Marking the one-year anniversary since its Income Protection launch, Guardian has started to issue its first annual policyholder emails. As promised by the challenger brand a year ago when its Income Protection product first launched, every Guardian policyholder across all cover types will now receive this email communication from Guardian shortly before their policy anniversary.
The email prompts policyholders to check their cover by logging into their MyGuardian account and encourages them to speak to their financial adviser if circumstances have changed in the last year such as moving house, changing job, getting married or having a baby. It reminds them that this is particularly important if they have Income Protection and their annual earnings have reduced since their cover started. It highlights that any claim they make will be calculated on their annual earnings at the point they make the claim, not when they took the cover out.
Many advisers have been vocal in calling on the industry for annual customer mailings to encourage better client engagement with their existing protection policies as well as to support proactive adviser contact with clients about their ongoing protection needs. This concept has become even more important under Consumer Duty and Guardian hopes its annual policyholder emails will help advisers to have these important protection conversations.
Rachael Welsh, Head of Marketing, Guardian, said: “We’re delighted to mark the one-year anniversary of introducing Income Protection into our menu by starting to issue our annual policyholder emails. In these, we remind policyholders of the benefits of their policy, such as Premium Waiver which is included as standard, Guaranteed Increase Options and Guardian Anytime, as well as how to make a claim. We also encourage customers to speak to their financial adviser to make sure they’re not paying for cover that they can’t claim for. We’ve designed the emails to help educate and engage our customers by reminding them of the benefits and terms of their policy. All Guardian’s registered advisers have been sent a copy and we hope it is helpful to them, both in their ongoing client conversations and in creating more certainty at claim.”
Roy McLoughlin, PDG Board member and Director, Cavendish Ware, said: “It’s great to see that the industry is starting to respond to our call for annual policyholder mailings. Keeping clients informed and engaged with their protection policies is vital for improving trust in our industry and helping advisers continue to add value for our clients. While it’s obviously up to each individual adviser to maintain a good level of client contact, any help from providers and the rest of the industry with the ongoing adviser-client protection relationship is always welcome.”
Guardian’s Income Protection cover – one year on
Alongside, Guardian has today shared some data about its Income Protection in force business. The trends Guardian’s seeing are in keeping with the market trend for this product type, as reported recently by the ABI which showed a growth in sales for Income Protection.[i] Within Guardian, 44% of its Income Protection business has been full-term and 56% short-term. For clients purchasing full-term cover, Guardian’s figures show that clients are more likely to opt for the additional peace of mind of increasing cover, presumably to keep up with expected pay increases. For those opting for short-term cover, they’re slightly more likely to choose level cover, presumably because their priority is to keep prices lower.[ii] In addition, Guardian’s figures show there is strong appetite for Income Protection bought as part of menu, with 52% of the firm’s Income Protection policies bought alongside other products.
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Notes to editors:
Press enquiries to Natalie Robinson, 07789 501146, Natalie.robinson@guardianfs.co.uk
- CIExpert Critical Thinking Report 2024 – sponsored by Guardian and HSBC Life – is a bespoke study based on the views and experiences of 5,000 consumers and analysed by generation, alongside insights from over 300 advisers, making it the most comprehensive study ever into the UK critical illness cover (CIC) market.
CIExpert is calling on the industry to acknowledge the challenges & opportunities that the research uncovers and to focus on using the insights to evolve critical illness insurance into a mainstream product.
Guardian Financial Services is an appointed representative of Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
All products are provided by Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited and we have an agreement with them to underwrite and issue the protection policies we distribute through the UK intermediary channel.
As an appointed representative of Scottish Friendly Assurance Society Limited, Guardian Financial Services Limited is the market-facing brand under which we promote our proposition and engage with advisers.
Background to Guardian Financial Services, owned by Gryphon Group Holdings
Guardian, the life and protection insurance business, launched in 2018 and pledged to grow the protection market. The brand promise of ‘Life. Made Better.’ reflects the company’s commitment to rethink and reinvent protection for the better; making sure customers get cover that’s easier to understand, simple to buy and designed to never let them down.
Guardian’s business partners
Gryphon Group Holdings is majority owned by Punter Southall Group as the largest equity capital investor. Guardian partners with UnderwriteMe for its Underwriting Engine, Liss Systems, the UK arm of Nasdaq-listed EXL, for its policy administration technology, and Space, for its front-end technology, branding and marketing. Guardian’s reinsurance partners are Hannover Re, Gen Re and Swiss Re.
[i] Record number of individuals take out income protection insurance to safeguard finances | ABI
[ii] Guardian’s book: Increasing vs level cover in force book, from 3 Apr 2023 to 19 Feb 2024:
- For full-term, 72% are increasing cover, compared to 28% level cover
- For short-term, 42% are increasing cover, compared to 58% level cover