SimplyBiz Group partners with new protection firm Guardian

The partnership will see the two companies work together to deliver training and educational opportunities to advisers who use the Group’s services.

Guardian Financial Services is a historical business which was mainly made up of life policies, pensions and annuities and was bought by ReAssure in 2016.

Its re-entrance into the market is under a new brand identity which will offer protection policies exclusively through intermediaries.

Matt Timmins, joint CEO of The SimplyBiz Group, commented: “There’s been a significant amount of interest across the financial services sector in the revival of the Guardian brand, particularly given the heritage of the business and quality of its new senior management team. Having worked closely with Guardian, and seen the creation of its proposition first-hand, I have to say that its philosophy and customer-centric approach truly live up to expectations.

“Guardian’s objective of enhancing the client experience can be seen in every element of what it delivers, from crystal clear condition definitions through to the simplified and expedited process of making a claim, and I’m not surprised to hear that advisers have wholeheartedly embraced this approach.

“Its decision to endorse the value of professional financial advice by allowing access to its products through advisers only is, of course, supported by The SimplyBiz Group. As we know, financial services is an industry with people at its heart and this is a principle clearly visible throughout Guardian’s processes. I believe that this is the start of a long relationship which will prove extremely positive for the Group, Guardian, the adviser firms with which we work and their clients.”

Simon Davis, CEO of Guardian Financial Services, added: “We are delighted to enter into this partnership with The SimplyBiz Group, and look forward to working with its member firms in the coming months and years. Our shared aims of helping advisers to provide more protection advice and, ultimately, ensuring that more of the UK population has the right cover in place, mean that we have very robust foundations on which to build our relationship.”