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Life Protection
Added value benefits
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...
How can clients get faster and easier access to a GP THROUGH their protection policy?
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 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...
World mental health day 2021 – what mental health support benefits do insurers offer?
World Mental Health Day, which takes place this coming Sunday 10th October, is supported by the World Health Organisation “to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health”. The theme for 2021 is mental...
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...
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, with the market increasingly moving towards value added benefits, insurers are keen to provide a whole range of other benefits that...
Second medical opinion services – how insurers compare
We are all individuals so even if we are doing the same job as someone else, we all have our own spin on the way we do things, our own opinions and experience. This is true of advisers and other professionals that clients may come into contact with, such as doctors....
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...
Health checks support benefit– how providers compare
Regular check-ups are common in various aspects of health and safety in our lives, from annual car MOTs and boiler checks to dental checks and pet health checks. There doesn’t necessarily need to be anything wrong to prompt a check-up – in the case of car MOTs it’s a...
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...
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...
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...
FRACTURE COVER – WHO OFFERS WHAT?
A simple accident, and a broken bone, can easily lead to unforeseen financial stress particularly for those who have physically demanding occupations. Fractures can make it difficult or even impossible for clients to work for weeks or even months whilst they...
Nutritional support – who offers what?
We’re all familiar these days with the benefits of good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. Putting the right and best ‘fuel in the tank’ is the start point to a healthier lifestyle and the services offered by a nutritionist can help us all understand things...
Improving lives through health checks
The old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’ may be a cliché but like many well-worn phrases, it contains more than a grain of truth. Ask anyone who is living with a health condition that has impaired their quality of life and, given the choice, they would...
Which insurers help reduce the risk of illness through nutritional support
Prevention is better than a cure. It’s a phrase we are all familiar with but in an industry that provides valuable financial support to customers when the worst happens, should we be doing more to help prevent the scenarios we insure against in the first place? There...
Which insurers help clients obtain better medical care abroad?
The NHS is generally seen as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Whilst the range of treatments available in the UK are vast, how would your clients cope if more effective or even lifesaving treatment was only available elsewhere in the world? In this...
Are all second medical opinion services the same?
As focus shifts from price led protection to quality led protection; demand for additional benefits from insurers will only continue to grow. Second medical opinion services are one such added benefit. It provides clients with the ability to confirm or dismiss doubts...
Providing Emotional Support – How Do Counselling Services Differ?
The impact of losing a loved one, becoming seriously ill or injured affects far more than just a consumer’s financial life. Additionally in the current environment there are a lot of people who are suffering stress related to the impact of COVID-19 on their family and...
Legal services in life assurance: what different insurers offer
Additional services provided by insurers are increasing and legal aid is just one of the additional benefits that is being offered by several insurers. This week we take a closer look at Legal services provided by insurers.There is plethora of reasons as to why...
buyback options
Which insurers have the best critical illness and life buyback 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...
the benefits of buyback options
The ability to claim on a protection plan will provide clients with a financial lifeline and the added comfort of not having to worry about their finances. Where a claim is made on a full payment critical illness condition that plan will usually come to an end. This...
Claims
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
Additional Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry added value 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 increasing...
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...
Which insurers offer the best support during claims?
Protection policy holders will hope that they or their family never have to make a claim on their protection plan(s). In the current environment however it is likely that insurers will experience a dramatic increase in claims across all benefit types and at such times...
Everything you need to know
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...
Free cover during underwriting – 4 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,...
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
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...
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...
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....
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
Health and Wellbeing added Benefits – Everything you need to know
In reading this and the linked articles you will understand: What health & wellbeing added benefits insurers offer How the services compare provided by those insurers How you can highlight these services in your client conversations This week marks Mental Health...
Mortgage specific plan features – everything you need to know
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...
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...
Family income benefit
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...
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...
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
Who provides free life cover during application underwriting?
The last 18 months has shown that none of us know what's round the corner. We were all mostly blissfully unaware back in January 2020 about Coronavirus and the unpreceidented impact it would have on our lives. Ultimately the same is true of many things in life,...
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...
What cover do insurers offer before a LIFE policy is put in force?
When a client makes that decision to commit to buying protection, like any buying decision we make, they’re likely to want the cover in place as quickly as possible. Often, and especially in recent times, obtaining medical evidence, can be a painful and time consuming...
Guaranteed insurability options
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
Guaranteed insurability options for renters – How providers compare
Over the last few years the protection industry has increasingly focused on renters and initiatives to highlight the importance of protection to this demographic. The most common product solution has been the introduction of renter specific guaranteed insurability...
Increasing life and critical illness cover without underwriting – how providers compare
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...
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...
When can life and critical illness cover be increased without underwriting?
Submitting a life or critical illness application for anyone that has or is suffering from symptoms related to COVID-19 will almost certainly lead to a postponement of terms being offered. Where a client has no other cover in place there is little that can be done...
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...
What is the difference between Life AND CI and Life OR CI?
Over the last few years there have been a marked increase in the number of multi-benefit policies put in place by advisers. All quotation portals now make it far easier to compare multi-benefit prices, but advisers need to be aware of exactly what cover they are...
Are two single life plans better than a joint life plan?
During my time both as an actual adviser and then supervising and managing a team of advisers, a frequently asked question was whether two single life policy’s are better than a joint life policy. Sometimes that question can come from clients, often unfamiliar with...
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...
Which plans offer life cover to older clients?
The term of a life protection plan will depend on a number of different factors. Where cover is in place to protect against a mortgage the term of the plan will generally mirror the term of the liability, however where the plan is to provide family protection this...
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
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...
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...
Who has the highest non-medical underwriting limits for life assurance?
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...
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
Waiver of premium – how 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...
Will Guardian’s approach to Waiver of Premium trigger changes in market practice?
The financial impact of becoming ill or injured and unable to work can mean that clients' will need to cut costs. Cancelling a life or critical illness policy to save the premiums could leave the client at greater financial risk. In this article, we look at how this...
Critical illness
Added value benefits
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...
How can clients get faster and easier access to a GP THROUGH their protection policy?
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 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...
World mental health day 2021 – what mental health support benefits do insurers offer?
World Mental Health Day, which takes place this coming Sunday 10th October, is supported by the World Health Organisation “to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health”. The theme for 2021 is mental...
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...
Second medical opinion services – how insurers compare
We are all individuals so even if we are doing the same job as someone else, we all have our own spin on the way we do things, our own opinions and experience. This is true of advisers and other professionals that clients may come into contact with, such as doctors....
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...
How does legal & general’s new fracture cover compare?
Legal & General were the latest insurer to enter the fracture cover market this week, with the announcement of their optional bolt-on Fracture Cover benefit on Tuesday. This new policy forms part of their Umbrella Protect benefits, designed to provide protection...
Health checks support benefit– how providers compare
Regular check-ups are common in various aspects of health and safety in our lives, from annual car MOTs and boiler checks to dental checks and pet health checks. There doesn’t necessarily need to be anything wrong to prompt a check-up – in the case of car MOTs it’s a...
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...
Carers Week 2021 – WHICH INCOME PROTECTION PLANS OFFER SUPPORT FOR CARERS?
Today marks the start of Carers Week 2021, an annual campaign intended to raise awareness of and recognise the crucial role unpaid carers play. Carers week this year runs from the 7th-13th June and against the backdrop of the immense challenges the coronavirus...
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...
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...
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...
FRACTURE COVER – WHO OFFERS WHAT?
A simple accident, and a broken bone, can easily lead to unforeseen financial stress particularly for those who have physically demanding occupations. Fractures can make it difficult or even impossible for clients to work for weeks or even months whilst they...
Nutritional support – who offers what?
We’re all familiar these days with the benefits of good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. Putting the right and best ‘fuel in the tank’ is the start point to a healthier lifestyle and the services offered by a nutritionist can help us all understand things...
Career support services – who does what?
Unfortunately, some clients who make a claim on their income protection policy will be unable to return to the same job they did before they had an accident or became ill. For example, they may have claimed on their policy for stress, so a less stressful or...
Improving lives through health checks
The old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’ may be a cliché but like many well-worn phrases, it contains more than a grain of truth. Ask anyone who is living with a health condition that has impaired their quality of life and, given the choice, they would...
Which insurers help reduce the risk of illness through nutritional support
Prevention is better than a cure. It’s a phrase we are all familiar with but in an industry that provides valuable financial support to customers when the worst happens, should we be doing more to help prevent the scenarios we insure against in the first place? There...
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...
buyback options
the benefits of buyback options
The ability to claim on a protection plan will provide clients with a financial lifeline and the added comfort of not having to worry about their finances. Where a claim is made on a full payment critical illness condition that plan will usually come to an end. This...
Children’s critical illness
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...
How do royal london’s new children’s critical illness limits compare?
Royal London announced last week a number of improvements to various aspects of their personal menu plan protection products, in particular an increase to the limits of both their standard and enhanced children’s critical illness cover. In this insight we examine in...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Claims
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
Additional Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry added value 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 increasing...
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...
The stories behind critical illness claims
It is well publicised that consumers have a misconception that the protection industry does not pay claims. All insurers now publish their claims paid stats that highlight claims paid are often well in excess of 90% and this data is freely available for advisers to...
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...
Where will COVID-19 cause critical illness claims Pt. 1
It is fair to say that the coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the protection market. Whilst much of the focus has been on income protection which is the most affected benefit type, it is expected that claims will also rise for life and critical illness....
Which insurers offer the best support during claims?
Protection policy holders will hope that they or their family never have to make a claim on their protection plan(s). In the current environment however it is likely that insurers will experience a dramatic increase in claims across all benefit types and at such times...
Critical illness conditions
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...
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,...
How do Royal London’s improvements to additional critical illness payouts stack up?
No matter how good any of us are at what we do, there is always room for improvement or fresh ideas. For insurers, the focus always must be on how they can improve client outcomes and the service they provide to the advisers who look after those clients. Advisers will...
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...
Health awareness days in q2 2021- 6 things you should read
National & international health awareness days are an opportunity for charities and health organisations to raise awareness of medical conditions. They seek to promote education, understanding and support, as well as try to drive better prevention and...
Which critical illness policies come top if clients have a serious accident?
There’s no way of knowing if or when clients will have a serious accident but should that happen the impact on a client’s life can be severe. Clients may think they are invincible but as our independent panel of medical practitioners explain: “Accident and injuries...
Which insurers make extra payments to younger clients with a critical illness?
Helping a younger client plan their future takes on a whole new dimension for advisers if that client is diagnosed with a critical illness. Their plans to travel the world, get married, buy a house, study or change jobs could either be put on hold or accelerated,...
Who offers higher critical illness payments based on quality of life?
Quality of life is something that separates a living meaningful life from simply existing. This is why living with a critical-illness that impairs quality of life over time can be so devastating for clients and their families. It can change what clients are able to do...
Global MND awareness day – how is Motor neurone disease covered in critical illness plans?
In reading this article you will understand What Motor Neurone Disease is and how it affects the body The different types and long term prognosis of Motor Neurone Disease How Motor Neurone Disease is covered by critical illness plans Global Motor Neurone Disease...
men’s health week – How do critical illness plans cover prostate cancer?
Every year Men’s Health Week, which this year runs from the 14th-20th June, seeks to raise awareness of health issues that disproportionately affect men and to focus on how they can manage their health better and seek treatment when problems do arise. The most common...
Diabetes Week 2021 – how is diabetes covered in critical illness plans?
There are 4.7 million people in the UK living with diabetes and this number is expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2030. The condition causes raised sugar levels in the bloodstream which can lead to problems like cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage...
Everything you need to know
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...
Free cover during underwriting – 4 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,...
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
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...
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...
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...
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....
Health awareness days in q2 2021- 6 things you should read
National & international health awareness days are an opportunity for charities and health organisations to raise awareness of medical conditions. They seek to promote education, understanding and support, as well as try to drive better prevention and...
Insuring fathers – everything you need to know
With Fathers Day this Sunday and no doubt many families taking the opportunity this year to gather and celebrate the day with reduced lockdown restrictions in place, perhaps the topic of protection insurance planning will arise. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly...
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
Free Cover
Who provides immediate critical illness cover during application underwriting?
When an adviser spots a client’s need for critical-illness cover, the application process is a bit like buying something that is made to order rather than off the peg. It will take a bit of time to process, because it is built for the individual and will need to be...
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...
Which policies cover critical illness during underwriting?
For many advisers, the coronavirus pandemic has led to an increase in protection enquiries. This is great news, however social distancing and the strain the virus has placed on the NHS has meant that obtaining medical evidence for clients with disclosures has in some...
How do insurers help get Critical Illness in force quicker?
There are many reasons why a client might need cover in place quickly, however where medical underwriting is required, this may not always be possible. Likewise, where cover is being put in place to cover a mortgage it is important for the client to be insured from...
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
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
Guaranteed insurability options for renters – How providers compare
Over the last few years the protection industry has increasingly focused on renters and initiatives to highlight the importance of protection to this demographic. The most common product solution has been the introduction of renter specific guaranteed insurability...
Increasing life and critical illness cover without underwriting – how providers compare
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...
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...
When can life and critical illness cover be increased without underwriting?
Submitting a life or critical illness application for anyone that has or is suffering from symptoms related to COVID-19 will almost certainly lead to a postponement of terms being offered. Where a client has no other cover in place there is little that can be done...
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...
How do royal london’s new children’s critical illness limits compare?
Royal London announced last week a number of improvements to various aspects of their personal menu plan protection products, in particular an increase to the limits of both their standard and enhanced children’s critical illness cover. In this insight we examine in...
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 age criteria for critical illness cover?
Advisers with a diverse client base need to be able to place protection business for clients across the age spectrum. With age being an important factor when selecting critical-illness cover, particularly as it has cost implications for the client, it helps to know...
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
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...
Non-Medical underwriting limits for critical illness – how insurers compare
As many advisers will understand, long delays between a client agreeing to put a protection plan in place and them being accepted by the insurer can often lead to lost business. One of the main reasons for long delays is an insurer requiring medical evidence and...
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...
How to get High Sum Assured Critical Illness plans on risk quickly
Putting a policy on risk quickly can often be the difference between a NTU and in force policy. So what can be done to minimise delays when medical evidence is needed? Having a good understanding of what will trigger requests for such evidence can make a difference...
Waiver of premium
Waiver of premium – how 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...
Will Guardian’s approach to Waiver of Premium trigger changes in market practice?
The financial impact of becoming ill or injured and unable to work can mean that clients' will need to cut costs. Cancelling a life or critical illness policy to save the premiums could leave the client at greater financial risk. In this article, we look at how this...
Income Protection
Added value benefits
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...
How can clients get faster and easier access to a GP THROUGH their protection policy?
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 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...
World mental health day 2021 – what mental health support benefits do insurers offer?
World Mental Health Day, which takes place this coming Sunday 10th October, is supported by the World Health Organisation “to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health”. The theme for 2021 is mental...
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...
Second medical opinion services – how insurers compare
We are all individuals so even if we are doing the same job as someone else, we all have our own spin on the way we do things, our own opinions and experience. This is true of advisers and other professionals that clients may come into contact with, such as doctors....
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...
Health checks support benefit– how providers compare
Regular check-ups are common in various aspects of health and safety in our lives, from annual car MOTs and boiler checks to dental checks and pet health checks. There doesn’t necessarily need to be anything wrong to prompt a check-up – in the case of car MOTs it’s a...
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...
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...
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...
FRACTURE COVER – WHO OFFERS WHAT?
A simple accident, and a broken bone, can easily lead to unforeseen financial stress particularly for those who have physically demanding occupations. Fractures can make it difficult or even impossible for clients to work for weeks or even months whilst they...
Nutritional support – who offers what?
We’re all familiar these days with the benefits of good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. Putting the right and best ‘fuel in the tank’ is the start point to a healthier lifestyle and the services offered by a nutritionist can help us all understand things...
Improving lives through health checks
The old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’ may be a cliché but like many well-worn phrases, it contains more than a grain of truth. Ask anyone who is living with a health condition that has impaired their quality of life and, given the choice, they would...
Which insurers help reduce the risk of illness through nutritional support
Prevention is better than a cure. It’s a phrase we are all familiar with but in an industry that provides valuable financial support to customers when the worst happens, should we be doing more to help prevent the scenarios we insure against in the first place? There...
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...
Which insurers help clients obtain better medical care abroad?
The NHS is generally seen as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Whilst the range of treatments available in the UK are vast, how would your clients cope if more effective or even lifesaving treatment was only available elsewhere in the world? In this...
Are all second medical opinion services the same?
As focus shifts from price led protection to quality led protection; demand for additional benefits from insurers will only continue to grow. Second medical opinion services are one such added benefit. It provides clients with the ability to confirm or dismiss doubts...
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
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 income protection providers help with a hospital stay
With human nature being what it is, we tend to think we will not be among those who are admitted to hospital due to an accident or illness each year. Advisers selling protection will come across many clients who think they are invincible. However, there will be some...
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
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...
Additional Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry added value 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 increasing...
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...
Support 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...
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...
who offers the best support during income protection claims?
Should your client need to claim on their income protection plan it means the worst has literally happened. With their ability to earn an income curtailed clients will be worried about their future and so need all the support they can get to make it through a tough...
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...
Deferred Periods
Income protection deferred periods – who offers what?
Advisers will often say they see clients from all walks of life with different jobs and budgets to spend on income protection plans. No two clients are alike. Income protection plans need to reflect those differences in enabling advisers to select from a range of...
Who offers sick-pay matching defer periods for nhs medics and teachers?
When arranging an income protection policy for NHS medical professionals and some teachers, one of the challenges advisers may face is matching the defer period to the clients sick-pay arrangements. Currently the standard option offered by most insurers is a fixed...
Which insurers are still offering short deferred periods?
Selecting the right deferred period is one of the most important considerations when recommending an income protection plan. Insurers offer a range of different options to meet client needs, however the COVID-19 pandemic had led to some insurers making changes 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...
which insurers apply Covid exclusions to income protection
Few areas of our lives remain untouched by Covid-19 and the protection market is no exception. People who have been furloughed, lost their jobs, seen their usual income fall or are worried about falling ill with Covid-19 may have a lot of questions to ask about...
Waived deferred periods for linked income protection claims – how insurers compare
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 the claims process differs...
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...
The LOWDOWN ON LINKED CLAIMS
There are many reasons why people do the jobs they do. Doing something they enjoy and are good at, helping others and having a purpose in life are all very valid reasons for working. However, for most people, the main reason for working is to earn money to live on and...
Making income protection add up for teachers
After four months of home schooling during the Coronavirus lockdown, the pressure on teachers is mounting. Tasked with getting children safely back into school to catch up – thereby getting parents back into work to help the ailing British economy – there is a lot of...
Everything you need to know
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...
Free cover during underwriting – 4 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,...
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
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...
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...
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...
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....
Health awareness days in q2 2021- 6 things you should read
National & international health awareness days are an opportunity for charities and health organisations to raise awareness of medical conditions. They seek to promote education, understanding and support, as well as try to drive better prevention and...
Insuring fathers – everything you need to know
With Fathers Day this Sunday and no doubt many families taking the opportunity this year to gather and celebrate the day with reduced lockdown restrictions in place, perhaps the topic of protection insurance planning will arise. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly...
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...
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
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...
Increasing income protection without underwriting – how do insurers compare?
Life isn't static and a client's circumstances are liable to change, especially if they're arranging cover at a relatively young age. They may find themselves buying their first home, starting a family or changing jobs during the term of their plan. Given those...
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
Guaranteed insurability options for renters – How providers compare
Over the last few years the protection industry has increasingly focused on renters and initiatives to highlight the importance of protection to this demographic. The most common product solution has been the introduction of renter specific guaranteed insurability...
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...
Who makes it easier to increase Income protection?
If there is one thing you can be sure about, it is that you cannot be sure what your clients’ circumstances will be in the future. In terms of protecting your clients income, regular changes to earned income and expenditure can mean that an income protection plan put...
Minimum/maximum limits
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...
Which income protection providers offer the best minimum benefit guarantee?
It’s fair to say that everyone expects their earnings to rise over time, not fall. As people progress through their careers, gaining more knowledge and experience – perhaps even professional qualifications – their value increases and they tend to earn more...
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...
What are the age limits for income protection insurance?
Income protection claims statistics released by insurers earlier this year suggest the average age for claimants is around the mid-thirties to mid-forties mark, depending on which insurer you look at. However, these are only averages, so claims will have been made by...
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...
The Minimum Benefit Guarantee – A Safety net for Income Protection plans
Changes in working patterns is causing greater fluctuations in individuals’ income during their careers. Workers are increasingly making career moves or switching to part-time roles as they grow older, which could see their income level fall. As well as changing...
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
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 insurers help income protection clients needing a career change?
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...
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...
Career support services – who does what?
Unfortunately, some clients who make a claim on their income protection policy will be unable to return to the same job they did before they had an accident or became ill. For example, they may have claimed on their policy for stress, so a less stressful or...
Making income protection add up for teachers
After four months of home schooling during the Coronavirus lockdown, the pressure on teachers is mounting. Tasked with getting children safely back into school to catch up – thereby getting parents back into work to help the ailing British economy – there is a lot of...
Which income protection plans offer support for carers?
A policy briefing by Carers UK in August 2019 found that there are approximately 6.5 million people in the UK providing unpaid care. Whilst a large proportion of these people were providing care for elderly relatives, it also shows that a significant proportion are...
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
Which income protection providers have the best approach to proportionate benefits?
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. When a client returns to work after claiming...
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...
How do insurers help income protection clients needing a career change?
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 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...
Career support services – who does what?
Unfortunately, some clients who make a claim on their income protection policy will be unable to return to the same job they did before they had an accident or became ill. For example, they may have claimed on their policy for stress, so a less stressful or...
The LOWDOWN ON LINKED CLAIMS
There are many reasons why people do the jobs they do. Doing something they enjoy and are good at, helping others and having a purpose in life are all very valid reasons for working. However, for most people, the main reason for working is to earn money to live on and...
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...
Providing Emotional Support – How Do Counselling Services Differ?
The impact of losing a loved one, becoming seriously ill or injured affects far more than just a consumer’s financial life. Additionally in the current environment there are a lot of people who are suffering stress related to the impact of COVID-19 on their family and...
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
Which income protection providers have the best approach to proportionate benefits?
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. When a client returns to work after claiming...
Which income protection providers offer the best minimum benefit guarantee?
It’s fair to say that everyone expects their earnings to rise over time, not fall. As people progress through their careers, gaining more knowledge and experience – perhaps even professional qualifications – their value increases and they tend to earn more...
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...
Which insurers offer the highest 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 clients’ expenditure is clearly critically important as this ultimately is what is being protected however, in many cases...
The Minimum Benefit Guarantee – A Safety net for Income Protection plans
Changes in working patterns is causing greater fluctuations in individuals’ income during their careers. Workers are increasingly making career moves or switching to part-time roles as they grow older, which could see their income level fall. As well as changing...
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...
Getting the maximum amount of income protection for a client
A client’s level of income inevitably changes throughout their working life. The source of that income may also change which can pose challenges for their adviser when looking for a suitable Income Protection plan. Naturally, advisers will seek to ensure clients have...
Terminal Illness
WHICH INCOME PROTECTION PROVIDERS OFFER SUPPORT 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
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...
Non-medical underwriting limits for income protection – how insurers compare
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...
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...
Legal & General Increase Non medical underwriting limits for income protection
The subject of underwriting has been an extremely hot topic in recent times with many advisers raising concerns over the length of time it can take to obtain medical evidence. Where there are medical disclosures within an application this may be difficult to avoid,...
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...
When is medical evidence automatically requested on Income Protection?
Updated: 27/04/2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly put a strain on the NHS in recent times. As such any application referred to underwriting and requiring medical evidence has in many cases taken much longer to progress. Where a client has underlying health issues...
Business Protection
Added value benefits
How can clients get faster and easier access to a GP THROUGH their protection policy?
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 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...
World mental health day 2021 – what mental health support benefits do insurers offer?
World Mental Health Day, which takes place this coming Sunday 10th October, is supported by the World Health Organisation “to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilise efforts in support of mental health”. The theme for 2021 is mental...
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...
Second medical opinion services – how insurers compare
We are all individuals so even if we are doing the same job as someone else, we all have our own spin on the way we do things, our own opinions and experience. This is true of advisers and other professionals that clients may come into contact with, such as doctors....
Health checks support benefit– how providers compare
Regular check-ups are common in various aspects of health and safety in our lives, from annual car MOTs and boiler checks to dental checks and pet health checks. There doesn’t necessarily need to be anything wrong to prompt a check-up – in the case of car MOTs it’s a...
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...
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...
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...
FRACTURE COVER – WHO OFFERS WHAT?
A simple accident, and a broken bone, can easily lead to unforeseen financial stress particularly for those who have physically demanding occupations. Fractures can make it difficult or even impossible for clients to work for weeks or even months whilst they...
Nutritional support – who offers what?
We’re all familiar these days with the benefits of good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle. Putting the right and best ‘fuel in the tank’ is the start point to a healthier lifestyle and the services offered by a nutritionist can help us all understand things...
Improving lives through health checks
The old saying that ‘prevention is better than cure’ may be a cliché but like many well-worn phrases, it contains more than a grain of truth. Ask anyone who is living with a health condition that has impaired their quality of life and, given the choice, they would...
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...
Which insurers help reduce the risk of illness through nutritional support
Prevention is better than a cure. It’s a phrase we are all familiar with but in an industry that provides valuable financial support to customers when the worst happens, should we be doing more to help prevent the scenarios we insure against in the first place? There...
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...
Which insurers help clients obtain better medical care abroad?
The NHS is generally seen as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Whilst the range of treatments available in the UK are vast, how would your clients cope if more effective or even lifesaving treatment was only available elsewhere in the world? In this...
Are all second medical opinion services the same?
As focus shifts from price led protection to quality led protection; demand for additional benefits from insurers will only continue to grow. Second medical opinion services are one such added benefit. It provides clients with the ability to confirm or dismiss doubts...
Providing Emotional Support – How Do Counselling Services Differ?
The impact of losing a loved one, becoming seriously ill or injured affects far more than just a consumer’s financial life. Additionally in the current environment there are a lot of people who are suffering stress related to the impact of COVID-19 on their family and...
Claims
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
Additional Services Claim stories
Protection plans offer so much more than just a financial pay out. Across the industry added value 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 increasing...
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...
Which insurers offer the best support during claims?
Protection policy holders will hope that they or their family never have to make a claim on their protection plan(s). In the current environment however it is likely that insurers will experience a dramatic increase in claims across all benefit types and at such times...
Everything you need to know
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...
Free cover during underwriting – 4 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,...
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
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...
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...
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...
Insurer Claims Processes – Everything you need to know
The point at which a person needs to make a claim on a protection policy is the point at which the insurer will really show their spots. If the process is simple, quick and as stress free as possible the whole industry shines. If there is unecessary friction in the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Immediate cover vs Free Cover – What are the differences and who offers what?
In reading this article you will understand What Immediate Cover and Free Cover are and how they differ Which providers offer each type of cover and the restrictions that apply The advantages and disadvantages of Immediate Cover and Free Cover The death of anyone in...
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
Increasing protection insurance without underwriting – 4 things you should read
Life isn’t static and peoples’ circumstances regularly change, from buying a first home having previously rented, to career changes or starting a family. Increasingly people are also no longer following a traditional linear path through life and instead are moving in...
WHO HAS THE MOST GENEROUS GUARANTEED INSURABILTY OPTIONS ON BUSINESS PROTECTION?
We all like to think we know what we’re worth, what our employees are worth and what our companies are worth. You only have to see an episode of the TV series Dragon’s Den to see how stubborn people are when it comes to their valuation of their companies and...
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...
Who offers the most flexible and beneficial Separation Options for Life Protection?
Separation and divorce can be a harrowing and stressful time. Protection will often be the last thing that clients want to consider but when children or a substantial liability such as a mortgage is involved, keeping cover in place is vital. This week we consider how...
Minimum/maximum limits
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...
Supporting advisers selling business protection – who offers what?
Selling to businesses often raises the stakes for advisers. Yes the problems, premiums and income are often bigger but it’s probably fair to say that businesses will have a high expectation of quality advice and an easy process. So it’s important for advisers to know...
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...
Who has the broadest age criteria for relevant life cover?
Holding on to good employees can be challenging for small businesses but it is important from a cost perspective. If a client’s business resembles the revolving door of the local hotel, this will translate into an endless cycle of costs, as they will need to spend...
Who offers business protection to older employees?
For business owners, time is a precious resource. Small businesses in particular have huge demands on their time. Owners are often doing the work that brings the money in, running the business side of things and trying to find the time for friends and loved ones that...
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...
Business Protection – Who offers the best support?
Business Protection is recognised as one of the more complex protection recommendations an adviser will make. Understanding not only the business’s need for protection, but also the monetary risk to the business of losing a key person or shareholder/partner for any...
Relevant Life
Who has the broadest age criteria for relevant life cover?
Holding on to good employees can be challenging for small businesses but it is important from a cost perspective. If a client’s business resembles the revolving door of the local hotel, this will translate into an endless cycle of costs, as they will need to spend...
How can employees continue their relevant life policy in a new job?
Many advisers have found that Covid-19 has prompted clients to think about their own mortality and the need to get some life cover. Where clients are business owners, this can translate into a desire to provide life cover for their employees. Group life cover may be...
Underwriting limits
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?
Many of us will have been saddened to hear that a colleague, business contact or a client has passed away. We may reflect on the last conversation we had with them and express condolences to their family, showing how that person touched our lives. When the person who...
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 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 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 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
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 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 Increase Non medical underwriting limits for income protection
The subject of underwriting has been an extremely hot topic in recent times with many advisers raising concerns over the length of time it can take to obtain medical evidence. Where there are medical disclosures within an application this may be difficult to avoid,...
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=
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
How do royal london’s new children’s critical illness limits compare?
Royal London announced last week a number of improvements to various aspects of their personal menu plan protection products, in particular an increase to the limits of both their standard and enhanced children’s critical illness cover. In this insight we examine in...
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
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 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 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...
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