Discussion

My client, a company director of a medium-sized firm, has recently been diagnosed with heart problems due to a virus. He has no cover and providers have now refused to insure him. What other options can he explore?

As a small IFA, I have recently redirected my business towards the SME group market. I am finding clients are obsessed with the price alone. Should I make an effort to sell on the added value of these products, such as EAPs, or should I just concentrate...

I have noted an increase in the proliferation of short-term income protection (IP) policies, and have several clients preferring it to full IP. Given the return-to-work statistics for the longer-term sick, I worry about selling these products to people...

LifeSearch has recently released a code of conduct it would like all protection sellers to adhere to. Should there be such a code and what does it say about this market that it should originate from an intermediary rather than a provider?

COVER is proud to announce that Aviva, LV=, PruHealth, PruProtect and Simplyhealth are sponsoring its new website.

Given the Financial Ombudsman Service's (FOS) desire to see larger caseload contributors paying a greater share of the costs, do you think this heralds a focus on smaller companies well being from regulators?

With white papers due this year on long-term care (Dilnot Review), sickness absence and also the Treasury's work on simple products, how much explicit help (not just macro changes to benefits and the NHS) would you want the government to give the industry?...

With take up of sales in income protection (IP) by advisers so low, reflecting in low consumer sales, what could be done to the product to make it more attractive to IFAs, apart from increased commission?

All the videos featuring the COVER Excellence Awards winners are available online.

At the recent COVER Health and Protection Forum, Clive Waller called for greater regulation of back book selling. Do you agree that this would ultimately benefit clients and the market?