Aviva: Direct sales will never be over 10% of business

The insurance giant caused a stir last year after sending out new terms of business to advisers outlining situations where it deems it acceptable to market directly to their clients. It said it would only do so if customers first requested advice from Aviva and, second, if they had not been serviced by their adviser for a "significant" period. Aviva intermediary director Simon Badley says a number of advisers now ask him if the provider will push its direct sales channel. But Badley says today: "We are not ashamed we are a multi-distribution business, but IFAs are still more than 7...