Comment: Big V 'errors' may not be so wrong

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Once in a while, someone launches a new financial product on the market which sets everyone in the industry talking - recently it was the unveiling of Virgin Money's Big V direct offer cancer cover.

Much of the publicity and press coverage has been negative about either the marketing tactics employed by Virgin – promoting a product which Virgin stresses is not critical illness cover (CIC) only to compare it with critical illness product premiums – or the fact it is not offered through the advised intermediary channel, as well as questioning whether it actually meets the needs of consumers compared with existing protection products. Only a few months ago, discussion on CI products challenged the status quo and asked whether anything could be done to improve what some touted as a dying...

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