Protection

Six out of ten high earners now hold private health insurance, suggests research by Lloyds TSB Premier Banking.

Angioplasty, the technique of inflating balloons inside arteries to the heart to counter heart disease, will no longer be covered in future CIC policies issued by Norwich Union, the insurer says.

As we approach another new year, protection advisers should be looking forward to a busy 2004. What with FSA regulation to prepare for and, according to Swiss Re's latest report, a £2trn protection gap to help bridge, it should be an eventful year. However...

Law firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain says protection intermediaries must tread carefully in approaching their applications for FSA authorisation in the coming months, as mistakes in the application process could lead to regulatory action against them...

Increased reinsurance capacity should ensure critical illness cover (CIC) products evolve over the coming year rather than face radical design, suggests IFA firm Lifesearch.

For quite some time, the long term care (LTC) market has remained fairly quiet. The sector has seen little innovation in terms of product development, and although sales have been growing in the immediate needs sector, they have continued to fall in the...

New pressures from the tax man could see protection products suffer further premium increases. A European court judgement has ruled insurers will have to pay VAT on GP reports, which are needed to gather medical evidence on some applications.

Financial advisers will be able to renew general insurance and pure protection contracts without the prior consent of the customer, providing their original contract allows them to do so, suggests the final Conduct of Business rules for general insurance...

AXA's decision to withdraw from the pre-funded long term care (LTC) market came out of the blue this month. However, the reasons behind the move came as no great shock. Sales of LTC insurance have been steadily falling for years. To be precise, the market...

Norwich Union announced this morning it is increasing premiums on its term assurance and mortgage life assurance products from next Tuesday, where policies carry the critical illness option.