What are the biggest protection stories of the last 12 months?
The individual and group protection industries have had plenty to contend with over the past 12 months - not least the need to navigate some major legislative changes such as the EU gender directive, the removal of the I-E tax regime and the introduction of auto-enrolment for pensions.
But that hasn't stopped providers from making both some controversial - the year started off with a bang when Unum announced the shock news it was pulling out of the consumer income protection market - and innovative moves.
On the product innovation side, we've seen growing numbers of insurers introduce partial payments to their critical illness policies - which has generated fierce debate over whether this really leads to a better outcome for consumers - and the emergence of short-term income protection, a product many fear could be dangerously close to payment protection insurance.
The industry continued to make strides towards improved consumer confidence, with Aviva publishing its income protection claims statistics for the first time, but there was also acknowledgement that much work remains to be done.
And with the most hotly debated topics of the past year including whether protection advisers could begin to sell more private medical insurance, as well as the opportunities for group risk intermediaries in the SME market and following the introduction of auto-enrolment, 2013 looks set to be another busy year.
But before those wheels are set in motion, take a look over the 10 biggest protection stories of 2012:
Critical illness – the pros and cons of partial payments
Gender neutral pricing – how do insurers’ policies compare?
Unum withdraws from consumer income protection market
Selling PMI and protection – easier said than done?
Group risk and SMEs – harnessing the opportunity
STIP – short-term solution or short cut rip off?
Mental health and insurance – time for a new approach?
Productivity and absence – what do your clients care more about?
Aviva reveals income protection claims paid statistics
Auto-enrolment and group risk – what do advisers need to know?