Alan Lakey | 16 Sep 2020 | Cover Magazine
Changes should help advisers and consumers ‘better understand’ Vitality concept...Read
more
Alan Lakey | 2 Sep 2020 | Cover Magazine
CIExpert director Alan Lakey returns with some in-depth critical illness policy analysis...Read
more
Alan Lakey | 20 July 2020 | Cover Magazine
LV= is taking great strides to compete at the top of the CI quality table...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 4 Jun 2020
I am often asked how CIExpert arrives at its scores for critical illness conditions.
There is no secret to this because it uses similar techniques to the reinsurers who
underwrite the plans...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 9 Apr 2020
It’s been almost four years since Aegon applied adjustments to its critical illness
plan, writes Alan Lakey. During this time its competitors have executed regular upgrades...Read
more
Alan Lakey | 26 Sep 2019 | Cover Magazine
CIExpert director on how to navigate the children’s critical illness minefield...Read
more
David Sawers | 20 Aug 2019 | Health Insurance and Protection
Protection specialised CIExpert has released a free upgrade to its critical illness
comparison and analysis tool which is says will offer users an even more ‘personalised’
and ‘predictive’ service...Read more
Adam Saville | 20 Aug 2019 | Cover Magazine
Critical Illness comparison site CIExpert has rolled out a Personalised Predictive
Analysis (PPA) tool for advisers who subscribe to the service...Read more
Imogen Tew | 20 Aug 2019 | FT Adviser
CIExpert - a critical illness comparison site for brokers - has upgraded its service
to provide advisers with personalised, predictive analysis which interprets the value
of a policy for their client...Read more
Adam Saville | 29 Jul 2019 | Cover Magazine
Legal & General has today announced a number of changes to its critical illness plans,
including combined wordings for some conditions and additional payment options under
critical illness extra (CIx)...Read more
Naomi Greatorex | Cover Magazine | 19 Jul 2019
I find talking to my clients about the importance of protecting themselves hugely
rewarding. I walk away from my meeting feeling like my clients have had access to
the advice they need on a wide range of protection options...Read more
Adam Saville | 16 Jul 2019 | Cover Magazine
Alterations, whilst ‘relatively minor’, show insurer refusing to play the ‘numbers
game’, says Alan Lakey...Read more
Adam Saville | 21 Jun 2019 | Cover Magazine
Four alterations ‘may be a precursor to more drastic changes over the next year,’
says Alan Lakey...Read more
Alan Lakey | 5 Jun 2019 | Cover Magazine
The introduction of additional payment conditions by insurers is making life complicated
for advisers...Read more
Alan Lakey | 8 May 2019 | Cover Magazine
Remove joint life plans to reflect claims experience, writes CIExpert director...Read
more
Adam Saville | 21 Mar 2019 | Cover Magazine
‘Solid improvements that will increase claims paid,’ says Alan Lakey...Read more
Alan Lakey| Cover Magazine | 27 Feb 2019
The cost of life insurance in the UK is the cheapest in the world, even though some
countries, like Japan, Switzerland and Singapore evince superior longevity...Read
more
Adam Saville | 29 Jan 2019 | Cover Magazine
‘For use by branch advisers and designed to be easily understood by both them and
potential customers’, says Alan Lakey...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Magazine | 29 Jan 2019
Scottish Widows’ ‘Plan & Protect’ products are now available to Halifax, Lloyds Bank
and Bank of Scotland mortgage customers in branches, following regional trials since
October 2018...Read more
Alan Lakey | 14 Dec 2018 | Cover Magazine
CIExpert's Alan Lakey reviews a year in critical illness with 'child-like exhilaration'...Read
more
Kevin Carr | 12 Dec 2018 | FT Adviser
The protection industry tends to get a bad rap when it comes to innovation and technology...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Mortgage Solutions | 10 Dec 2018
For those of us who consider critical illness to be an essential part of a strategic
mortgage protection plan, 2018 has proved to be an extremely busy and even exciting
year...Read more
Rachel Addison | FT Adviser | 10 Dec 2018
Royal London has made a range of changes to its critical illness products, including
no longer requiring treatment to pay a low grade prostate cancer claim...Read more
Adam Saville | 26 Nov 2018 | Cover Magazine
Legal & General’s third critical illness upgrade of 2018 has brought with it an increase
in the payment level of adult additional payment condition within the critical illness
extra plan...Read more
Ryan Bembridge | Mortgage Introducer | 26 Nov 2018
Legal & General has updated its critical illness offering by increasing the payment
level for adult additional payment conditions and for children’s critical illness
extra cover...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 25 Oct 2018
Aegon figures show that breast cancer was the single most common cause of CI claims
in 2017, accounting for 15%, and a quarter (26%) of its CI cancer claims (60%) were
for breast cancer...Read more
Adam Saville | 15 Oct 2018 | Cover Magazine
Five new conditions have been added to Aviva's Critical Illness+ and Life Assurance+
plans, a new upgraded adult addition and a further three children's conditions...Read
more
Kevin Carr and Suzanne Clarkson | FT Adviser | 8 Oct 2018
There’s no substitute for experience, as the saying goes. And never more so than
in the nuanced world of financial planning. People are unique. And any job that involves
working with people must reflect that truism...Read more
Adam Saville | 10 Sep 2018 | Cover Magazine
Alan Lakey is ‘impressed by the two policies which offers flexibility to match individual
needs’ which ‘compete strongly with other top quality policies’...Read more
Rachel Addison | FT Adviser | 29 Aug 2018
TMA Club has introduced a critical illness comparison service to its members in partnership
with CIExpert...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover Mag | 20 Aug 2018
Insurers have competed to improve payment conditions, ages covered and specific conditions
for children over the years...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 23 Jul 2018
“Substantial improvements across the board,” says Alan Lakey...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 16 May 2018
This morning we announced the first details of Guardian’s new offering for critical
illness and terminal illness benefit (for life cover)...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 16 May 2018
Gryphon Group Holdings targets protection disruption by removing exclusions for critical
illness and terminal illness...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 23 Apr 2018
Following the announcement of Legal & General’s Critical Illness Extra (Cix) option
- which includes brand new payment conditions, added flexibility around children’s
cover and improved adult condition wordings - CIExpert has issued COVER readers its
verdict...Read more
Emma Ann Hughes | Cover Mag | 23 Apr 2018
Legal & General has improved its critical illness offering by introducing two levels
of adult cover...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 12 Mar 2018
New version is “a different beast entirely” compared to individual CIC plans, says
Alan Lakey...Read more
Damian Fantato | FT Adviser | 12 Mar 2018
Aviva has made changes to its relevant life insurance proposition after working with
HM Revenue & Customs following concerns from advisers...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 26 Feb 2018
“Any upgrade is welcome if the result is more claims paid,” says CIExpert’s Alan
Lakey...Read more
Adam Saville | Cover Mag | 26 Feb 2018
A new paid for option available to parents needing more coverage plus added benefits
at no extra cost launched on Sunday...Read more
Rosie Murray-West | FT Adviser | 29 Jan 2018
Royal London has introduced flexible options for children’s critical illness (CIC)
cover, including the option of paying more for increased benefits for children...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 18 Jan 2018
Every adviser has a view or a process regarding critical illness plan selection and
whilst there may not be a single right method of doing this there are certainly a
number of incorrect furrows that are currently being ploughed...Read more
Phil Jeynes | Money Marketing | 17 Jan 2018
Providers should listen closer to advisers and consumers when deciding what initiatives
will work...Read more
Holly Black | Telegraph | 16 Jan 2018
“If your husband were to die tomorrow, would you be able to get by financially?”
I’m sitting in a warm meeting room across the desk from a man I’ve never met before...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 24 Nov 2017
Protection experts have so far responded positively to the Association of British
Insurers (ABI)’s public consultation, the Guide to Minimum Standards for Critical
Illness insurance...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover Mag | 20 Nov 2017
Child cover within critical illness plans has assumed a far greater importance in
recent years, writes CIExpert’s Alan Lakey...Read more
Simon Allin | FT Adviser | 26 Oct 2017
The Right Mortgage & Protection Network has struck a deal with CIExpert to provide
its members with discounted access to its critical illness comparison service...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 16 Oct 2017
Royal London has upgraded the cover within its critical illness plans. They have
added three new conditions and have enhanced the claims wording for an existing condition,
says CIExpert...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 16 Oct 2017
Customers will now be able to choose whether to include Total Permanent Disability
(TPD) on their critical illness policy, Royal London has confirmed...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 6 Oct 2017
The COVER Excellence Awards 2017 took place on Wednesday (4 October 2017) to recognise
exceptional protection and health insurance products, providers, intermediaries and
individuals within these industries...Read more
Simoney Kyriakou | FT Adviser | 27 Sep 2017
Advisers should give great consideration to children’s cover when advising on adult
plans, Alan Lakey has claimed...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 18 Sep 2017
Aviva, fresh from its substantial upgrade last November - when it absorbed market-leading
Friends Life and introduced tiers of cover - has added further enhancements...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 18 Sep 2017
Aviva has enhanced its Life Insurance+ and Critical Illness+ products by making changes
to four definitions which centre on the most common payment areas...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 12 July 2017
Network In Partnership has made CIExpert’s analysis service available for its members...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 31 May 2017
Royal London paid 97.3% of claims totalling over £331m during 2016, according to
the insurer’s published claims statistics...Read more
Simon Allin | FT Adviser | 16 May 2017
Scottish Widows paid out more than 99 per cent of life claims in 2016, exceeding
the previous year’s total...Read more
Rosie Murray-West | FT Adviser | 15 May 2017
Canada Life has enhanced its CanProtect critical illness range, although experts
say it will take more changes to bring it in line with top-quality rivals...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 20 Feb 2017
Alan Lakey, director of CIExpert analyses the latest changes from Scottish Widows
to its Protect critical illness product...Read more
Protection | FT Adviser | 20 Feb 2017
Scottish Widows has updated its critical illness definitions for Scottish Widows
Protect so that one additional payment is required for cancer is situ requiring surgery...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 10 Feb 2017
Alan Lakey defends the publication of claims statistics and argues that insurers
should go much further...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 14 Nov 2016
CIExpert’s Alan Lakey has described Aviva’s new critical illness offering as complex
and confusing...Read more
Damian Fantato | FT Adviser | 14 Nov 2016
Aviva has overhauled their protection products for the adviser market, with insurance
experts saying the new policies “revert to a 1980s template...” Read more
FT Adviser | Emma Ann Hughes | 8 Nov 2016
St James’s Place has partnered with CIExpert to make the analysis service available
to its partners...Read more
Health Insurance Daily | 10 Nov 2016
Wealth management firm St James’s Place has partnered with CIExpert to make the analysis
service available to its partners...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 8 Nov 2016
CIExpert has announced that it has partnered with wealth management advisers St.
James’s Place...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 3 Oct 2016
CIExpert analyses the latest critical illness upgrades from Royal London...Read more
Fiona Muprhy | Cover Magazine | 3 Oct 2016
Royal London has enhanced its critical illness cover (CIC)...Read more
Fiona Muprhy | Cover Magazine | 10 Aug 2016
COVER and Old Mutual Wealth have joined forces to produce this e-book to help bring
into focus areas in protection and financial planning that many financial advisers
are missing out on...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 10 Aug 2016
AIG Life has launched a simple critical illness plan called Key3 which incorporates
just three conditions - Cancer, Heart Attack and Stroke, writes CIExpert...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 27 June 2016
CIExpert has analysed Friends Life’s latest critical illness saying it has provided
a ‘riposte’ to AIG’s challenge to be the top CI provider....Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 20 June 2016
CIExpert has revealed that Aegon has made some substantial improvements to its critical
illness cover which elevates it higher within the CIExpert comparative tables....Read
more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 13 June 2016
CIExpert has revealed that Zurich has refreshed its critical illness plans - adding
three 100% conditions, twenty additional payment conditions...Read more
Fiona Muprhy | Cover Magazine | 19 April 2016
Scottish Widows has clarified that its children's critical illness cover will pay
claims from birth...Read more
Mortgage Introducer | Sarah Davidson | 12 April 2016
London & Country Mortgages is integrating the CIExpert critical illness research
tool into its sales process following a successful pilot...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 12 April 2016
Following a successful pilot, London and Country Mortgages (L&C) is extending its
partnership with CIExpert to allow for more integration of the critical illness research
tool into its sales process...Read more
Shirin Aguiar | FT Adviser | 30 March 2016
Recent bad press on critical illness products is due to bad designs, protection specialist
Alan Lakey has said, as he repeated calls for market action to prevent clients discovering
too late they are not covered...Read more
Katherine Denham | FT Adviser | 16 February 2016
Critical Illness specialist CIExpert has upgraded its website so advisers are able
to compare more than 400 protection policies...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 16 February 2016
CIExpert has upgraded its website to allow advisers to make comparisons between new
and existing policies when reviewing the merits of replacing a client’s existing
policy...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 10 February 2016
Alan Lakey discusses the recent case of Hein Pretorius whose critical illness claims
for amputation of a single limb were declined and what advisers can do as policy
wordings change over time...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 25 January 2016
CIExpert has analysed the launch of Aviva’s business protection policies and described
its Relevant Life plan with integrated critical illness cover as a ‘breakthrough’
for the protection market...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 26 January 2016
LV= has made changes to its critical illness plan meaning it is the final insurer
to make adjustments in accordance with the 2014 ABI statement of Best Practice (SOBP)...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 11 January 2016
Alan Lakey highlights the reasons why he believes mortgage advisers tend to have
difficulty in making the protection sale...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 16 December 2015
CIExpert said that AIG Life has ‘laid down a challenge to other providers with substantial
improvements to its critical illness plan...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 14 December 2015
CIExpert gives its view on the latest critical illness changes from L&G...Read more
Bright Grey completes rebrand to Royal London
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 30 Nov 2015
Bright Grey has now rebranded to Royal London as the mutual confirmed it would move
to a single protection business bringing together “the best elements of the Bright
Grey and Scottish Provident brands’ by the end of the year...Read more
Scottish Widows unveils products for protection re-entry
Peter Walker | FT Adviser | 6 Oct 2015
Scottish Widows has unveiled details of its new protection product range, which will
include reducing, relevant and increasing life term, stand-alone critical illness
and life with critical illness plans...Read more
CIExpert: The verdict on Scottish Widow’s imminent adviser market return
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 6 Oct 2015
Scottish Widows is to re-enter the adviser protection market with a range of life
and critical illness plans using the ‘Protect’ name, COVER understands...Read more
CIExpert: Bright Grey updates CI definitions
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 14 Sept 2015
Bright Grey is the latest insurer to upgrade its plan at the same time as it adopts
the revised ABI model wordings that must be effected by 31st December, CIExpert has
said...Read more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 24 August 2015
CIExpert has described Canada Life’s Critical Illness (CI) add on to its new individual
life policies as ‘a welcome addition to the market’...Read more
Peter Walker | FT Adviser | 24 August 2015
Canada Life has re-entered the individual life market by launching four new plans
using the CanLife Protect brand...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 31 July 2015
Aviva has enhanced definitions for seven critical illness conditions and added a
new additional benefit, to increase the number of claims paid...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 14 July 2015
Alan Lakey discusses why advisers should pay closer attention to the differences
in children’s cover offered by insurers...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 9 June 2015
Network Openwork has teamed up with CIExpert to promote the use of its knowlegebase
to help members boost their protection business...Read more
Sarah Davidson | Mortgage Introducer | 9 June 2015
Openwork has teamed up with Alan Lakey’s CIExpert to offer its appointed representatives
better information on critical illness cover in a bid to boost protection sales...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Money Marketing | 20 May 2015
For 20 years I have avoided using claims criteria such as activities of daily living
or similar terms for income protection. My reasoning is simple...Read more
Edmund Tirbutt | Mortgage Strategy | 13 May 2015
Technology has brought great change to the market and these days there is little
that brokers cannot do online...Read more
Kevin Carr | Mortgage Introducer | May 2015
Once upon a time it was thought the more conditions covered by a critical illness
provider the better...Read more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 19 May 2015
Zurich’s changes to its critical illness policy are ‘all positive’ and will help
Zurich maintain its position in the market, CIExpert has said...Read more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 18 May 2015
Aegon’s upgrade to its critical illness (CI) offering whilst adjusting to the model
wording changes introduced by the ABI in December 2014 are overall ‘positive’, CIExpert
has said...Read more
Sarah Davidson | Mortgage Introducer | 18 May 2015
Aegon and Zurich have both announced additional definitions to their critical illness
cover plans this morning with CIExpert founder Alan Lakey calling the upgrades “generally
positive”...Read more
Alan Lakey | Cover | 29 April 2015
Alan Lakey picks holes in the insurer practice of ‘condition counting’ in critical
illness policies...Read more
Kevin Carr | FT Adviser| 28 April 2015
Around half a million individual critical illness policies are sold each year, making
it a cornerstone of financial planning for many families...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 7 April 2015
Aviva’s latest changes to its critical illness (CI) policy has brought it into line
with ‘market leaders’ Friends Life and Old Mutual Wealth, CIExpert has said...Read
more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 16 March 2015
CIExpert has described Friends Life’s changes to its critical illness (CI) product
as offering ‘a number of significant improvements’...Read more
Peter Walker | FT Adviser | 16 March 2015
Friends Life has updated its critical illness product, improving coverage of less
advanced cancers to give one of the widest covers available within a standard policy...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Mortgage Introducer | 16 March 2015
Friends Life has improvements to its CIC product with a clear focus on continuing
to offer top of the market cover, write Alan Lakey, director, CIExpert...Read more
Donia O’Loughlin| FT Adviser| 9 March 2015
Shock tactics, not product innovation, is the only way insurance sales will pick
up, says Alan Lakey...Read more
Peter Walker | FT Adviser | 3 March 2015
Support services firm SimplyBiz is telling members to use online portal CIExpert
for their protection business, as part of a programme to build focus on protection...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 3 March 2015
SimplyBiz will be advocating the use of CIExpert by their members to enhance their
protection business in a series of protection-focused events across the country...Read
more
Peter Walker | FT Adviser| 3 March 2015
Aegon UK paid a total of £113m in life, critical illness and income protection claims
last year, helping more than 1,200 customers, families and businesses...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 27 February 2015
LV= has said that two out of ten (19%) of its male cancer critical illness claims
relate to prostate and testicular cancer while ovarian cancer accounts for nearly
one in 15 (7%) femalie critical illness cancer claims...Read more
Jeff Prestridge | FT Adviser | 27 February 2015
The protection insurance industry has done a great job cleaning up its act. Now it’s
time to spread the word to the public...Read more
Unbiased.co.uk has announced the winners of this year’s Media Adviser Awards...Read
more
Ryan Bembridge | Mortgage Introducer | 2 February 2015
CIExpert lets advisers evaluate the whole of market with its research and analysis,
helping them pick the most appropriate critical illness policy for clients...Read
more
Guy Williams | Cover Magazine | 8 December 2014
Guy Williams reviews the innovations in protection technology launched during 2014..Read
more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 8 December 2014
IFA Compliance has announced that it will now make CIExpert available to all adviser
firms who are customers...Read more
Thomas Smith | Cover Magazine | 27 November 2014
CIExpert has given its verdict on Old Mutual Wealth’s critical illness (CI) changes
including conditions new to CI...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 25 November 2014
CIExpert has announced enhancements including the addition of four past providers
to the database, meaning advisers can analyse 40 providers with over 250 policies
when re-broking a critical illness existing policy...Read more
Jeff Prestridge | Daily Mail | 1 November 2014
Former pharmacy technician Tracey Clarke has reluctantly had to accept that, sooner
rather than later, she will lose her eyesight altogether...Read more
Natalie Holt | Money Marketing | 14 November 2014
The architect of critical illness insurance Dr Marius Bernard has died aged 87...Read
more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Mag | 7 November 2014
Cancer has accounted for 50% of all male critical illness (CI) claims with a quarter
of those claims for prostate cancer this year, Aegon’s claims statistics have revealed...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 3 November 2014
Alan Lakey analyses premium adjustments on CI policies in the wake of the Gender
Directive...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 13 October 2014
Network Mortgage Intelligence has sharpened its focus on protection sales by introducing
critical illness comaprison site CIExpert for its mortgage advisers to use...Read
more
Devraj Ray | Money Marketing | 13 October 2014
Distributor Mortgage Intelligence has adopted critical illness comparison service
CIExpert for its members to use. The announcement comes after a pilot scheme...Read
more
Ricky Butler | Mindful Money | 6 October 2014
With a large choice of plans available and insurance companies constantly evolving
their definitions it’s important to choose wisely when setting up a critical illness
plan...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 29 September 2014
CIExpert has given its verdit on Bright Grey’s critical illness (CI) policy revamp
citing its children’s cover improvement as a notable change....Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 22 September 2014
CIExpert gives its verdict on Legal & General as the latest insurer to upgrade its
(CI) critical illness proposition, 17 months after its last set of improvements...Read
more
Matthew Jeynes | FT Adviser | 22 September 2014
A new era for one of the largest adviser platforms is expected to begin this week
as the 35-year-old Skandia brand is dropped in favour of Old Mutual Wealth...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Mortgage Introducer | 17 September 2014
Beagle Street, the online insurer that entered the market in July 2012 has kicked
off this seasons critical illness upgrade race, writes Alan Lakey...Read more
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 17 September 2014
CIExpert has revealed that Beagle Street, the online insurer that entered the market
in July 2012 has ‘kicked off this season’s critical illness upgrade race’...Read
more
Alan Lakey | Cover Magazine | 27 August 2014
Are older CI plans better or worse than modern ones? The answer can be surprisingly
complex. Alan Lakey explains...Read more
Peter Walker | FT Adviser | 18 Aug 2014
Mortgage and insurance network Stonebridge Group will be offering critical illness
knowledge website CIExpert to its advisers from today (18 August)...Read more
Paul Robertson | Cover Mag | 18 Aug 2014
As part of a protection drive, mortgage and insurance network the Stonebridge Group
will be offering CIExpert to all its advisers from today...Read more
Roger Edwards | MPAF Podcast | 8 July 2014
In Epsiode 3 of the Marketing Protection and Finance Podcast – I talk to adviser
Alan Lakey...Listen Here
Fiona Murphy | Cover Magazine | 12 June 2014
Individual critical illness saw a relentless pace of change last year. But has the
industry gone far enough? Fiona Murphy investigates...Read more
Alan Lakey | Money Marketing | 2 Jun 2014
It is worth the time and effort to explain the value of a product to the buyer, writes
Alan Lakey...Read more
Alan Lakey | Money Marketing | 22 May 2014
Looking at the FOS’s published complaints decisions gives a good idea of what causes
protection complaints and how the ombudsman views the issues...Read more
Kevin Carr | FT Adviser | 24 May 2014
The old adage states “you can prove anything with statistics” - but can you, and
do they help or hinder?...Read more
Rebecca Jones | Professional Adviser | 1 May 2014
Clients' protection priorities are changing and so too are the tools on offer to
help advisers find the right solutions. Rebecca Jones investigates...Read more
Cover Mag | Fiona Murphy | 19 Apr 2014
CIExpert has analysed Friends Life's latest upgrade to its critical illness (CI)
policy...Read more
Cover Mag | Fiona Murphy | 19 Apr 2014
CIExpert has analysed Friends Life's latest upgrade to its critical illness (CI)
policy...Read more
Cover Mag | Fiona Murphy | 14 Apr 2014
Aviva has gone beyond ABI definitions with enhancements to its critical illness (CI)
heart attack coverage, CIExpert has said...Read more
Cover Mag | Fiona Murphy | 14 Apr 2014
Aviva has enhanced its heart attack definition on new critical illness (CI) policies
to pay out on the diagnosis of a heart attack regardless of severity...Read more
Mortgage Introducer | Alan Lakey | 9 Apr 2014
For the second year running LV= has made extensive upgrades to its critical illness
cover reaffirming its desire to be seen as the leading critical illness insurer...Read
more
Money Marketing | Alan Lakey | 27 Mar 2014
Many compliance officers, indeed many advisers, consider rebroking a critical-illness
plan to be dangerous, perhaps even tantamount to churning...Read more
FT Adviser | Sam Barrett | 24 Mar 2014
As insurers complete to offer the most comprehensive critical illness insurance product,
the number of ABI+ definitions has ballooned...Read more
FT Adviser | Michael Trudeau | 6 Mar 2014
Skandia paid out 96 per cent of its critical illness claims in 2013 after re-entering
the market in April, the firm revealed...Read more
Cover Mag | Paul Robertson | 6 Mar 2014
LifeSearch Protection Awards 2014 winners are announced...Read more
Cover Mag | 6 Mar 2014
We saw a lot of changes to critical illness (CI) products last year. Do you think
these changes presented a meaningful difference, or was it a case of change for change’s
sake?...Read more
Unbiased.co.uk has announced the winners of this year’s Media Adviser Awards...Read
more
Money Marketing | Alan Lakey | 11 Feb 2014
Apfa council member says drop to a maximum of 3,000 advisers is to blame for £2,300bn
savings gap...Read more
FT Adviser | Donia O'Loughlin | 3 Feb 2014
Life insurance firm boss says CIExpert is an “invaluable research tool that we use
to evaluate the appropriateness of a CI contract”...Read more
FT Adviser | Donia O'Loughlin | 24 Jan 2014
Apfa council member says drop to a maximum of 3,000 advisers is to blame for £2,300bn
savings gap...Read more
FT Adviser | Kevin Carr | 28 Jan 2014
More than ever insurers are looking to offer above and beyond benefits to make their
products stand out...Read more
HI-Daily | Emily Perryman | 20 Jan 2014
Aegon has enhanced its critical illness (CI) plan with the addition of eight partial
payment conditions and one new full payment condition and improvements to five existing
definitions...Read more
Mortgage Strategy | Paul Thomas | 20 Jan 2014
Aegon has ‘substantially’ improved its critical illness plan, according to CI comparison
site CIExpert...Read more
Money Marketing | Samuel Dale | 19 Dec 2013
Skandia has expanded its critical illness policies to cover more diseases and increased
the maximum age of applicants to 67...Read more
Mortgage Introducer | Protection | 19 Dec 2013
Skandia has added greater clarity to its critical illness plan and now has new full
payment conditions including Parkinson Plus Syndromes, writes Alan Lakey, director
of CIExpert...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 19 Dec 2013
Skandia has ‘fired a shot over the bows of its rivals' with changes to its Critical
Illness (CI) plan, according to CIExpert...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 9 Dec 2013
CIExpert has applauded Aviva’s critical illness cover in light of the changes made
today...Read more
Guardian | Money | Liz Phillips | 7 Dec 2013
Critical illness cover - which pays out if you get a life-threatening illness - has
a bad reputation. But is it time to look again? Read more
FT Adviser | Protection | Kevin Carr | 27 Nov 2013
Every now and then it’s nice to hear what people think the protection industry does
well and how we innovate...Read more
Cover Magazine | Alan Lakey | 19 Nov 2013
Simplicity in policy wordings is easy to achieve if providers cared to try, writes
Alan Lakey...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 23 Oct 2013
Critical illness insurance has unexpectedly become cheaper for many young women this
year, according to CIExpert’s data tracking...Read more
FT Adviser | Training>Adviser Guides
This guide will tackle what role critical illness should play in financial planning,
the pros and cons of these policies and how to ensure your client understands the
need for this cover and ends up with the right product for the right price...Read
more
Cover Mag | Fiona Murphy | 09 Oct 2013
The COVER Excellence Awards 2013 were held last week at the Victoria Park Plaza in
London to recognise exceptional protection and health insurance products, providers
and intermediaries...Read more
Telegraph | Nicole Blackmore | 04 Oct 2013
Cancer is common but treatments are more effective than ever - which is why insurance
can be vital, as Monique Oakley found out...Read more
FT Adviser | Kevin Carr | Protection | 19 Sep 2013
In researching this article I contacted a range of insurers, technology firms and
advisers inviting them to suggest or recommend the protection tools they think are
the best. I have never had quite so many emails from insurers quite so quickly...Read
more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 27 Sep 2013
CIExpert has welcomed Ageas Protect’s amendments to its Critical Illness (CI) policy
and highlighted its position as the first insurer to extend Type 1 diabetes cover
to adults aged below 40...Read more
Money Marketing | 26 Sep 2013
Like most other industries, financial services seeks to glamorise and promote its
products with every tool at its disposal. Sometimes these tools lose their precision
and therefore their value...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 23 Sep 2013
CIExpert has analysed the latest alternations from Bright Grey to its menu-based
critical illness (CI) policy...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 23 Sep 2013
Friends Life has reconfirmed its place at the top of the quality tree with a number
of innovations CIExpert has concluded...Read more
Mortgage Introducer | Alan Lakey | Sep 2013
It seems that the mortgage market is finally recovering. This, and the fact that
the RDR has forced many advisers to eschew investment products, is directing advisers
towards a greater focus on protection planning...Read more
Mortgage Strategy | Edmund Tirbutt | Features | 11 Sep 2013
Advisers boosted critical-illness cover business when the mortgage market went into
meltdown but now that mortgage sales are reviving, will CI cover become a casualty
or do advisers have a duty to see borrowers covered?...Read more
Hi-Mag | Tessa Norman | 11 Sep 2013
Bright Grey and Scottish Provident are differentiating their critical illness (CI)
plans from one another in a bid to appeal to different markets...Read more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 11 Sep 2013
CIExpert has positively reviewed Scottish Provident’s three new alterations to its
Self Assurance critical illness (CI) policy which take effect from 16th September...Read
more
Cover Magazine | Fiona Murphy | 10 Sep 2013
CIExpert has welcomed HSBC’s recent changes to its critical illness (CI plan), saying
this marks the first time the bank ‘has made efforts to compete’ with major CI players...Read
more
Telegraph | Nicole Blackmore | 8 Sep 2013
Buying a policy from a bank, or even from the insurer, could cost far more than using
an adviser...Read more
Cover Magazine | Alan Lakey | 5 Sep 2013
Partial Payments are an added value, but comparison is not plain sailing...Read more
Telegraph | Nicole Blackmore | 30 Aug 2013
Critical-illness cover can be a lifeline to those diagnosed with serious conditions
and their families...Read more
FT Adviser | Edmund Tirbutt | 28 Aug 2013
Protection experts are used to rabbiting on about the impact of stress and mental
illness but the problem could be closer to home than they think...Read more
Cover Magazine | Alan Lakey | 31 Jul 2013
Partial payments are becoming more prevalent in CI policies, but how to assess them?
Alan Lakey investigates...Read more
Every Investor | Alan Lakey | 29 Jul 2013
This year has witnessed a torrent of improvements to critical illness policies...Read
more
Money Marketing | Protection | 25 Jul 2013
The number of partial payment enhancements to CI cover in recent years have led to
some large differences between the level of cover for breast cancer...Read more
Cover Magazine| Fiona Murphy | 18 Jul 2013
CIExpert has analysed Beagle Street's recent upgrade to its Critical Illness (CI)
plan and highlighted improved wordings of eleven conditions.....Read more
Cover Magazine| Fiona Murphy | 8 Jul 2013
CIExpert has analysed recent changes to Aviva's critical illness (CI) plan and said
it has highlighted how complex policies are becoming....Read more
Cover Magazine| Paul Robertson | 28 Jun 2013
CIExpert has analysed Zurich’s recent upgrade to its critical illness plans and highlighted
its early stage cancer coverage...Read more
Cover Magazine| Paul Robertson | 31 May 2013
CIExpert has hailed LV=’s upgrade to its critical illness (CI) plans as the first
serious attempt at a hybrid approach between traditional CI and severity-based payments...Read
more
Money Marketing | Alan Lakey | 30 May 2013
It is potentially an emotive subject but the reality is CI for children can be an
important component of a good quality policy...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 28 May 2013
CIExpert has analysed recent changes to Bright grey’s critical illness definitions
and approved of the insurers clarification of definitions...Read more
Cover Magazine | Nicola Culley | 13 May 2013
Price wars between providers are “as full on as ever”, CIExpert has stated following
reports that some critical illness (CI) premiums are lower than pre-G-Day rates....Read
more
Money Marketing | Regulation | 8 May 2013
Over the years I’ve been contacted by numerous compliance consultants, seers and
experts of one sort or another who have attempted to point my firm in the ‘right
direction’ to avoid regulatory opprobrium and the potential for complaints...Read
more
15.04.13 - Skandia Protect has today announced its return to the critical illness
arena...
Hi-Mag | Critical Illness | 15 April 2013
Legal & General has introduced a new definition for cardiac arrest to its critical
illness (CI) plan, and raised the maximum age it will accept applicants up to, as
part of a raft of improvements made to the product...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 15 April 2013
Critical illness insurance database CIExpert has released an analysis of Legal &
General’s alterations to its critical illness products. Alan Lakey, director at CIExpert,
said of the changes: “This confirms L&G’s commitment to being a major player in the
quality end of the adviser market”...Read more
Money Marketing | Alan Lakey | 28 March 2013
How often is an adviser confronted by a client with an existing critical illness
policy who is looking for advice on whether it should be retained or replaced? It
could be because a new mortgage is being arranged or maybe the client has read about
improvements to CI plans...Read more
Cover Magazine | Nicola Culley | 25 March 2013
Beagle Street’s critical illness plan offers 23 conditions including children’s cover
up to £25,000. The definitions abide strictly by the ABI model wordings and aims
to be a low-cost simple, direct to consumer plan...Read more
FT Adviser | Marc Shoffman | 13 March 2013
Critical illness comparison website CIExpert has launched a tool to allow advisers
to compare old and new protection products...Read more
Cover Magazine | Alan Lakey | 7 March 2013
If commission was abolished for protection plans, what would be the result? Would
the customer benefit? Perhaps not, finds Alan Lakey...Read more
Cover Magazine| Paul Robertson | 8 March 2013
CIExpert has upgraded its online knowledgebase for advisers adding tools to simplify
comparing a critical illness policy with one that a client has previously acquired...Read
more
Cover Magazine| Paul Robertson | 11 February 2013
One in four (23%) of the 325,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients in the UK - an estimated
70,000 patients each year - lack support from family and friends during their treatment
and recovery, according to Macmillan Cancer Support...Read more
IFA Online | 10 January 2013
"...Alan is one of those people who will always give more than what he takes from
the industry. As a leading expert in critical illness he has singlehandedly launched
CIExpert, which is now the premiere critical illness comparison website in the UK”...Read
more
08.02.13 - We are pleased to announce that CIExpert’s Alan Lakey recently won the
Unbiased Awards Protection IFA of the Year Award 2013. To see the award listings
click here, for a photo click here.
FT Adviser | Donia O’Loughlin | 01.02.13
Tenet member says CIExpert has proven to be an ‘invaluable tool’ for ensuring CI
research is accurate. Tenet Group will be offering its appointed representatives
and associate advisers access to critical illness portal CIExpert’s Online Service...Read
more
Mortgage Introducer| Protection Review | Alan Lakey | January 2013
Over the past decade the financial advice industry has focused its attention on wealth
management with all manner of sites providing guidance on stochastic modelling, find
growth, chart creation and the like...Read more
Cover Magazine |Nicola Culley | 16.01.13
A protection adviser has warned advisers to check critical illness cover policy documents
after receiving a series of out-dated terms and conditions for clients...Read more
Cover Magazine | Feature | Alan Lakey | 15.01.13
In the latest of a series exploring the finer points of critical illness protection,
CIExpert’s Alan Lakey examines children’s cover...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 16.01.13
CIExpert has released its assessment of changes Ageas has made to its critical illness
plan...Read more
Cover Magazine | Paul Robertson | 10.01.13
CIExpert has released its assessment of changes Aegon has made to its critical illness
policy...Read more
FT Adviser | Protection | Kevin Carr | 04.01.13
Critical illness is a stalwart product in financial planning, but it is often misunderstood...Read
more
Daily Mail | Jeff Prestridge | 01.12.12
Financial protection has been given a bad name by the poor value offered by payment
protection insurance. But for many people, the reassurance that cover brings cannot
be overestimated...Read more
Mortgage Solutions | Protection | Vicky Hartley | 26.11.12
The insurer has moved to “Activities of Daily Work” from “Activities of Daily Living”
for applicants in higher risk occupations. Aviva has also altered its definition
of benign brain tumour claims...Read more
FTAdviser | Adviser Guide | 22.11.12
Research carried out by Scottish Widows this summer found three-quarters of UK families
have no protection products. Yet many people are happy to insure their pets and possessions
rather than themselves...View the guide
Panacea Adviser | 11.09.12
CIExpert has teamed up with Panacea to bring you a dedicated Protection forum, where
you can discuss any Protection queries you may have, or to help others with any issues
they may have...Visit the Forum today
For more news items click here