Protection

After three years and 27 downgrades in a row for UK insurers, Standard & Poor's has revised its ratings outlook for the sector as a whole up to ‘stable' from ‘negative'.

European Commission proposals to ban the use of gender in setting insurance rates should be rejected until it is proven that EU consumers would benefit from such a move, a Lords committee says.

Figures presented by Pafs suggest Conservative Party proposals to reform residential or long-term care funding could cut the cost of premiums by around a third.

Opposition party talk of residential long-term care reform has raised the spectre of LTC insurance, and what must currently be done to assess whether State support is available.

The Conservative Party has revealed plans to introduce a new long-term care scheme if elected to government at next year's general election.

Nine out of ten policyholders diagnosed with a critical illness would like some form of additional practical and emotional support from a nurse or counsellor at the point of claim, suggests research by Bright Grey.

To bypass high premiums and still get private healthcare treatment, self pay is increasingly popular among the over 50s. Rachel Gordon reports

Scottish Provident has launched a free online training session for intermediaries explaining how to prepare for protection regulation and how it will affect their business.

Three out of four homeowners who release equity from their homes then fail to cover the additional debt with life cover, suggests research by Egg.

Financial intermediaries conducting general insurance and protection business will now be able to hold both client money and other insurance assets in one single account, says the FSA.