Check our library of information and articles on the subject of health risks, statistics, healthcare and trends in the insurance sector.

Please feel free to browse the articles linked below. There are some illuminating, and sobering, facts that we can all learn from.

ARE YOU A RISK-TAKER, OR AT RISK?

Men are considered more likely to be risk-takers, and so are more inclined to ignore symptoms, as they do not like making a fuss, or being told what to do. more …

BURY YOUR head IN IT, OR WALK ON IT?

Just because men tend to take a more ‘head in the sand’ approach to health risks, it does not mean that they are any less at risk of contracting a life-threatening condition. more …

How do I know if the insurance broker who I take my critical illness insurance out with is regulated?

There are many ways to take out critical illness insurance as there are a number of different companies who offer such insurance. Not only can you buy the insurance direct from those who provide such cover there are also a large number of independent brokers who offer such insurance and this will sometimes be at a discounted price. You will tend to find such insurance brokers online and the reason why the price would tend to be discounted from the normal price is because they sacrifice part of their commission in order to reduce the price for yourself. It is also possible to take out critical illness insurance with your bank and this would often occur if you were taking out a mortgage at the same time. The reason why this may happen is because the banker will want to supply a full package however this does not necessarily mean you have to take out the insurance through your bank; you can choose to look elsewhere. As long as you are getting the right price and the protection plan you require it does not matter who you take out the insurance with. Ideally when taking out for example critical illness insurance, you want to make sure you understand the product you are purchasing, you want to have confidence in the product you buy and therefore giving you piece of mind that you feel comfortable that the plan you take out will cover you for what you need in the future.

Some people choose the critical illness cover purely based on the price the plan is offered at, this is not a bad thing if considering life insurance only however with critical illness insurance you need to be a bit more thorough in your decision. You want to look at all the information available both from your insurance adviser but also about the company you are taking the contract out with. Others may look at how much the insurance will cost but also what other incentives are offered if you take out the policy with them, or even what free gift you may receive. There are also a  number of incentives offered at point of sale but it will depend on who you take the insurance out with but it also may depend on how much the cost is per month, for example the higher the premium the bigger the incentive but also maybe the bigger the gift. Some companies will offer you money back, where others may offer to pay a month’s premium for you, but again this will depend on the contract itself. Typically the higher the sum assured the more you will pay per month. However there are a number of factors which influence the price also. Typically this would be your age, whether you are a smoker, the length of the critical illness insurance however others may influence the plan after the underwriting process for example your height and weight and medical history.

You may have chosen the plan and are happy with the provider who will be your insurance provider through the term of the plan however if buying the insurance from an independent broker you may want to ensure that they are financially regulated by the FSA. This will then ensure that the company you take out the insurance with meets the specified guidelines in order to trade within the UK. On the FSA website there is a list of all the firms they regulate and if they feel that such a company is not meeting their guidelines they might fine the company in question and possibly remove them from the list of authorised companies. Also if you feel you want to make a complaint about a specified company the FSA would investigate this for you through the financial ombudsman service. The also have a handbook which includes all their legal rules and guidance which people can refer to if needed.