Neilson FS launches protection-only D2C comparison service

Neilson Financial Services, a provider of direct-to-consumer (D2C) life insurance is this week launching Choozi, an online protection-only comparison service.

Launching with an initial panel of six insurers - Aegon, Canada Life, HSBC Life, LV=, Royal London and Scottish Widows - Choozi is built on UnderwriteMe's Protection Platform technology.

Offering D2C critical illness (CI) and underwritten life insurance products, it plans to add more insurers and guaranteed whole of life products for over 50s over the next month.

Customers who fill out an online questionnaire will see live, underwritten prices, compared using Defaqto ratings, purchased via the Choozi website. Telephone guidance is available and signposting to whole of market advice, where needed, is being planned into the customer journey via its recently formed advice arm Neilson Place.

Pippa Keefe, NFS Partnerships and Strategy Director said "We've witnessed a shift in distribution channels to online comparison sites over recent years for purchasing a variety of insurance products, widening the audience as they become mainstream.  By making it easy and convenient to compare and purchase protection online, Choozi will help more people find the right cover at the best price."

She continued: "The most exciting aspect of Choozi is that it brings a unique ‘hybrid' distribution approach to the UK market, with a direct-to-consumer comparison and purchase service meeting both guided and full advice where required. This recognises that customers with different purchase preferences and product needs don't want to be shoe-horned into a one-size-fits-all sales process.  If customers start the comparison and purchase journey online through Choozi but need help, they can request human guidance and then either return to the online journey or be helped to complete manually.  We will also incorporate signposting to our whole of market advisers where it becomes apparent that the customer has more complex underwriting or product needs."

Neilson Place

Following the announcement of recent senior hires, we revealed that the leadership team of the firm's newly formed advice firm, Neilson Place, were previously managing director, general manager and head of sales at Albany Park, the advice firm owned by Inchora.

Paul Foody, Joseph D'Cunha and Chris Shepherd are leading Neilson Place's team of 23 "protection specialists" based at offices in Surrey once lockdown ends.

Neilson Place co-founder Paul Foody said at the time: "We are pleased to be launching a modern protection advice firm with a real focus on the training and qualifications necessary to give professional, specialist protection advice. In order to achieve this, we fund the relevant CII qualifications for all our advisers, as well as taking them through our internal training academy. As true specialist protection advisers they will be superbly placed to give holistic protection advice, helping customers with a range of complex underwriting and product requirements ranging from impaired life cover to income protection and key man assurance."

Earlier this year, ex-UnderwriteMe head of sales and marketing Pippa Keefe joined ex-Post Office and former BGL Group talent, Sam Thurston and Elton Holmes at NFS. The D2C life provider was formed in 2012 by group CEO Gavin Donnelly, with direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands British Seniors and Smart Insurance. 

Further reading

Albany Park top talent named as Neilson Place founders

• Adviser / Broking
• 03 June 2020

Neilson FS builds senior team and forms advice business

• Individual Protection
• 19 May 2020

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• Technology
• Choozi
• Neilson Financial Services
• Neilson Place