A trade group established to promote awareness of income protection cover has launched a new adviser and consumer website.
The Income Protection Task Force (IPTF) launched the website as part of a wider range of initiatives, which will include webinars for intermediaries, industry training and CPD initiatives, wider industry engagement and an enhanced number of partnerships and industry collaborations.
Earlier this year, IPTF was taken over by Roy McLoughlin and Kevin Carr and has since attracted new members including AIG, Shepherd’s Friendly and Met Life as well as collaborations with the Protection Distributors’ Group and the US-based Council for Disability Awareness.
Mr McLoughlin said: "The group represents the vast majority of income protection providers in the UK, along with many reinsurers, adviser firms and technology businesses involved in providing services to the market.
Advisers will have more confidence in recommending these products if they have a better understanding. Aj Somal"With funding from members, we’ve built a great new website that we hope will become the go to place for all things income protection."
The site will contain information for both adviser and consumers, including FAQs, how to buy income protection, training webinars, latest industry news, claim stats and sales aids, among other information.
The website is to feature two regular columnists in Richard Walsh and Andrew Wibberley. Mr Walsh will provide updates on legislative changes and alternatives to government policy while Mr Wibberley will focus on underwriting-related issues.
AJ Somal, an IFA at Birmingham-based Aurora Financial Planning, praised the work the IPTF was doing to raise the profile of protection products among advisers and consumers.
He said: "It is a good initiative as anything that increases awareness of income protection is great. People are not always aware of the vital importance of income protection plans, so further education can only be a good thing."
Mr Somal said that it was beneficial for advisers to have a place to go to see first-hand industry innovations in the market as “not all products are the same."
He added: "Advisers will have more confidence in recommending these products if they have a better understanding."
