The insight every protection adviser needs in 2026
We assume interest and understanding. The reality is very different. If consumers don’t understand protection, they won’t engage with it — and that’s where the real problem lies.”
Alan Lakey, Director, CIExpert
What is Critical Thinking?
Why this research matters
The protection industry has a communication problem
- Around 7 in 10 consumers haven’t seen or heard anything at all about Income Protection or Critical Illness cover in the past year
- Where opinions exist, they are often based on assumption rather than understanding
- Products are being judged without ever being properly explained
- Consumers aren’t rejecting protection — they’re not engaging with it because they don’t understand it.
What’s inside the report
An abundance of thought-provoking research to discover
- The true scale of consumer misunderstanding
- How decisions are really made — not how we assume they are made
- The role of adviser conversations in changing perception
- Generational shifts in attitudes and expectations - Opportunities to improve communication and engagement
- Opportunities from evolving market conditions that the industry is currently missing out on
Shaking up the protection industry
Critical Thinking 2026 is the only market research report of its kind. The most comprehensive market research study into both Critical Illness Cover & Income Protection.
Critical Thinking 2026 is here to shake up the protection industry and spark the discussions that will help us maximise the opportunities the research has found. Produced by CIExpert, the report challenges industry assumptions and brings the real, modern day customer perspective back into focus.
Backed by industry leaders
Sponsored by leading insurers Royal London and Guardian, CIExpert thank them for their vital support in bringing this important research to the market.
Many thanks also to Aviva, Legal & General, Vitality and Zurich for their support. Together we can all get the industry talking.
"Royal London is proud to support CT26, CIExpert’s comprehensive research initiative into the income protection market. Financial resilience is at the heart of our purpose, and at a time when the importance of financial resilience has never been clearer, we believe that robust insight plays a crucial role in supporting the industry, advisers, and, most importantly, customers."
Royal London
"This report should prompt reflection across the protection industry. Not because the findings are surprising. Many of the themes were highlighted in the 2024 report. But because it confirms there’s still a gap between how much we expect consumers to understand about protection, and what they actually understand and value."
Hilary Banks,
Guardian
Launch Event
Critical Thinking 2026
CIExpert's impact on the industry
Single is Best Campaign
Critical Thinking Ambassador Programme
Critical Thinking 2026 - Key Takeaways
Critical Thinking 2026 - Key Takeaways 2
Getting the industry talking
As soon as we heard the findings of CIExpert’s Critical Thinking Report 2024 we immediately recognised the value that its detailed consumer insights would bring to our advisers. We felt it so impactful that we built it into our Q2 2024 roadshow programme and its impact is still being felt today. So it’s tremendous news that Critical Thinking 2026 will include insights from 10,000 consumers bringing a wider insight of their views on Life, Critical Illness and Income Protection plans
Steve Berry
Protection / GI Proposition & Market Development Manager
The Openwork Partnership
“7 in 10 consumers haven’t seen or heard anything about protection in the past year.”
That gap between what the industry believes it’s communicating and what consumers are actually hearing is uncomfortable reading. And this is just a teaser, the report contains a vast amount of insight just like this across IP and CIC.
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