Insurer Zurich UK has pledged to continue to support advisers and says it has no existing plans to build a direct-to-consumer (D2C) offering, as the company announced mixed results for the first half of the year.
The insurer revealed in an interim statement on Thursday that H1 APE was down by a third to £252m in the first half of the year - against the same period last year - thanks in part to fewer sales of retail bonds.
The ban on commission following the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) went some way to explain the lower sales, the group said.
But UK Life CEO Gary Shaughnessy (pictured) said he was happy with a rise in the number of advisers using its retail platform which, combined with higher protection sales, offset the losses Zurich made on its retail bonds.
He said: "We've had some really positive feedback from advisers who've used the platform and we are seeing adviser numbers increasing quite steadily and assets starting to grow on the platform."
Shaughnessy said the insurer was looking to adapt its platform to changing adviser needs but would not be looking into developing a D2C offering.
He said: "I believe strongly that in an environment where you've got more risks being taken on by individuals and more complex tax environments, there is going to be a greater need for advice.
"We are seeing new adviser models go out and our focus is on supporting those different adviser models and the advisers that have supported us over a long period of time."
"We'll continue to bring out innovation in terms of funds on the platform over the next period of time. Supporting the advisers that have supported us over a long period of time, that's where my focus is."
