand What Guaranteed Insurability Options (GIOs) are and how they help clients whose circumstances change How providers differ in their approach to GIOs in differing life circumstances The limits and restrictions insurers place...
How can rental clients increase their protection insurance cover?
The UK is experiencing a so-called ‘cost of living crisis’ and many are finding their monthly costs rising considerably, from groceries to utility bills. New research from the ONS suggests that renters are being hit particularly hard, with private rents rising at the...
When can family income benefit be increased without underwriting?
As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted protecting a clients income is a vital part of any advice process. Whereas income protection will replace lost income due to a clients’ inability to work through ill health, Family income Benefit will replace a family’s lost...
Everything you need to know about when cover can be increased without underwriting
When recommending protection to a client, advisers will weigh up many different factors in order to ascertain the right policies and the right level of cover. This will include factors such as current income/expenditure, liabilities and what their family might need if...
Minimum/maximum limits
What are the age and payout limits on children’s critical illness cover?
In reading this article you will understand: What the maximum policy cease age is for children's CI across various insurers How providers differ when it comes to covering the child from birth or 30 days old What the maximum payout amount is that each insurer offers...
Legal & General increase CI age limits – How do they compare?
Legal & General have today announced that they will be increasing the age at which clients can take out critical illness, private diagnostics and Total Permanent Disability. The move has been introduced to provide cover to more clients as they retire later in...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
Age limits for life and critical illness cover – how insurers compare
Age restrictions apply to many things that people can buy or do, from buying alcohol to getting married. Most of the time, age limits are focused on minimum ages to prevent young people doing something that they are deemed not mature enough to do responsibly – gamble,...
who has the broadest eligibility for children’s critical illness cover?
There’s no point talking to clients about the children’s element of any given critical-illness plan until you know whether their children meet the eligibility criteria. Advisers might know their favourite insurers’ plans inside out and wax lyrical about the range of...
Underwriting limits
Critical illness non-medical underwriting limits – how insurers compare
Understanding an insurers’ requirements to assess a protection application before submitting the case can make a big difference in ensuring the process is as smooth as possible. Obtaining medical evidence, either because the client has medical disclosures, or because...
Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting GP reports?
In reading this article you will understand When GP reports are automatically requested for IP, CI and Life cover What age basis insurers use for automatic underwriting limits Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting a GPR and who doesn't...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
When is medical evidence automatically requested… Everything you need to know
For most clients, submitting an application where there are no medical or other disclosures will mean that terms are offered pretty quickly. Such clients are usually deemed as relatively low risk and as such medical evidence will not be required. Where the client is...
Waiver of premium
what is waiver of premium on life and critical illness cover and how do insurers compare?
When clients find themselves out of work due to ill health, redundancy or other factors, it’s likely they’ll be forced to review their monthly outgoings and make cutbacks to some of their expenditure. Of course in a perfect world they’ll have some form of income...
Income Protection
Added value benefits
Highlighting the everyday value of protection policies – 5 things you should read
With many individuals and households facing rising living costs and a squeeze on their income, there is a risk that valuable protection insurance products are seen by clients as a non-essential cost and therefore they may either forgo the cover entirely or cancel...
How can protection plans help clients manage their mental wellbeing?
This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and intended to raise awareness of the various issues surrounding mental health. The foundation and it’s awareness campaigns aims to promote better prevention and...
Which insurers offer second medical opinion services?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers include access to a second medical opinion service Aside from the life assured, which immediate family members can use the service The value of second medical opinion services through a case study For clients...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
How important is good nutritional health and what relevant benefits do insurers offer?
In reading this article you will understand: The link between poor nutritional health and certain chronic conditions Which insurers include access to nutritional guidance and consultations How those nutritional support services compare This week (14th-20th March)...
Support services the clients spouse, partner or children can access – 5 things you should read
Additional support benefit such as virtual GPs, second medical opinions and physical wellbeing services are a valuable extra included on many protection plans and in some cases, insurers extend access to the client’s spouse, partner or children. With services such as...
Which insurers offer remote gp services and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer GP services to protection clients Apart from the insured, who else can access GP services and any restrictions that apply How many times per annum these services can be used With unprecedented waiting...
Which insurers offer health mots and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers provide access to health MOTs How those insurers differ in the service they offer to clients Who offers the best health MOT benefit As we all know, prevention is better than cure. If risk factors or the early...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
How different would ‘A Christmas Carol’ be if key characters had insurance?
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous Christmas stories and has been told numerous times on stage, screen and even by the Muppets. Have you ever wondered however, how different the story might have turned out if some of the key characters had...
Guardian unveil neurological support service
Guardian have unveiled a new service designed to help and support clients diagnosed with neurological conditions. Teaming up with occupational therapy specialists Krysalis Consultancy, who have developed ‘Neuro-Logical’, the new service is specifically designed for...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Which insurers provide nutritional support to clients and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers offer nutritional support to clients The details on how these services differ in terms of who can access the service, how, the consultation methods, and the nutritional areas covered Which providers have the...
Which insurers offer the best cover for overseas treatment?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers support clients who need to have medical treatment overseas Which of each provider’s plans within their proposition the service is available on How their services differ in terms of benefits and costs In our...
Which insurers can help with later life social care costs?
Introduction It seems like a lifetime ago that Boris Johnson pledged to fix the social care crisis ‘once and for all’ in his first speech as Prime Minister. That was in July 2019, before Covid-19 had become part of our daily vocabulary and had placed even more...
helping clients recover after a critical illness – how insurers compare
Medical advancement has improved the survival rates for many critical illnesses, so it is becoming increasingly important to consider quality of life after a serious illness. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, “research on the...
Protection insurance support benefits – 5 things you should read
With the announcement this week from Legal & General of their new Umbrella Benefits – Fracture Cover and Private Diagnostics – the spotlight is once again on the support benefits included on protection policies. Private Diagnostics is a unique new benefit, that in...
Enhanced payments on critical illness cover – 5 things you should read
Protection insurance policies increasingly offer more value beyond the core cover. Whether it’s additional support services, such as virtual GPs or extra payments for life changing illnesses on a critical illness plan, cover can now extend well beyond the main...
Guardian to provide free virtual gp service to advisers
Support benefits such as GP services, second medical opinions or counselling services are an increasingly integral part of protection plans. Whilst genuinely helping clients to manage their health and access medical support when it is needed, they’re also an important...
Helping clients keep fit – how insurers compare
One of the consequences of the Covid pandemic and lockdown response is that many of us spent more time at home, engaging in far less physical exercise. The changes to working and lifetyle habits that the last 18 months have brought about also mean that many of us are...
Value Added Services – Everything you need to know
In reading this article you will understand: Granular detail about a range of popular Added Value Services that providers offer and how providers compare What products each service is offer on How such services are provided Restrictions that apply Which providers our...
Can added value benefits keep the north pole running?
Over the last couple of years “added value benefits” have become a core component of most protection plans. It seems that every insurer now offers wider benefits that can help consumers stay healthy both in mind and body as well as benefits that can improve recovery...
What to expect from Aviva’s DigiCare+ for individual policyholders
On the 30th September, Aviva launched their new and innovative DigiCare+ benefits package to members of their group income protection and group critical illness schemes. Next week, the much anticipated launch of DigiCare+ for individual protection customers goes live...
Helping Clients Return to Work Quicker – Who Offers The Best Rehab Services?
The loss of ability to earn due to injury or illness can have devastating effects, not only on immediate income but also potential future income. A sustained period of absence could mean that a client may need to upskill quickly in order to catch up with the...
Benefit payment period
short-term income protection – how providers compare
Cost is only one factor to consider when looking at income protection for clients, but it is an important one. Policies have to be affordable for the individual, especially in the current environment where Covid-19 has had an impact on people’s finances. There are a...
Claims
Using claim case studies to save protection policies – 5 things you should read
As individuals and households face an unprecedented squeeze on their income as a result of rising energy prices, tax increases and general price increases, many will be forced to make cutbacks and savings on their monthly expenditure. There is therefore a concern that...
Which income protection plans income include hospitalisation benefit?
Whilst income protection insurance plans are designed to pay a replacement income if the client is incapable of working due to ill health, insurers are increasingly offer a lot more in the way of additional support. This could take the form of various benefits and...
How do income protection policies cover stress?
The whole of the month of April marks Stress Awareness Month, a national health awareness campaign organised by the Stress Management Society. The aim of the campaign is to “raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic”. The need for a...
Support Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry, support services and benefits such as second medical opinion services, counselling, virtual GP services etc. have rightly become a core part of plans with use of such services...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
The stories behind Income Protection Claims
Income Protection provides far more than just financial support to those that are unable to work due to injury or ill health. Within this page we have brought together a selection of videos that explore the impact that having income protection has had on a number of...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
The year’s best claims stats and stories
One of the remarks we heard repeatedly at yesterday’s Protection Review in London, was the need for the industry to do more to share positive claim stories. We’ve seen improvements in recent years in press coverage of protection claims, with more of a focus on...
Communicating with clients and advisers during claims – how providers compare
In reading this article you will understand How providers support clients and advisers during the claims process What events trigger a claims progress update, how insurers communicate and processes to keep advisers up to date on directly notified claims How providers...
lv=’s phenomenal 35 year Claim and 2 other ip stories you should read
In our fifth and final series of dedicated income protection insights to mark IP Awareness Week from the IPTF, we bring you three powerful stories on claims. These truly highlight the value and importance of income protection and hopefully help to dispel any myths...
LV=’s 35 year Income Protection claim… that is still being paid
When speaking to clients about protecting their income there are many objections that might be thrown at you. “I’m too young”, “I’m healthy”, “if I’m ill I won’t be off for a long time” might be some of the more common, especially in younger clients. Whilst...
How Holloway Friendly helped a client achieve the best possible outcome
One of the benefits of working as closely with insurers as we do is that, during claims stats season, we are often provided with far more information than insurers generally expose through their claims literature. More often than not when we delve into this detail we...
Claims Statistics and stories-Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: The stories behind the claims statistics How insurers compare in what support they offer to claimants How you can use claims information in conversation with clients Claiming on a protection insurance policy...
Zurich’s Claims Stats highlight Fracture cover is not just for active clients
A broken bone or ligament tear can have severe implications on our ability to carry out day to day tasks. It is also something that is not unfamiliar as it is not uncommon to pass someone on the street in a cast (when we could pass people on the street) or see someone...
Supporting the claims process – Everything you need to know
As the pandemic reaches new heights, and we all hunker down for another full lockdown, it’s likely that we’ll see increasing claims in 2021. Whether these continue to be dominated by income protection and life, or an expected increase in critical illness claims will...
Deferred Periods
The income protection product feature that can have a big impact on cost
Income protection insurance has arguably never been more important. With many families struggling with the cost of living, long-term sickness absence from work could have a catastrophic impact on many households finances. Ensuring the policy is affordable and meets...
Which insurers offer special defer periods for nhs medics, teachers and public sector workers?
In reading this article you will understand What sick pay is offered for NHS workers and teachers Which insurers offer special defer period arrangements for those occupations How sick pay matching works and what the differences are between insurers When arranging an...
When will insurers waive defer periods for linked income protection claims?
In reading this article you will understand: What ‘linked claims’ are and how they help clients who need to claim again on income protection plans shortly after a return to work The differences in the ways providers support linked claims How linked claims are treated...
which insurers currently apply Covid exclusions to income protection
With the latest strain of Covid-19, the sold called Omicron variant causing global concern and the re-introduction of some measures in the UK to try to mitigate the virus, the pandemic is once again back in the headlines (was it ever out?!). In this insight we bring...
Cirencester friendly make changes to covid-19 exclusion on income protection plans
Cirencester Friendly have announced today a positive change to the wording and scope of their Covid-19 exclusion, automatically applied to income protection policies with a 1 week defer period. Client’s applying for a new policy from today with a 1 week defer period...
LV= return to offering day 1 and 1 week defer periods for self-employed
LV= have announced that with immediate effect they are to re-commence offering defer period options of 1 day and 1 week, for self-employed clients applying for cover through their Personal Sick Pay Policy. Like most of the industry, LV= had imposed restrictions and...
income protection for nhs medics – how providers compare
People who work in the medical profession are always there when we need them, so it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that they are not immune to illness or injury themselves. Given how many people work in the NHS – around 1.3m people according to the jobs page on the...
Who provides more relevant Income Protection cover for teachers?
The Exeter announced yesterday an overhaul of their Income Protection products, with one of the new features being sick-pay matching for NHS medical professionals and teachers, something they hadn’t previously offered. Whilst there are now a number of providers...
LV= reintroduce 1 day & 1 Week deferred periods
It is fair to say that COVID-19 decimated the short deferred period market, with all but one insurer pulling their one day and one week options in pretty quick order. Given the landscape it was quite understandable, however it left a massive gap for those that may...
income protection for the non-working partner – who does what?
The need for income protection cover has become even more apparent during the Covid crisis, when the furlough scheme really brought to the fore the importance of the ability to maintain and income. Usually when advisers talk of protecting income they naturally...
Everything you need to know
Protecting clients whilst their application is being underwritten – 5 things you should read
Whilst in an ideal world protection insurance policies could be applied for and placed on risk immediately, unfortunately there are many scenarios where that isn’t possible. This could be down to medical disclosures made by the client that require further evidence, to...
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
Additional and enhanced payments on income protection cover – 6 things you should read
Whilst the core purpose of income protection insurance is to provide the claimant with a replacement income should they be unable to work due to illness or injury, increasingly many insurers are providing a range of additional or enhanced payments, intended to provide...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
Additional cover for accidents, traumatic injuries and hospitalisation – 4 things you should read
Whilst many of us spent the last couple of years indoors more, life has not been without it's hazards. According to NHS data shared earlier in January, during 2020/21 thousands of people have required hospital treatment as a result of accidents and injuries. Whilst...
product development, underwriting outlook and adviser wishes for 2022 – 4 things you should read
Our monthly Protection Forum brings together advisers, representatives from insurers and other industry professionals, to provide a platform to discuss and debate important topics. For our final event of 2021 we did things slightly differently and head from a number...
What were advisers talking about on the september and october protection forum – everything you need to know
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. Our September and October events covered a diverse and important range...
Breast and gynaecological cancer awareness – 4 things you should read
September and October marked two important cancer awareness months, with September dedicated to Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month taking place in October. In support of these important causes we published several insights, two...
Policy features and benefits that reduce reliance on the NHS – 5 things you should read
Where in the past protection insurance policies may have done little more than provide a core benefit, covering the client against the risk of death, major illness or inability to work due to sickness, increasingly insurers are providing a whole range of complementary...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
Insuring business owners – 5 things you should read
The UK has a large and diverse business landscape, with everything from tech start-ups to traditional retailers. The overwhelming majority of those are small businesses, that is companies employing less than 50 employees. The protection insurance needs of these...
WHAT ARE ADVISERS TALKING ABOUT ON PROTECTION FORUM – 7 THINGS YOU SHOULD READ
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. One particularly interesting and timely discussion on our July forum...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
Funeral Cover
Which income protection plans pay a lump sum on death?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer a lump sum death benefit on their income protection plans How each provider calculates the funeral benefits Through examples, how much each provider would pay at different benefit levels Income...
Funeral Cover – Which insurers give more?
The passing of a loved one is an emotional and stressful event. At a time where a family will understandably want to grieve, the last thing they want to think about is how they are going to cover the associated costs, such as the funeral. In this article, we look at...
Guaranteed insurability options
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
How can clients increase their income protection cover without further underwriting?
Life isn't static and a client's circumstances are liable to change. Big life events can often result in an increase in income and/or outgoings and as such it's highly likely that a person's income protection may need reviewing. Guaranteed insurability options (GIOs)...
How can rental clients increase their protection insurance cover?
The UK is experiencing a so-called ‘cost of living crisis’ and many are finding their monthly costs rising considerably, from groceries to utility bills. New research from the ONS suggests that renters are being hit particularly hard, with private rents rising at the...
Policy changes & flexibility: 3 things to understand – ip awareness week day 4
In the second series of our dedicated income protection content to coincide with IPTF’s IP Awareness week, we bring you three insights focusing on different aspects of the benefit amount and claim duration. Selecting the correct benefit amount for the client is...
Royal London’s Critical Illness improvements – The Full Details
With July continuing to be the month of product launches and updates, Royal London are the latest insurer to unveil a number of product changes. Primarily the changes impact their critical illness cover, with amongst other things, increases made to the payouts for...
Everything you need to know about when cover can be increased without underwriting
When recommending protection to a client, advisers will weigh up many different factors in order to ascertain the right policies and the right level of cover. This will include factors such as current income/expenditure, liabilities and what their family might need if...
Aviva add renter specific options to Income Protection
Generation rent is a term that is used regularly to describe the increasing number of renters in society today. Whilst the term generally refers to the volume of young adults who rent due to high house prices, there remains a significant proportion of older adults...
Minimum/maximum limits
What is an income protection minimum benefit guarantee and how do insurers compare?
It’s fair to say that everyone expects their earnings to rise over time, not fall. However, there are times when a client’s earnings can dip – perhaps through a career change, of if they’re self-employed because of a downturn in trading. If the client did experience a...
What are the age limits for income protection insurance?
Understanding the age limits of income protection insurance is particularly important, especially when arranging cover for older clients or those who are planning to work later in life or who have longer term financial liabilities. In this insight, we look at the...
Legal & General to include dividends in exec ip pension contribution limit
Legal & General have announced today an improvement to their Executive Income Protection policy, by now allowing dividends to be included in the employer pension contributions benefit. The move means clients who pay themselves a portion of their salary as...
3 things to understand about benefit amounts – ip awareness week day 2
In the second series of our dedicated income protection content to coincide with IPTF’s IP Awareness week, we bring you three insights focusing on different aspects of the benefit amount and claim duration. Selecting the correct benefit amount for the client is...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
income protection for the non-working partner – who does what?
The need for income protection cover has become even more apparent during the Covid crisis, when the furlough scheme really brought to the fore the importance of the ability to maintain and income. Usually when advisers talk of protecting income they naturally...
How much will Income Protection plans pay if you become unemployed?
With the rise of the gig economy and flexible working the status quo of staying in the same 9 to 5 job for most or all of one’s career is becoming a thing of the past. A side effect of this is that there will be greater uncertainty for consumers over the benefits...
Occupations
What return to work career support services do income protection providers offer?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer support services to help income protection clients change their career upon their return to work What specific support each provider is able to offer clients The ways those services are offered and...
income protection for nhs medics – how providers compare
People who work in the medical profession are always there when we need them, so it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that they are not immune to illness or injury themselves. Given how many people work in the NHS – around 1.3m people according to the jobs page on the...
Who provides more relevant Income Protection cover for teachers?
The Exeter announced yesterday an overhaul of their Income Protection products, with one of the new features being sick-pay matching for NHS medical professionals and teachers, something they hadn’t previously offered. Whilst there are now a number of providers...
Addressing the income needs of different demographics – Everything you need to know
Income protection plans should be the foundation of every clients financial planning. The base upon which resiliance can be added to other finances; from the house they call home, through family holidays (when we can again) to those special little treats that make a...
How do income protection providers support clients returning to work on a limited basis?
Returning to work after a period of incapacity can be a daunting prospect. If the absence has been over a long period, as is the case in many situations where an income protection policy has been claimed on, the return to work may be part of a phased plan where they...
income protection for the non-working partner – who does what?
The need for income protection cover has become even more apparent during the Covid crisis, when the furlough scheme really brought to the fore the importance of the ability to maintain and income. Usually when advisers talk of protecting income they naturally...
How much will Income Protection plans pay if you become unemployed?
With the rise of the gig economy and flexible working the status quo of staying in the same 9 to 5 job for most or all of one’s career is becoming a thing of the past. A side effect of this is that there will be greater uncertainty for consumers over the benefits...
Return to work
How are income protection proportionate benefits calculated?
In reading this article you will understand: How proportionate benefits can support a claimants return to work. How insurers calculate proportionate benefits. Any differences between how insurers pay proportionate benefits. Whilst income protection plans provide an...
What return to work career support services do income protection providers offer?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer support services to help income protection clients change their career upon their return to work What specific support each provider is able to offer clients The ways those services are offered and...
helping clients recover after a critical illness – how insurers compare
Medical advancement has improved the survival rates for many critical illnesses, so it is becoming increasingly important to consider quality of life after a serious illness. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, “research on the...
Rehab support on income protection plans – how providers compare
The financial support that income protection provides will be a lifeline for many people who become unable to work through illness or injury. However, no policy will replace all of a client’s income in this situation, as people cannot be financially better off by...
Helping a client return to work – Everything you need to know
Who helps clients return to work? – Everything you need to know In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: The support providers offer clients claiming on income protection to help their return to work The wide range of services available and how...
Supporting clients returning to work – how insurers compare
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers engage with the client’s employer to support both parties with a return to work plan What client circumstances trigger rehabilitation support from providers and how these differ Which providers employ third...
How do income protection providers support clients returning to work on a limited basis?
Returning to work after a period of incapacity can be a daunting prospect. If the absence has been over a long period, as is the case in many situations where an income protection policy has been claimed on, the return to work may be part of a phased plan where they...
Helping Clients Return to Work Quicker – Who Offers The Best Rehab Services?
The loss of ability to earn due to injury or illness can have devastating effects, not only on immediate income but also potential future income. A sustained period of absence could mean that a client may need to upskill quickly in order to catch up with the...
Short Term Benefit
short-term income protection – how providers compare
Cost is only one factor to consider when looking at income protection for clients, but it is an important one. Policies have to be affordable for the individual, especially in the current environment where Covid-19 has had an impact on people’s finances. There are a...
State Benefits
How to compare income protection to state benefits
As people that work within the protection industry we are all well aware of the financial impact could be if a client fell ill and was unable to work. As an industry we are also aware that for most clients state benefits will not be sufficient to cover their essential...
Why Universal Credit should not impact Income Protection recommendations – Tom Baigrie explains
The re-energised ABI Protection Committee and their policy team held a fascinating Round Table late last month, at which they unveiled a New Policy Institute (NPI) report on the impact of individual income protection (IP) on Universal Credit (UC), and the implication...
How will Universal Credit impact Income Protection policies?
The introduction of Universal Credit has led to much confusion about how protection policies impact a consumer’s ability to receive state benefits. After excellent work from the Income Protection Taskforce and Building Resilient Households Group the DWP has provided...
sum assured limits
British Friendly increase maximum IP benefit amount – how do insurers compare?
Yesterday afternoon British Friendly announced that they are increasing the maximum monthly benefit amount available on their BFS Protect product (not Breathing Space), rising from £3,791 to £5,104. As well as increasing the overall maximum benefit amount, British...
How are income protection proportionate benefits calculated?
In reading this article you will understand: How proportionate benefits can support a claimants return to work. How insurers calculate proportionate benefits. Any differences between how insurers pay proportionate benefits. Whilst income protection plans provide an...
What is an income protection minimum benefit guarantee and how do insurers compare?
It’s fair to say that everyone expects their earnings to rise over time, not fall. However, there are times when a client’s earnings can dip – perhaps through a career change, of if they’re self-employed because of a downturn in trading. If the client did experience a...
3 things to understand about benefit amounts – ip awareness week day 2
In the second series of our dedicated income protection content to coincide with IPTF’s IP Awareness week, we bring you three insights focusing on different aspects of the benefit amount and claim duration. Selecting the correct benefit amount for the client is...
Aviva increases maximum Income Protection Benefit
When recommending an income protection plan, there are many factors that need to be understood in order to select the right level of benefit. The client’s expenditure is clearly critically important as this ultimately is what is being protected however, in many cases...
How much will Income Protection plans pay if you become unemployed?
With the rise of the gig economy and flexible working the status quo of staying in the same 9 to 5 job for most or all of one’s career is becoming a thing of the past. A side effect of this is that there will be greater uncertainty for consumers over the benefits...
Terminal Illness
Which income protection plans provide special terms for terminally ill clients?
Whilst on the face of it, the cover offered by income protection plans is as simple as providing a replacement income if the client is unable to work due to ill health, in reality IP plans often provide far more cover for a whole range of scenarios. This can range...
Underwriting limits
Royal London increase income protection underwriting limits
Royal London have today increased their non-medical underwriting limits for their income protection products (including Key Person IP), in a move that should mean more applications can be processed without the need for further medical evidence. Non-medical...
Who has the highest non-medical underwriting limits for income protection?
The underwriting limits set by insurers highlight the point at which they will request different medical evidence based on the life assured’s age and the sum assured and in general older clients and higher sums assured are more likely to trigger the need for medical...
Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting GP reports?
In reading this article you will understand When GP reports are automatically requested for IP, CI and Life cover What age basis insurers use for automatic underwriting limits Which insurers have the highest threshold for automatically requesting a GPR and who doesn't...
3 things to understand about underwriting – ip awareness week day 3
In the third series of our dedicated income protection content to coincide with IPTF’s IP Awareness week, we bring you three insights focusing on underwriting. Given the risks being covered, income protection plans can sometimes have the strictest underwriting...
Recent changes to insurer underwriting restrictions and limits – 7 things you should read
As the pandemic restrictions begun to be eased over the last few months as the vaccine roll-out has been ramped up, we've seen insurers gradually update and remove some of the stricter underwriting terms, first imposed last year when the pandemic struck. In many cases...
LV= increase non-medical limits for FPP Income Protection
With the country returning to enforced lockdown, many hospitals at capacity and an ambitious vaccination program being rolled out, the NHS will inevitably be stretched for some time. Understandably every resource should be directed at combating the pandemic, however...
When is medical evidence automatically requested… Everything you need to know
For most clients, submitting an application where there are no medical or other disclosures will mean that terms are offered pretty quickly. Such clients are usually deemed as relatively low risk and as such medical evidence will not be required. Where the client is...
Business Protection
Added value benefits
How can protection plans help clients manage their mental wellbeing?
This week marks Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual campaign hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and intended to raise awareness of the various issues surrounding mental health. The foundation and it’s awareness campaigns aims to promote better prevention and...
Which insurers offer second medical opinion services?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers include access to a second medical opinion service Aside from the life assured, which immediate family members can use the service The value of second medical opinion services through a case study For clients...
Which insurers offer remote gp services and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which providers offer GP services to protection clients Apart from the insured, who else can access GP services and any restrictions that apply How many times per annum these services can be used With unprecedented waiting...
Which insurers offer health mots and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand: Which insurers provide access to health MOTs How those insurers differ in the service they offer to clients Who offers the best health MOT benefit As we all know, prevention is better than cure. If risk factors or the early...
How different would ‘A Christmas Carol’ be if key characters had insurance?
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous Christmas stories and has been told numerous times on stage, screen and even by the Muppets. Have you ever wondered however, how different the story might have turned out if some of the key characters had...
Which insurers offer legal support to business protection clients?
The proceeds from business protection policies provide financial support to get the business ready to face the future again. The funds may be used for anything from hiring replacement key people, paying off debts or buying shares from a deceased owner’s estate. Whilst...
Which insurers provide nutritional support to clients and how do they compare?
In reading this article you will understand Which providers offer nutritional support to clients The details on how these services differ in terms of who can access the service, how, the consultation methods, and the nutritional areas covered Which providers have the...
Helping clients keep fit – how insurers compare
One of the consequences of the Covid pandemic and lockdown response is that many of us spent more time at home, engaging in far less physical exercise. The changes to working and lifetyle habits that the last 18 months have brought about also mean that many of us are...
Added Value benefits for businesses – Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: What added value benefits are available How insurers compare in what they offer How you can signpost these services to your clients Added value benefits offer a range of additional services, designed to...
Value Added Services – Everything you need to know
In reading this article you will understand: Granular detail about a range of popular Added Value Services that providers offer and how providers compare What products each service is offer on How such services are provided Restrictions that apply Which providers our...
Can added value benefits keep the north pole running?
Over the last couple of years “added value benefits” have become a core component of most protection plans. It seems that every insurer now offers wider benefits that can help consumers stay healthy both in mind and body as well as benefits that can improve recovery...
Small Business Saturday – Everything you need to know
Next Saturday, 5th December, is Small Business Saturday, a grassroots campaign which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to support small businesses in their communities. Now in its eighth year in the UK, the campaign has grown significantly...
Helping Businesses Cope with the Loss of Key Personnel – What Additional Benefits Do Insurers Offer?
The loss of a key person or shareholder through death, injury or illness can have devastating effects on a company. Whilst companies can protect themselves financially in the short term via a key person or shareholder protection plan, such plans are evolving to...
Helping Clients Return to Work Quicker – Who Offers The Best Rehab Services?
The loss of ability to earn due to injury or illness can have devastating effects, not only on immediate income but also potential future income. A sustained period of absence could mean that a client may need to upskill quickly in order to catch up with the...
Claims
Using claim case studies to save protection policies – 5 things you should read
As individuals and households face an unprecedented squeeze on their income as a result of rising energy prices, tax increases and general price increases, many will be forced to make cutbacks and savings on their monthly expenditure. There is therefore a concern that...
Support Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry, support services and benefits such as second medical opinion services, counselling, virtual GP services etc. have rightly become a core part of plans with use of such services...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
The year’s best claims stats and stories
One of the remarks we heard repeatedly at yesterday’s Protection Review in London, was the need for the industry to do more to share positive claim stories. We’ve seen improvements in recent years in press coverage of protection claims, with more of a focus on...
Zurich’s Claims Stats highlight Fracture cover is not just for active clients
A broken bone or ligament tear can have severe implications on our ability to carry out day to day tasks. It is also something that is not unfamiliar as it is not uncommon to pass someone on the street in a cast (when we could pass people on the street) or see someone...
Supporting the claims process – Everything you need to know
As the pandemic reaches new heights, and we all hunker down for another full lockdown, it’s likely that we’ll see increasing claims in 2021. Whether these continue to be dominated by income protection and life, or an expected increase in critical illness claims will...
What to expect from claims in 2021
In the second edition of our ‘thoughts on 2021’ series, we consider claims. With the pandemic reaching new heights it is likely that the spike we saw in claims in 2020 will continue into 2021, but will these claims continue to be predominately for Income Protection...
Claims… Everything you need to know
Nobody wants to have to make a claim on a life insurance policy, however when a life changing illness or injury happens the reassurance of the financial security they bring can quite literally save a persons life. Our industry is quite rightly proud of the number of...
Going the extra mile – Aviva’s new claims initiatives
At Protection Guru, we are always interested to hear how insurers are going above and beyond what might be reasonably expected of them. In terms of claims, we expect insurers to pay all valid claims, however it is often the little touches that a client may not expect...
Everything you need to know
Protecting clients whilst their application is being underwritten – 5 things you should read
Whilst in an ideal world protection insurance policies could be applied for and placed on risk immediately, unfortunately there are many scenarios where that isn’t possible. This could be down to medical disclosures made by the client that require further evidence, to...
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
Insurer Claims processes – 6 things you should read
Claiming on a protection insurance policy is something any of us hope a client never has to do, but is the ultimate reason that advisers recommend the cover in the first place. When a claim does arise it is the true test of the quality of the advice, product...
product development, underwriting outlook and adviser wishes for 2022 – 4 things you should read
Our monthly Protection Forum brings together advisers, representatives from insurers and other industry professionals, to provide a platform to discuss and debate important topics. For our final event of 2021 we did things slightly differently and head from a number...
Small business saturday – 7 things you should read about business protection insurance
Small Saturday, a campaign first started in the UK in 2012 and held on the first Saturday in December is intended to highlight small business success and encourage consumers to support smaller businesses and ‘shop local’. Given the challenges the pandemic has had on...
What were advisers talking about on the september and october protection forum – everything you need to know
Our monthly protection forum is an opportunity for advisers, insurers and other industry professionals to come together and share ideas, offer opinions and discuss a wide range of important topics. Our September and October events covered a diverse and important range...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
Insuring business owners – 5 things you should read
The UK has a large and diverse business landscape, with everything from tech start-ups to traditional retailers. The overwhelming majority of those are small businesses, that is companies employing less than 50 employees. The protection insurance needs of these...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
Getting into the detail of business protection insurance – everything you need to know
Undoubtedly the last 12 months will have been an extremely challenging time for thousands of businesses in the UK, large and small. During this difficult time businesses have had some access to financial support in the form of government backed recovery loans, grants...
Added Value benefits for businesses – Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: What added value benefits are available How insurers compare in what they offer How you can signpost these services to your clients Added value benefits offer a range of additional services, designed to...
Value Added Services – Everything you need to know
In reading this article you will understand: Granular detail about a range of popular Added Value Services that providers offer and how providers compare What products each service is offer on How such services are provided Restrictions that apply Which providers our...
Supporting the claims process – Everything you need to know
As the pandemic reaches new heights, and we all hunker down for another full lockdown, it’s likely that we’ll see increasing claims in 2021. Whether these continue to be dominated by income protection and life, or an expected increase in critical illness claims will...
What were the big product developments in the second half of 2020? Everything you need to know
It is fair to say that by the second half of 2020, insurers had got over the initial shock of the pandemic and started to return to business as normal (whatever that was). Whilst there was and still is a lot of focus on getting cases underwritten in difficult...
What were the big product developments in the first half of 2020? Everything you need to know
With much of the focus this year being centered around insurer reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, product developments (certainly in the first half of the year) were fairly limited. That being said there were a number of very significant enhancements made by insurers...
Free Cover
which insurers offer free or immediate cover for business protection?
The loss of a key person or shareholder though death or illness can have dire effects on a business’s ability to function. Once the need to protect against such circumstances is established, it is important to get cover in place as soon as possible to mitigate the...
What cover is offered in advance of a plan being put in force… everything you need to know
Over the last six months there has been a lot of focus about the length of time it can take to get cover in place, especially when medical underwriting is required. The reasons behind this are numerous and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the debate and desire to...
Guaranteed insurability options
Everything you need to know about guaranteed insurability options
Guaranteed insurability options allow clients to increase their protection cover, following certain life events, without further underwriting. Whilst far from perfect, the GIO feature provides a valuable means of ensuring the policy can adapt to a change in the...
What guaranteed increase options are available on business protection insurance?
When arranging business protection insurance, perhaps more than any other type of protection, the level of cover arranged is typically just a snapshot in time and as the business grows their needs will change. Whilst adequate protection insurance may be necessary for...
Everything you need to know about when cover can be increased without underwriting
When recommending protection to a client, advisers will weigh up many different factors in order to ascertain the right policies and the right level of cover. This will include factors such as current income/expenditure, liabilities and what their family might need if...
Which insurers make it easier to increase business protection?
Business protection can provide a financial lifeline to businesses by paying out a sum of money in the unfortunate event of the loss of a key person or partner/shareholder. Setting up a business protection policy to provide financial security to a company can be...
Minimum/maximum limits
What are the age limits for relevant life cover?
In reading this article you will understand: How Relevant Life Cover differs to individual term insurance in regards to age limits What the age limits for Relevant Life Cover are How those age age limits differ between insurers Relevant life cover is a tax-efficient...
What are the age limits on business protection life and critical illness cover?
Like the personal protection gap, there is also a business protection gap in the UK, likely exacerbated by the Covid pandemic and additional borrowing many businesses have had to take on. Advisers can help in reducing that gap and ensuring businesses have adequate...
Legal & General to include dividends in exec ip pension contribution limit
Legal & General have announced today an improvement to their Executive Income Protection policy, by now allowing dividends to be included in the employer pension contributions benefit. The move means clients who pay themselves a portion of their salary as...
Age limits on protection insurance – 5 things you should read
Finding protection for younger clients is not likely to be a problem, but if the client is older, the age limits that insurers put on their policies may restrict the advisers’ choice. If Children’s cover is included in a critical illness plan, insurers will set a...
Relevant Life sum assured limits – how insurers compare
In reading this article you will understand The maximum sums assured providers allow on relevant life plans The income sources that can be taken into account How providers approaches differ across the age ranges The sum assured is the heart of any life insurance...
Age limits on business protection critical illness – how insurers compare
Some advice firms specialise in advising smaller businesses and helping clients obtain business protection is a key part of the service they offer. Given that there were around 5.9m small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK last year, comprising over 99 per...
Relevant Life
How do insurers compare in offering relevant life continuation options?
Relevant life insurance is a tax efficient life insurance policy, providing a single employee with a death in service benefit. There are numerous benefits of relevant life insurance, particularly the favourable tax status and fact the cover does not count towards the...
What are the age limits for relevant life cover?
In reading this article you will understand: How Relevant Life Cover differs to individual term insurance in regards to age limits What the age limits for Relevant Life Cover are How those age age limits differ between insurers Relevant life cover is a tax-efficient...
Underwriting limits
What is immediate cover and how does it work?
Getting clients covered and on risk quickly is important to any adviser, but we repeatedly hear about the challenges of underwriting delays, often caused because of delays in obtaining medical evidence such as GP reports or medical screenings and examinations. There...
When are financial questionnaires required for critical-illness cover via business protection?
Running a business is hard enough without being exposed to the financial impact of the owner, a keyperson or shareholder being diagnosed with a critical illness. Nobody would argue against that person’s health being the main priority but people who have founded a...
WHEN IS FINANCIAL EVIDENCE REQUIRED ON BUSINESS PROTECTION CASES?
(This insight cover business protection life insurance requirements, click here to read about the requirements on critical illness cover.) Many of us will have been saddened to hear that a colleague, business contact or a client has passed away. We may reflect...
When is medical evidence automatically requested… Everything you need to know
For most clients, submitting an application where there are no medical or other disclosures will mean that terms are offered pretty quickly. Such clients are usually deemed as relatively low risk and as such medical evidence will not be required. Where the client is...
Product Updates
AEGON
Aegon announce new fracture cover and other updates to protection plans
Aegon have announced today a number of updates and enhancements across their personal and business protection menu plan, including a new income protection fracture benefit, the removal of activities of daily living definition for certain occupations and an extension...
AEGON announce first critical illness refresh in 4 years
It has been some time since AEGON last made any significant changes to their critical illness proposition, nearly four years in fact. In the intervening time, the critical illness market has changed considerably leaving the AEGON proposition feeling tired and out of...
AIG
AIG announce changes to children’s critical illness cover
AIG have announced a change today to their children’s critical illness cover, altering the way in which the children’s cover sum-assured is calculated and increasing the maximum pay-out available for children covered by the policy. The change to AIG children’s cover...
Product news and updates from february – everything you need to know
Another month of 2022 has passed and we’ve seen yet more product announcements from insurers. After a slow couple of years, understandable because of the Covid pandemic (increasingly feeling like a distant memory with other global events now dominating the news), new...
AIG make welcome move towards impact based cover
In an ideal world, a critical illness plan would provide a payout whenever the client suffers from an injury or illness that has a significant impact on their life. The name of the condition in this case would be inconsequential with a successful claim being based on...
AIG’s Smart Health – Helping Clients Manage their Health and Wellbeing
Agree with the term or not, “added value benefits” have become a core feature of protection plans over the last couple of years with many insurers offering a wide range of services that complement the core cover being provided. Traditionally such services were aimed...
Aviva
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
Aviva update Global Treatment and underwriting approach
It is not often at Protection Guru, that when an insurer removes a service from a feature we are positive. However, when that service adds very little and causes a significant delay in a client receiving the benefits, things are slightly different. Today, Aviva have...
Aviva remove underwriting restrictions as pandemic eases
Aviva have announced that they will be easing their underwriting stance in two areas from today due to "progress now being made with the vaccination programme and declining COVID-19 infections in the UK". The changes will mainly affect those with chonic medical...
Project Teddy – How aviva have been supporting the children of clients
Having to claim on a critical illness policy must be hard at any time. If the claim is due to a condition that your child is suffering then one can only imagine the anguish the parent is going through. If your child is in pain, just being able to see them smile, if...
Aviva to provide extra support WITH MACMILLAN for cancer sufferers
When asked at the turn of the year, what the industry should expect from claims in 2021, Aviva were very quick to state that delays in screenings would result in higher levels of more advanced cancer claims. In recognition of this they have extended their partnership...
what does Aviva’s non-medical limit changes really mean for advisers?
Aviva have announced today that they will be making changes to their non-medical underwriting limits on 6th December in order to “speed the on-boarding process of customers and provide greater flexibility and service”. In this article we review what the actual changes...
What to expect from Aviva’s DigiCare+ for individual policyholders
On the 30th September, Aviva launched their new and innovative DigiCare+ benefits package to members of their group income protection and group critical illness schemes. Next week, the much anticipated launch of DigiCare+ for individual protection customers goes live...
Aviva launch exceptional free Digital Health service for Group Income Protection & Critical Illness
Today Aviva have announced a significant new healthcare service for members of their Group Income Protection and Group Critical Illness schemes. Employees covered by Aviva under their Group Life schemes will not get these benefits free of charge, but their employers...
Aviva make moves to simplify critical illness wordings
The Aviva critical illness proposition has been a favourite of many advisers for some time. It provides clients with a wide range of options to suit a customers needs with additional options such as global treatment and extra care cover to further extend cover. With...
Aviva add renter specific options to Income Protection
Generation rent is a term that is used regularly to describe the increasing number of renters in society today. Whilst the term generally refers to the volume of young adults who rent due to high house prices, there remains a significant proportion of older adults...
Going the extra mile – Aviva’s new claims initiatives
At Protection Guru, we are always interested to hear how insurers are going above and beyond what might be reasonably expected of them. In terms of claims, we expect insurers to pay all valid claims, however it is often the little touches that a client may not expect...
Aviva reinstate medical requests and commit £15m to health charities
Adam Higgs' note: Aviva have made some very important announcements today both in terms of their approach to medical evidence and support for health charities, so we have given Mark Cracknell from Aviva the opportunity to explain their position in detail. COVID-19:...
Aviva increases maximum Income Protection Benefit
When recommending an income protection plan, there are many factors that need to be understood in order to select the right level of benefit. The client’s expenditure is clearly critically important as this ultimately is what is being protected however, in many cases...
How Aviva have used their claims experience to improve their Extra Care Cover
Claim statistics are used in a number of ways by different parties across the industry. They can tell us not only the number of claims paid but also what they were paid for and therefore help build both adviser and consumer confidence. Most insurers will have a team...
Aviva makes changes to their upgraded proposition
Over the last six months, Aviva have maintained their position of one of the market leaders in the critical illness market. Their coverage for adults remains strong, however the increasing competitiveness in children’s cover has seen several insurers come to market...
Canada Life
Canada Life make big changes to their critical illness proposition
In 2018 there were very few insurers that did not make changes to their critical illness proposition. So far 2019 has been relatively slow in comparison, however today sees Canada Life making their long-awaited move. With 37 new definitions, 27 condition wordings...
Guardian
How Guardian excelled in our 2022 product ratings
Last week Protection Guru launched our 2022 product ratings. These ratings, which are based on the product features most selected by advisers across our research tools (e.g. SolutionBuilder Product Features Report) over the last 12 months, are designed to highlight...
Guardian unveil neurological support service
Guardian have unveiled a new service designed to help and support clients diagnosed with neurological conditions. Teaming up with occupational therapy specialists Krysalis Consultancy, who have developed ‘Neuro-Logical’, the new service is specifically designed for...
How Guardian achieved gold across the board
Last week Protection Guru launched our 2021 product ratings. These ratings, which are based on the product features most selected by adviser users of our various benchmarking tools, are designed to highlight product excellence and comprehensiveness. In each of the...
Getting into the detail of Guardian update
Changes to critical illness wordings have come thick and fast over the last 24 months. A slight tweak to a wording here and a new condition added there no doubt leads to better coverage in most cases, however this is only offered to new cases. Today, Guardian have put...
Brief but huge advice opportunity following Guardian announcement
Since their launch in May last year, the industry has been eagerly awaiting the first cover upgrade by Guardian and particularly how they will apply their “Cover Upgrade Promise”. Todays announcement that such an upgrade is in the pipeline and that existing customers...
A first look at the highly innovative new protection products from Guardian
Guardians new product range will stimulate even more competition in the protection market, for the benefit of consumers and advisers. This summary explores key issues to consider when exploring their products. Amid much market anticipation, the day has finally...
Holloway Friendly
Product news and updates from february – everything you need to know
Another month of 2022 has passed and we’ve seen yet more product announcements from insurers. After a slow couple of years, understandable because of the Covid pandemic (increasingly feeling like a distant memory with other global events now dominating the news), new...
Holloway Friendly launch new income protection product
Holloway Friendly have launched a new income protection product today called My Sick Pay, which replaces their current Purely, Short-Term IP and One2Protect products and consolidates all of the features and benefits into one single proposition. The new plan is...
How Holloway Friendly helped a client achieve the best possible outcome
One of the benefits of working as closely with insurers as we do is that, during claims stats season, we are often provided with far more information than insurers generally expose through their claims literature. More often than not when we delve into this detail we...
Holloway Friendly extend payment holiday option
Holloway Friendly have announced today that they are extending their payment holiday facility until September 2021. The facility, initially introduced on 16th April 2021, had been due to expire in April however this extension will be welcome to many clients that are...
Holloway friendly remove covid exclusions on most deferred periods
One of the great achievements from the industry over the past year was the fact that the pandemic led to relatively little change in protection products. Income protection was the product that perhaps endured the most scrutiny as all insurers either removed or applied...
Some Good Things and Some Bad – Holloway Friendly’s revised One2Protect plan
In reading this article you will understand: The changes Holloway Friendly have made to their One2Protect plan How their Rental GIO works and how this compares to other providers How the changes affect those with fluctuating incomes There have been far fewer changes...
HSBC
Legal & General
Legal & General unveil improvements to relevant life plan
Legal & General have today announced some improvements to their relevant life policy, as well as changes to the guaranteed increase options on their whole of life plan and GIOs across other protection products. Relevant Life Plan Updates The improvements Legal...
Legal & General increase CI age limits – How do they compare?
Legal & General have today announced that they will be increasing the age at which clients can take out critical illness, private diagnostics and Total Permanent Disability. The move has been introduced to provide cover to more clients as they retire later in...
Legal & General to include dividends in exec ip pension contribution limit
Legal & General have announced today an improvement to their Executive Income Protection policy, by now allowing dividends to be included in the employer pension contributions benefit. The move means clients who pay themselves a portion of their salary as...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
Legal & general unveil new key person income protection
Legal & General have unveiled today a new Key Person Income Protection plan, which expands their existing range of business protection solutions and sits alongside just two other insurers – Aegon and Royal London – in offering this benefit. In this insight we look...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
Legal & General remove majority of covid underwriting restrictions
Legal & General have announced today that they are removing the majority of their temporary underwriting restrictions, imposed as a result of Covid-19, the latest insurer to announce such a move. The most significant change for most advisers will be the removal of...
Legal & GEneral add new plans to income protection proposition
Any regular reader of Protection Guru will know that we love a comprehensive protection plan. We also recognise that a comprehensive and feature packed plan, will usually be more costly and not every client will be able to afford the higher premiums. Having options to...
Legal & General launches dedicated tools to help advisers offer Income Protection products to renters
Today Legal & General become the latest insurer to launch dedicated tools to help advisers looking to offer Income Protection products to renters. They have launched an adviser toolkit as part of the rental protection area in their website...
COVID & NOVAD – Legal & General embrace new approach to trusts
During the period of lockdown, advisers have had to find new ways of interacting with clients. The use of digital services have been a real enabler to carrying out tasks that were taken for granted when face-to-face meetings were possible. When it comes to completing...
Legal & General Upgrades Critical Illness Proposition
It is fair to say that the raft of critical illness upgrades and changes made throughout 2018 left Legal & General somewhat behind in the comprehensive end of the market as a number of insurers broadened their cover beyond what was available through the CIx...
How does Legal & General’s new Critical Illness proposition compare?
The critical illness market has undergone a transformation recently. Not long ago Aviva started the ball rolling by introducing their standard and upgraded propositions. Since then Royal London, Legal & General, and Vitality to name just three have all introduced...
How does Legal & General’s new Child Critical Illness offering compare?
Children’s cover is promoted by many insurers as one of the factors that most frequently lead to Critical Illness policies paying claims. For clients' with, or planning to have, children it may be a very attractive feature. Legal & General’s announcement today...
LV=
LV launches new critical illness product
In a shake-up of their critical illness offering, the first such update since 2020, LV= have today unveiled an expansion of their critical illness options with the introduction of a new lower cost plan and a renaming of their existing cover. The last few years has...
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
What are the details of the new LV= executive income protection plan?
In July LV= unveiled two new income protection plans, to complement their existing Flexible Protection Plan Income Protection and Personal Sick Pay policies. Both new policies saw LV= expand their offering to reach new markets and cover varied client types. We covered...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
How LV= achieved gold across the board
In the third of our series looking at the insurers who performed exceptionally in our 2021 ratings, this week we focus on LV=. With a total of 10 overall gold medals across the nine benefit types in which they offer products, the LV= product range clearly stood out....
LV= increase non-medical limits for FPP Income Protection
With the country returning to enforced lockdown, many hospitals at capacity and an ambitious vaccination program being rolled out, the NHS will inevitably be stretched for some time. Understandably every resource should be directed at combating the pandemic, however...
LV= reintroduce 1 day & 1 Week deferred periods
It is fair to say that COVID-19 decimated the short deferred period market, with all but one insurer pulling their one day and one week options in pretty quick order. Given the landscape it was quite understandable, however it left a massive gap for those that may...
LV=’s new and improved family income benefit offering
At Protection Guru we love Family Income Benefit plans. As a decreasing plan it is often a more cost effective way of protecting a clients family in the event of their death or terminal illness and provides an ongoing income to help them meet their day to day...
LV= Launch Enhanced Children’s Cover
During the last few months the critical illness market has been relatively quiet with regard to enhancements as insurers have rightly been tackling the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought. In the first upgrade announcement since the lockdown measures...
LV= introduce big Critical Illness changes
Throughout 2018 and 2019 there were a spate of changes in the critical illness market, with most insurers making a raft of alterations and additions largely to the benefit of consumers. Throughout this period, it was noticeable that a small number of insurers did not...
Unique new features added to LV=’s Income Protection plan
With the current pace of product development in the protection market, maintaining a position of market leader requires fresh thinking. Product updates have to focus on providing features that are valuable to clients and not just ticks in the box. Today, LV= have...
Royal London
Royal London extend underwrite later
Royal London are extending their Underwrite Later feature, which enables a policy to be placed on risk in certain circumstances whilst waiting for underwriting medical evidence to be returned, to whole of life and ‘personal’ menu plan life insurance applications. To...
Royal London increase income protection underwriting limits
Royal London have today increased their non-medical underwriting limits for their income protection products (including Key Person IP), in a move that should mean more applications can be processed without the need for further medical evidence. Non-medical...
Royal London unveil critical illness improvements
Royal London have unveiled today a number of additions and improvements to their critical illness cover, including adding new full and additional cover condition definitions and rewording some existing condition definitions. The changes are designed to provide broader...
Royal london unveil new helping hand wellbeing services and 24/7 gp – the full details
In a major update to Helping Hand, Royal London have today announced a new range of preventative wellbeing support tools and services, designed to help clients better understand and manage their health. The old saying goes that prevention is better than cure and with...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
Royal London’s Critical Illness improvements – The Full Details
With July continuing to be the month of product launches and updates, Royal London are the latest insurer to unveil a number of product changes. Primarily the changes impact their critical illness cover, with amongst other things, increases made to the payouts for...
How does royal london’s new and improved business protection calculator stack up?
The UK is a nation of small businesses, with over 99% of companies in the UK being SMEs (those with between 0-49 employees). These businesses account for a large chunk of private sector turnover and employ a significant number of the overall UK workforce. The last...
Royal London Remove underwriting restrictions as pandemic eases
Royal London have announced that they will be removing the bulk of their underwriting restrictions today, imposed last year in response to Covid-19, “due to the improving picture in the UK and the progress of the vaccination programme”. The changes apply across their...
How Royal London Excelled in our Ratings
In the second of our series of articles highlighting the insurers that excelled in our 2021 ratings, today we take a look at why Royal London achieved nine gold overall gold medals across the ten benefit types we benchmarked. As regular readers will be aware, our...
Can Royal London help advisers sell the “value of Menu”?
When assessing the protection needs of a client it is unlikely that just one plan will meet all of their needs. For all but the smallest minority of clients, protecting their income in the event of ill health will be the most imminent need, however if you look at...
Can Royal London’s “Underwrite Later” answer advisers medical evidence woes?
In reading this article you will understand: How the Royal London ‘Underwrite Later’ initiative will benefit your business protection clients How the process works. Time limits or sum assured limits that apply. Over the last year, perhaps the biggest issue advisers...
Royal London launch an alternative to trusts
Putting a life policy in trust has many benefits. For a start the proceeds of such a policy will bypass the deceased’s estate and as such beneficiaries will receive the money quicker and without any inheritance tax implications. It also gives the policyholder greater...
Royal London Enhance Critical Illness Proposition
In the latest of a string of insurer enhancements, Royal London have launched upgrades to their critical illness policy today. The changes promise improvements in cover for surgical procedures, the removal of exclusions, improved definitions, simplification and longer...
Royal London make enhancements to high incidence Critical Illness Conditions
At the end of a year when the critical illness market has made huge strides towards more comprehensive coverage for clients, Royal London have today introduced new updates to their plan. Recognising that moves by other insurers have seen many overtake them, the new...
Scottish Widows
A valuable benefit helping critical illness claimants with the cost of living
Many of us are having to manage with rising living costs and are facing increases in things such as our energy bills, fuel, food and other essentials. For clients who have been diagnosed with a critical illness, the financial impact of that diagnosis combined with...
What does Scottish Widows’ Clinic in a Pocket data tell us about how useful GP services are?
Protection product development over the last few years has seen an increased focus on health and wellbeing support services and benefits. These include everything from virtual GPs to access to qualified nutritionists. It’s important to properly scrutinise the true...
Scottish Widows take a refreshing new approach to loosening underwriting restrictions
Scottish Widows have become the latest insurer to loosen restrictions on underwriting but become the first insurer to announce a dual approach depending on whether the client has been fully vaccinated. The new process will affect only those in the ‘high risk’ or...
How does Scottish Widows’ clinic in a pocket compare?
Over the last year by far the most popular “added value benefit” in terms of views of articles and selections within our various benchmarking tools has been virtual GP services. Whilst clearly driven by difficulties in being able to visit a GP face to face throughout...
SIMPLE, CLEAR & CONCISE – HAVE SCOTTISH WIDOWS SET THE BAR?
Providing clear and concise critical illness definitions whilst giving broad coverage is something that the industry as a whole has not been particularly good at. But before we beat insurers up too much, we must understand that it is also not easy. Make definitions...
“Plan & Protect” – A fresh approach to critical illness?
Simplification in protection products is topic that has had a lot of debate in recent times and to be fair it is something the industry has tried numerous times. The results however, often lead to reduced levels of cover or increased cost. So, is it true that you...
The Exeter
Product news and updates from the last 2 months – 4 things to read
Whilst the last two months have not seen as much activity in the way of new products or updates, indeed I imagine insurers and advisers alike took some much needed holiday in August, there have nonetheless been a couple of recent policy launches and changes that...
What does the removal of managed life mean for the exeter’s life offering?
The Exeter have announced that they are to stop offering their Managed Life product from today (30th September), in a move to "simplify" their life insurance products. In this insight we look in more detail at what this will mean for advisers and their clients and the...
New product launches and improvements in july – 5 things you should read
In what had until now been a relatively quiet year for new product launches, improvements or innovation, we’ve seen a flurry of activity this month, with a number of insurers launching new protection plans or making improvements to existing policies. The pandemic has...
The Exeter launch more flexible income first with a unique new feature
It is fair to say that in terms of product development, this year has been a slow one for new product launches. Whether that is due to insurers pulling resource to support with pandemic related changes or just waiting to better understand the full impact, innovation...
The Exeter deliver excellent Income Protection toolkit
It’s become fashionable of late for income protection providers to create tool kits for advisers, to help them demonstrate the need for cover to clients. I’m not normally a fan of tools built by insurers or platforms, but in this case, this is money well spent. Many...
Vitality
Vitality reintroduce income protection earnings guarantee
Vitality have announced the re-introduction of their income protection benefit Earnings Guarantee, allowing clients to provide financial evidence at the time of applying (or within 6 months) and ‘lock-in’ 100% of the monthly benefit amount. The feature, which had been...
Vitality unveil new support to help clients live in better health for longer
Vitality has announced today a number of changes and improvements to it’s Vitality Programme, designed to provide clients with more personalised health and fitness support and boosting the partners and rewards available. Additional benefits and rewards are a key part...
What is vitality optimiser and how does it work?
Vitality are well known for offering a range of protection solutions, designed to provide comprehensive cover, whilst also encouraging clients to lead active and healthy lifestyles. Their unique Vitality Optimiser premium option was introduced a few years ago, to...
Vitality simplification – Getting into the detail
This morning Vitality announced major changes to their product range. There is no doubt that the Vitality product range is complicated and takes time to understand, but as they say in the old lager advert their products "refreshes the parts others don’t reach." At...
Getting into the detail of Vitality’s innovative Benefit Reduction
Since the coronavirus outbreak, the industry has been increasingly concerned that clients suffering from financial difficulty may cancel their valuable life policies at a time when they may need them most. Insurers are constantly being asked whether they will provide...
Vitality announce big changes
When launching enhancements to products, Vitality are certainly not backward in coming forward. Their launch conferences are more akin to the launch of a new iPhone than insurance products but in my view that is certainly not a bad thing. At their conference...
Zurich
zurich improve underwriting free cover and gios on life and critical illness cover
Zurich have announced a number of improvements to the free cover and guaranteed increase options included in their life and critical illness products. The changes officially announced today are effective from last Friday (29th April). In summary: Increase in maximum...
How does Zurich’s new online business protection trust work?
Zurich have announced an improvement to their business protection trusts, by now offering a complete online trust journey for those arranging business protection insurance. This follows a change earlier in the year, when their relevant life trust was made fully...
Zurich unveil stand-alone critical illness, tpd changes and online relevant life trust
Zurich have today unveiled a number of improvements across their critical illness and relevant life products, to provide greater flexibility for clients and improve the ease of writing business with them. The announcements include a new stand alone critical illness...
Zurich announces easing of covid-19 underwriting restrictions
Zurich have announced today a relaxation of their underwriting restrictions, first introduced in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The move should mean improved access to higher sums assured for older clients and better underwriting terms for those who...
Zurich’s Claims Stats highlight Fracture cover is not just for active clients
A broken bone or ligament tear can have severe implications on our ability to carry out day to day tasks. It is also something that is not unfamiliar as it is not uncommon to pass someone on the street in a cast (when we could pass people on the street) or see someone...
How good is Zurich’s Pre-Application Tool?
In reading this article you will understand: What Zurich’s pre-application tool does. How to use the tool. What results it can provide and how to get the information you need if it cannot. Where a client has a pre-existing medical condition or other disclosure on an...
Are Zurich leading the way on financially vulnerable customers?
There is much speculation around the current lock down being partially lifted from next week however, for many this is unlikely to ease the financial hardship they are suffering in the short term. Those that have lost their jobs may find it hard to find new...
A massive overhaul of Zurich’s protection proposition
Over the last year it seems that nearly every insurer has made substantial product updates. Today it is the turn of Zurich and unlike other insurers that have focused on one product – typically Critical Illness – they have produced a re-vamped proposition across all...
