LifeQuote says it will support advisers whose clients do not have an email address, despite the act that an increasing number of life insurers insist on email addresses on the application.
Of 11 insurers surveyed by LifeQuote, six require customers to have an email address in order to set up an account. LifeQuote believes that as and when life insurers update their online systems this number will rise.
Life insurers where an email address is mandatory include Legal & General, Aviva, Royal London, The Exeter, AIG and British Friendly.
Clients that do not have an email address are encouraged to set one up, or provide a trusted family member’s email address instead.
Insurers are increasingly using email addresses to provide an online account whereby all policies can be viewed and accessed. So, for example, clients can see their life, car, home and pension policies all in one place. However, according to the Office for National Statistics, in 2015 11% of adults (5.9 million people) had never used the internet.
Neil McCarthy, sales and marketing director at LifeQuote, said: “While the perception is that email has replaced other forms of communication, our own experience shows otherwise. Currently, more people favour text messaging for communication at around 40% of exchanges, email represents 30%, the phone makes up around 20% and paper has dropped to below 10%.
“Whilst there are some providers that make it mandatory to have an email address, we are conscious that a minority of people do not have one, or others who do choose not to provide it. In such cases LifeQuote is committed to working with advisers to help them explain the need for email addresses.”