Two in five (40%) mortgage advisers have seen an increase in protection conversations with customers as a result of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) Consumer Duty, according to findings from the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI).
A third (33%) of advisers had also noticed changes to how they are required to evidence customer protection conversations on file and almost a quarter (24%) said they were now talking to customers about a different variety of protection products.
Conversely, one in five (22%) advisers had not seen any protection related changes made by their firm.
And more than a quarter (28%) of consumers that could not recall a protection conversation with their mortgage adviser said they would have been interested in having one.
The findings were released ahead of AMI’s fourth annual Protection Viewpoint Report on protection within the mortgage industry.
For the research AMI polled 3,000 UK adults and 463 advisers in August with full findings published on 8 November.
Stacy Penn, senior policy adviser at the AMI, (pictured) said: “It’s encouraging to see many mortgage intermediary firms embrace Consumer Duty and hopefully customers are beginning to see the benefits of having better conversations around protection.
“This year’s title ‘The Perception Gap’ is a deliberate play on words. It reflects how over the years we’ve talked a lot about the protection gap – and not got very far in reducing it.
“We feel it’s time for a re-think as understanding perceptions, and more importantly tackling misperceptions, is the key to protecting more people.”
Rachel Lummis, director and mortgage and protection adviser at Xpress Mortgages, said: “Consumer Duty has given us the opportunity to make sure we are doing all we can to put the needs of customers front and centre.
“We are always striving to improve our service, so we’re looking forward to seeing this year’s AMI’s Viewpoint report to understand consumers better, helping us on our Consumer Duty journey and gaining a deeper insight into what others in the market are doing.”
Carrie Johnson, customer life stage director at Royal London, said: “It’s really encouraging to see evidence that the Consumer Duty is already making a positive change, increasing the number of protection conversations being initiated.
“This is a great outcome as we know the importance of having protection at the heart of the advice conversation, particularly when thinking about mortgages, as considering the range of products available will make a real difference to the financial health of clients throughout their lives.
“And, although more challenging when finances are stretched, it has never been more important to ensure clients can withstand life shocks, at any stage in their lives.”
Julie Godley, director of intermediary at Legal & General, said: “This report is a timely reminder of the vital role that advisers play in educating and empowering consumers to protect their financial future.
“The perception gap is a challenge that we all need to address as an industry, and we’re proud to support AMI’s efforts to raise awareness with relevant insights and sharing firm case studies.”
