FAQ category: Financial Services

Insurance for this sector is usually purchased in a package or portfolio. This means the financial lines insurance form part of a single package with a single insurer. This is particularly common for small and medium-sized financial services companies, asset managers, financial institutions or fund managers.

The most common package combines professional indemnity, crime insurance and directors’ and officers’ insurance. Recently, some insurers have started to offer cyber insurance, and in some cases public and employers’ liability extensions.

We advise you get professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ insurance as a minimum. In fact, depending on your Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) permissions, professional indemnity might be compulsory.

Depending on whether you handle client funds on your own platform, crime insurance might or might not add value. We can help advise you.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

Insurance for this sector is usually purchased in a package or portfolio. This means the financial lines insurance form part of a single package with a single insurer. This is particularly common for small and medium-sized financial services companies, asset managers, financial institutions or fund managers.

The most common package combines professional indemnity, crime insurance and directors’ and officers’ insurance. Recently, some insurers have started to offer cyber insurance, and in some cases public and employers’ liability extensions.

We advise you get professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ insurance as a minimum. In fact, depending on your Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) permissions, professional indemnity might be compulsory.

Depending on whether you handle client funds on your own platform, crime insurance might or might not add value. We can help advise you.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

Insurance for this sector is usually purchased in a package or portfolio. This means the financial lines insurance form part of a single package with a single insurer. This is particularly common for small and medium-sized financial services companies, asset managers, financial institutions or fund managers.

The most common package combines professional indemnity, crime insurance and directors’ and officers’ insurance. Recently, some insurers have started to offer cyber insurance, and in some cases public and employers’ liability extensions.

We advise you get professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ insurance as a minimum. In fact, depending on your Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) permissions, professional indemnity might be compulsory.

Depending on whether you handle client funds on your own platform, crime insurance might or might not add value. We can help advise you.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

Insurance for this sector is usually purchased in a package or portfolio. This means the financial lines insurance form part of a single package with a single insurer. This is particularly common for small and medium-sized financial services companies, asset managers, financial institutions or fund managers.

The most common package combines professional indemnity, crime insurance and directors’ and officers’ insurance. Recently, some insurers have started to offer cyber insurance, and in some cases public and employers’ liability extensions.

We advise you get professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ insurance as a minimum. In fact, depending on your Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) permissions, professional indemnity might be compulsory.

Depending on whether you handle client funds on your own platform, crime insurance might or might not add value. We can help advise you.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

Professional indemnity insurance is compulsory for all mortgage brokers that provide advice on residential or consumer mortgages. If you provide purely corporate finance, it may not be compulsory, but we’d still recommend it.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

Professional indemnity insurance is compulsory for all independent financial advisers and financial advisers that provide consumer and financial advice. If you provide purely corporate or professional investor advice, it may not be compulsory, but we’d still recommend it.

In recent years, we have seen an increase in claims, in part driven by social media and campaigns by some law firms, often referred to as ‘claims farmers’. These campaigns, previously focused on large investment providers, are now targeting companies of any size.

This can be complicated but insurers, and brokers, should be transparent about exclusions.

We will be able to advise but it’s worth knowing that:

  • Some insurers will exclude unregulated investment products or offshore investments.
  • Whilst not usually relevant to financial services unless you have an independent financial adviser or advisory department, in recent years insurers have been very concerned with advice on defined benefit pension transfers.
  • Most policies will exclude claims in the USA and Canada and some insurers will restrict to UK claims only. More obvious exclusions are fraud, unless the fraud relates to an employee acting without consent or knowledge of directors and managers.
  • Many insurers will ‘aggregate’ coverage meaning insurers will apply a policy cap to all claims. This can restrict cover significantly. For example, you may purchase £1,000,000 professional indemnity, £1,000,000 crime and £1,000,000 directors’ and officers’ insurance, but the insurers will apply an overarching policy limit of £1,000,000 meaning the total for all such claims will be £1,000,000 throughout the policy period. The result is £1,000,000 professional indemnity insurance can exhaust the cover, leaving directors with no cover. Sometimes, you’ll only be offered aggregated cover but with separate policy limits for each module (professional indemnity, crime and directors’ and officers’ insurance). If this is affordable it’s an approach that should be carefully considered.

We will be able to advise but it’s worth knowing that:

  • Some insurers will exclude unregulated investment products or offshore investments.
  • Whilst not usually relevant to financial services unless you have an independent financial adviser or advisory department, in recent years insurers have been very concerned with advice on defined benefit pension transfers.
  • Most policies will exclude claims in the USA and Canada and some insurers will restrict to UK claims only. More obvious exclusions are fraud, unless the fraud relates to an employee acting without consent or knowledge of directors and managers.
  • Many insurers will ‘aggregate’ coverage meaning insurers will apply a policy cap to all claims. This can restrict cover significantly. For example, you may purchase £1,000,000 professional indemnity, £1,000,000 crime and £1,000,000 directors’ and officers’ insurance, but the insurers will apply an overarching policy limit of £1,000,000 meaning the total for all such claims will be £1,000,000 throughout the policy period. The result is £1,000,000 professional indemnity insurance can exhaust the cover, leaving directors with no cover. Sometimes, you’ll only be offered aggregated cover but with separate policy limits for each module (professional indemnity, crime and directors’ and officers’ insurance). If this is affordable it’s an approach that should be carefully considered.

We will be able to advise but it’s worth knowing that:

  • Some insurers will exclude unregulated investment products or offshore investments.
  • Whilst not usually relevant to financial services unless you have an independent financial adviser or advisory department, in recent years insurers have been very concerned with advice on defined benefit pension transfers.
  • Most policies will exclude claims in the USA and Canada and some insurers will restrict to UK claims only. More obvious exclusions are fraud, unless the fraud relates to an employee acting without consent or knowledge of directors and managers.
  • Many insurers will ‘aggregate’ coverage meaning insurers will apply a policy cap to all claims. This can restrict cover significantly. For example, you may purchase £1,000,000 professional indemnity, £1,000,000 crime and £1,000,000 directors’ and officers’ insurance, but the insurers will apply an overarching policy limit of £1,000,000 meaning the total for all such claims will be £1,000,000 throughout the policy period. The result is £1,000,000 professional indemnity insurance can exhaust the cover, leaving directors with no cover. Sometimes, you’ll only be offered aggregated cover but with separate policy limits for each module (professional indemnity, crime and directors’ and officers’ insurance). If this is affordable it’s an approach that should be carefully considered.

We will be able to advise but it’s worth knowing that:

  • Some insurers will exclude unregulated investment products or offshore investments.
  • Whilst not usually relevant to financial services unless you have an independent financial adviser or advisory department, in recent years insurers have been very concerned with advice on defined benefit pension transfers.
  • Most policies will exclude claims in the USA and Canada and some insurers will restrict to UK claims only. More obvious exclusions are fraud, unless the fraud relates to an employee acting without consent or knowledge of directors and managers.
  • Many insurers will ‘aggregate’ coverage meaning insurers will apply a policy cap to all claims. This can restrict cover significantly. For example, you may purchase £1,000,000 professional indemnity, £1,000,000 crime and £1,000,000 directors’ and officers’ insurance, but the insurers will apply an overarching policy limit of £1,000,000 meaning the total for all such claims will be £1,000,000 throughout the policy period. The result is £1,000,000 professional indemnity insurance can exhaust the cover, leaving directors with no cover. Sometimes, you’ll only be offered aggregated cover but with separate policy limits for each module (professional indemnity, crime and directors’ and officers’ insurance). If this is affordable it’s an approach that should be carefully considered.