Gosling's Grouse: To serve and protect

It is over 20 years since Investment Week launched a sister publication to write about one of the 'bridesmaids' of financial services: the protection sector.

COVER was inspired by a survey from a major life office which said protection was a fast-growing part of advisers' businesses. This made sense. The economy was coming out of recession, we were about to have a change of government from Conservative to Labour, pensions were going through a period of over-complication and investment flows were still very focused around the end of the tax year. So 'little old protection' was holding up many advisers' businesses and was proving a very good way to attract clients.  Back in the 1990s, while basic life assurance was a strong advice line...