The Intermediary – September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 85
P RO T E C T I O N
Opinion
ambition
action
cover for their needs. For advisers, that
gives the GI conversation a different
emphasis. Rather than concentrating
predominantly on arranging the
30% of advisers expect general
insurance to be their single
biggest area of business growth
over the next year
product, there is value in talking
about the customer’s individual
needs and whether the cover being
recommended is right for them.
Where advisers can make a
meaningful difference is by helping
customers make a considered purchase
decision they can have confidence
in, rather than allowing home
insurance to become another tick-box
exercise, which is something that can
easily happen when cover is bought
online, particularly in the midst of a
house move.
Part of the journey
This year’s findings also point to some
familiar missed opportunities. More
than a quarter of advisers (28%) say
Only 18% of advisers believe
customers seek GI advice for
peace of mind, compared with
35% of customers who cited this
they only revisit a client’s GI needs
when the client asks them to, a figure
that is unchanged from the 2025
Adviser Survey. There is also a similar
story when it comes to remortgage and
product transfer clients. A quarter of
advisers (25%) say they rarely or never
discuss GI with these customers.
This stubborn paern continues
to be an area of concern when you
consider that customer needs may
have changed since they originally set
up their policy, leading to the risk of
underinsurance.
If GI is going to become the growth
A quarter of advisers are still
unsure where to introduce
the GI conversation into the
advice process
(41%) believe they could earn more by
referring rather than trying to convert
every customer themselves, while
52% believe referring could help them
unlock revenue streams they would
otherwise miss.
There will never be one approach
that works for every firm. Some
advisers will want to build their
own general insurance capability
and retain the whole advice process,
while for others, referral may provide
a practical way of ensuring clients
are still offered support when time,
resource or confidence is a barrier.
There has been a noticeable change
52% believe referring could help
them unlock revenue streams
area advisers expect it to be, these are
important gaps to address.
The initial mortgage transaction
should not necessarily be the end of
the GI conversation.
Building regular reviews into the
client relationship creates another
opportunity to understand whether
their needs are still being met, and to
ensure that general insurance remains
part of the ongoing advice process.
It also means advisers do not have
to wait for a customer to raise the
subject themselves.
The right approach
Of course, wanting to grow GI does
not necessarily mean every adviser or
firm will want to handle every case
themselves.
This year’s results suggest referral
is increasingly being considered
as another way of approaching the
market. More than two in five advisers
they would otherwise miss
in adviser aitudes towards GI over
the past year. For it to translate into
the level of growth advisers now
expect, the next stage is about turning
that intent into day-to-day practice.
56% of customers say they would
pay more for a product if they felt
it was the right cover
That means understanding what
clients really value, making GI part
of the wider client relationship rather
than a one-off conversation, and
having a process in place to make sure
opportunities are not missed.
The ambition is certainly
there, now it is about making the
most of it. ●
September 2026 | The Intermediary
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