Mike Farrell, head of protection sales at LV=, told delegates that consumers were not aware of existing protection prices so gender-neutral hikes would not be an issue.
He said: “With gender, if you asked 100 people in the street about the price on insurance they would not have any idea. This is really not going to be an issue for customers.”
However, he added it was a great opportunity for advisers to act because, like the end of the tax year, clients would respond well to the deadline once told.
Farrell said there was demand for advice in the protection market and the long-term fundamentals were positive.
Duncan Macmillan, head of sales, training and coaching at Lifesearch, added: “As advisers, it is our responsibility to go through a natural holistic process. Clients know their lives so it is up to us to reflect on that and what they might need.
He added that advisers should be talking to the right clients about the many products on the market.
In a video feed, head of training at New Leaf Bob Spence said: “The reasons to be cheerful are sheer arithmetic.
“There are around 2.5m people currently employed. Advisers need to communicate that they are working for the client and are not like the banks.”
