Aviva’s commitment to the intermediary market is the cornerstone of its distribution strategy, recognising that financial advisers and brokers are not merely channels to customers but essential partners in delivering tailored financial security. The support ecosystem Aviva has built is multifaceted, designed to empower intermediaries at every stage of their business cycle, from initial client discovery and product selection to ongoing policy administration and complex claims resolution. This deep, integrated partnership is engineered to make advisers more efficient, more knowledgeable, and ultimately more successful in serving their clients’ best interests.
The foundation of this support is a sophisticated and continuously evolving suite of digital tools accessible through the Aviva for Advisers platform. This portal acts as a centralised hub, streamlining administrative tasks that traditionally consume valuable time. Advisers can obtain real-time, personalised quotations for a comprehensive range of products including life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, and annuities. The platform’s integration with leading back-office and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, such as Intelliflo and IRESS, is a critical feature. This allows for seamless data exchange, eliminating the need for double data entry, reducing errors, and ensuring client records are consistently up-to-date across all systems. The ability to submit new business applications electronically, track their status in real-time, and manage existing policy amendments online transforms what was once a paper-heavy, time-consuming process into a streamlined digital workflow. This efficiency directly enhances an adviser’s capacity to serve more clients effectively.
Beyond pure administration, Aviva invests significantly in empowering intermediaries with knowledge. The Aviva Academy stands as a testament to this, offering a vast library of professional development resources. This includes Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-accredited modules, in-depth technical webinars, market insight reports, and practical sales guides. The content is curated not just to explain Aviva products but to explore broader industry themes, legislative changes like Consumer Duty, and evolving client needs. This ensures advisers are not only product experts but also strategic consultants who can navigate complex financial landscapes. Furthermore, Aviva provides dedicated business consultancy support, offering insights into market trends, client segmentation strategies, and practice management advice. This helps advisers refine their own business models, identify new growth opportunities, and enhance their value proposition.
Recognising that the advice process begins long before a product is selected, Aviva offers powerful client-facing tools to aid in fact-finding and needs analysis. The Aviva DNA (Definitive Needs Analyser) tool is a prime example. This interactive digital tool allows advisers to collaboratively engage with clients to visually articulate their financial goals, priorities, and concerns. It helps quantify the financial impact of life events, such as the loss of an income due to illness or death, making the need for protection tangible and understandable. This not only facilitates more meaningful conversations but also helps build a robust audit trail evidencing the advice process, a crucial element in fulfilling regulatory obligations under Consumer Duty. By providing these resources, Aviva equips advisers to have higher-quality interactions that focus on client outcomes rather than just product features.
Product development at Aviva is intrinsically linked to intermediary feedback. The company operates dedicated intermediary councils and forums where key partners can provide direct input on product design, underwriting philosophy, and service improvements. This collaborative approach has led to the creation of market-leading products with features that directly address client and adviser needs. Examples include the development of more comprehensive critical illness definitions, the inclusion of valuable additional support services like the Aviva DigiCare+ health and wellness app, and innovative options for business protection. This ensures the product range remains competitive, relevant, and designed for real-world application, giving advisers confidence in the solutions they recommend.
The claims process is the ultimate moment of truth for any insurance policy, and Aviva’s support for advisers during this critical time is paramount. The company has established a dedicated claims support team specifically for intermediaries, ensuring advisers have a direct line to experts who can guide them and their clients through the process. Aviva prioritises clear communication, providing regular updates to the adviser at every stage. The focus is on empathy, speed, and efficiency, with a significant majority of life insurance claims paid out. For more complex scenarios, such as serious illness claims, Aviva often assigns a dedicated claims manager to provide personalised support. This robust framework ensures that when a client needs the policy most, the adviser is supported in delivering a compassionate and efficient service, solidifying client trust in both the adviser and the provider.
Aviva’s support extends into the realms of marketing and business development. Through its intermediary portals, it offers a suite of white-labelled marketing materials, including client leaflets, email templates, social media content, and detailed product guides. These professionally produced resources can be customised with the adviser’s own branding, allowing them to execute effective marketing campaigns without the associated time and cost of creating content from scratch. This support helps advisers maintain a consistent market presence, educate their client base, and generate new leads, thereby contributing directly to their business growth and brand building.
The implementation of the Consumer Duty regulation has placed greater emphasis on evidencing good client outcomes and value. Aviva has proactively developed tools and services to assist intermediaries in meeting these enhanced obligations. This includes providing clear and accessible product documentation, detailed information on value assessments, and data analytics through the adviser portal that can help firms demonstrate the suitability and value of the solutions they have recommended. By aligning its own processes and disclosures with the principles of Consumer Duty, Aviva makes it simpler for adviser firms to fulfil their regulatory duties and prove that the client’s interests are at the heart of the advice given.
For larger advisory firms and corporate partners, Aviva provides access to bespoke relationship management. Dedicated regional development managers and key account managers act as a single point of contact, offering strategic support, facilitating introductions to technical experts, and ensuring the firm’s specific needs are understood and met within Aviva. This high-touch, partnership approach ensures that larger firms can leverage the full breadth of Aviva’s resources effectively and collaborate on initiatives that drive mutual growth.
The company’s commitment to innovation ensures that its support for intermediaries remains forward-looking. Investments in data analytics and artificial intelligence are used to refine underwriting processes, making them quicker and more responsive. Pilot programs for digital underwriting, which can provide instant decisions for a significant proportion of applicants, are continually expanded. Aviva also explores technological advancements like open banking and API integrations to further simplify the application and evidence-gathering process. By staying at the forefront of technology, Aviva ensures its intermediary partners have access to modern, efficient systems that meet rising client expectations for digital engagement.
In the pension and retirement space, support for advisers is equally comprehensive. The Aviva Adviser Charging facility provides a flexible way to facilitate adviser remuneration directly from the product. The platform offers powerful pension transfer and investment analysis tools, alongside access to technical specialists who can provide guidance on complex retirement income cases. This holistic support ensures that advisers operating in the highly regulated pension transfer market can do so with confidence, backed by a provider with deep technical expertise and robust systems.
Ultimately, Aviva’s model for supporting financial advisers and brokers is built on a philosophy of genuine partnership. It is a holistic ecosystem designed to add value at every touchpoint. By combining a powerful, integrated digital platform with deep technical expertise, practical business development support, and a client-centric claims service, Aviva provides the tools and resources that enable intermediaries to operate more efficiently, advise with greater authority, and demonstrate undeniable value to their clients. This symbiotic relationship ensures that advisers are equipped to build resilient, future-proof businesses while ensuring end clients receive the highest standard of financial advice and security.
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