Behind the portal

PORTALS

Professional Adviser
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As technology develops and becomes more sophisticated, portals have become essential tools in the daily life of an IFA. Johanna Gornitzki takes a closer look at how they work

As intermediaries entered the 1990s, they not only witnessed the development of more refined products but also saw the dawn of an important tool; the portal. In the past, intermediaries wishing to obtain a quote for a specific product would have to phone up various life offices. While this may have been a somewhat more intimate way of liasing with insurers, it was a time-consuming way of gathering information. Luckily for advisers, a number of providers acknowledged this, and after a bit of tinkering, the first portal was eventually developed in 1991. Launched by The Exchange, this ...

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