The stages of advised and non-advised routes to protection

Deciding on the route that you’re going to take is just one of the many things to consider when it comes to protection insurance. Having said that, most people don’t really know what the different routes available are. In this blog, we’re going to explain the main options, being advised and non-advised.

When you choose to use a company to help you to arrange your insurances they must tell you at the start if you are entering an advised or non-advised process.

Advised

If you choose to use a protection insurance adviser like the ones here at Cura, this is known as an advised option, as we recommend the insurer, product and amount of insurance that match your insurance needs. 

Protection insurance advisers really can make a big difference to your application journey, by helping you to make some of the decisions that you’ll be faced with. Instead of having to work out everything for yourself, the adviser will listen to your circumstances and then recommend the protection insurance you need and also really importantly the ones that you don’t need.

Once the adviser has made a recommendation and you’re happy with it, an application can be completed and sent to the insurer. As part of our processes we will complete the application form with you, to make sure that you have the opportunity to ask any questions you have along the way.

From sending the application to the insurer, our team will continue to chase the progress of your application, making sure that it’s being dealt with in the best possible way. We can’t speak for all advisers and say that all advised firms do this, but at Cura we make it a habit to give you weekly updates so that you know exactly what is happening.

Once a decision has been made on your application, the adviser will be able to come back to you to let you know the terms. This is another step where having a protection insurance adviser really can be helpful, as they can explain the terms you have been given and help if there’s anything you’re not quite sure on.

Non-advised

Non-advised routes are a good option for people that are certain that they know what insurance they want and need. Some people quite like doing the research for themselves, or choose this route because they want to get it over and done with straightaway online.

Going directly to an insurance company or using an online comparison site are both non-advised routes. Neither of these will provide any advice on the product that you’re taking out, so you might arrange the perfect option for you or you might end up arranging an insurance policy that you don’t need or doesn’t actually do what you’re wanting it to do. With this route it’s quite important that you are confident that you know what you want and understand all of the terms and conditions.

This route can be useful for people who don’t have a history of any serious medical conditions, take part in any hazardous hobbies, or high risk travel or occupation. For a person who does have any of these, we suggest that using an advised service is far more likely to get you a competitive insurance policy than trying to find the right options yourself.

Protection insurance can be a little bit confusing, or even overwhelming with having to decide on things such as the sum assured and policy term, which insurer, the insurance product and the specific variations of that product. For example, critical illness cover many insurers in the UK have four options for you to choose from. This is why we truly believe that an industry trained protection insurance adviser is so important in helping you through the jargon that we deal with day in day out. 

If you think you need protection insurance but you’re not quite sure where to start or haven’t yet decided which route to take, our advisers are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have, get in touch with us for a no obligation quotation.

If you want to know more, Kathryn hosted an episode of the Practical Protection Podcast where advised and non-advised routes were discussed. Check it out below, or visit the website here.

Related blogs

Protection insurance – what you need and how to get it

Advised vs non-advised, which to choose?

5 Tips on how to choose the right protection adviser