Tough nut to crack

Mortgage intermediaries looking to diversify into insurance are likely to find the going tough, according to market analysts Datamonitor Despite nearly half the UK having no protection against loss of income, health issues or death, according to Barclays Financial Planning, current market conditions and environment suggest that intermediaries will find it difficult to sell these policies. Datamonitor blamed the current inertia on "negative publicity, tightened regulation and a perception that protection policies are expendable when budgets are tight".