The Protection Distributors Group is publishing the first Protection Insights Report 2026 today, including advisers’ views on the market and market practice, what clients want and need, the barriers to writing more business and regulation. We have highlighted some of the major findings below
The Protection Distributors Group is publishing the first Protection Insights Report 2026 today, including advisers’ views on the market and market practice, what clients want and need, the barriers to writing more business and regulation. We have highlighted some of the major findings below.
Underwriting
59% of those who said they faced barriers to writing more protection business selected inefficient underwriting, “taking up too much of my time trying to get clients on risk”, far outstripping the next most frequent selection.
Compliance was selected by 15% of respondents, mortgage recommendations being too time-consuming by 12%, and the protection market being too complicated by 11%.
198 advisers perceived there to be barriers to selling more protection.
The results are included in a survey of 322 protection professionals from across the market who work for firms who are either direct members of the PDG or associate members through their membership of a mortgage club
or network.
Annual Statements
The survey also saw a resounding vote of confidence for annual protection statements, with 41% of advisers now seeing statements as essential, with 28% saying they are very important. Just 3% say statements are not
important.
Market views
The survey also sought views about the current and future market.
74% of respondents believe plans to bring pensions into inheritance tax in 2027 will drive more sales of life
insurance.
Some 89% of respondents believe the trend for more income protection to be sold will continue for the next five years. 72% believe a shift in attitudes regarding consumers protecting their earnings is responsible for the I
boom.
The survey and report were compiled by the Protection Distributors’ Group with support from technology and design consultancy Space.
Other significant findings from the research and report
66% of advisers surveyed think ‘wealth advisers’ do not recommend enough protection
69% of advisers see Consumer Duty as a positive for clients
30% of firm principals were worried about a heavy-handed approach from the FCA in the wake of the
market study
68% of respondents see ‘tight budgets’ as the biggest challenge for clients, beating the 40% selecting a belief among clients that they will not need to make a claim
75% of respondents say the welfare burden could be reduced if more was done to demonstrate to the public that being protected can reduce reliance on the state
PDG Chair Emma Thomson says:
“This survey has given us valuable insight into how advice firms view our market. It’s positive to see a level of optimism about Protection and rightly so, given the good work our industry does for so many customers and their loved ones. But there are some concerns, and there is room for improvement. Underwriting delays came out as the biggest barrier to writing protection. It is not the sole barrier, of course, but was the most frequently selected option. Most people want to grow the protection market, but we will struggle to achieve that if the process for arranging cover is not made simpler for both applicants and advisers, so that more Consumers can access valuable coverage.
PDG board member Roy McLoughlin says:
“The results for advisers’ belief in annual statements are remarkable. A big majority of advisers think statements are essential or very important. We have a wealth of information about what protection advisers are thinking, some of relevance to the sector, with some findings of relevance to wider society. But this result is striking and something the protection sector can solve on its own. Our view is that providers should make annual statements standard practice. It can only help boost client engagement, and that helps everyone.”
