Events coming your way soon...Book on via www.bankhall.co.uk6237 Event17 AprilJoin SBG and a number of leading technical experts from our provider partners as we look at business opportunities in 2012, how to write business in a post RDR world, the fall out from the budget, and where SBG are investing to support you. All this streamed live to your PC! Business Forums 30 April - 18 MayIf you are a business owner or key influencer then the Business Forums are the perfect event for you! The next round will focus on running an RDR-ready business in 2013, providing you with practical guidance on propositions, adviser remuneration and more.Holistic Advice Forums & Investment Workshops 28 May - 13 JulyThe next round of Holistic Advice Forums will focus on giving advice in 2013, taking a case study approach to look at the client journey.In the afternoon, we will once again bring together our investment partners to look at the current market trends and solutions to help you when giving advice.Conference 2013: The year of the adviser 10 January 2013 2012 will inevitably be a challenging year for most, with much still to do ahead of the RDR implementation deadline of the year-end.In light of this, we have taken the decision to move this year's Bankhall Conference to January 2013. This will hopefully give all advisers the time they need to make any last amends to strategies ahead of the New Year. The 2012 events have just kicked off with the first round of Holistic Advice Forums in February. Don't worry if you missed this, as there is a full range of events coming up in the next few months, take a look below at the selection, or visit www.bankhall.co.uk for a full calendar of the events for 2012.Sesame Bankhall Group events are open to you, free of charge, so come along and see the value we have to offer. Also don't forget there are specific learning outcomes associated with each event, particularly relevant for advisers with Gap Fill and CPD requirements to fulfil.

The fact that the BoE also decided to pump another £50 billion into the economy to boost market confidence and stimulate growth is demonstration enough that UK Plc is still pretty chilly.Unemployment figures released by the Office of National Statistics in January showed that the number of people out of work is at its highest in 17 years, with 1.6 million claiming jobseekers allowance. The latter suggests that people are struggling to use their own savings to support themselves and are turning to the state.When times are tough, consumers will cut their cloth accordingly and could be tempted to cut out what they perceive as unnecessary expense on insurance protection. Repossession figures released by the CML last month could encourage some that arrears management by lenders is helping struggling borrowers stay in their homes and get back on track. The total number of properties taken into possession by first-charge mortgage lenders in 2011 was 36,200 - the lowest annual total since 2007.However, worsening unemployment and continuing pressures on the cost of living is likely to take its toll on many households. If interest rates nudge up by even one quarter of a percent, that could be enough to tip some over the edge.The subject of arrears and repossession is a 'must have' conversation between intermediaries and their homeowner clients. Bottom line? Protection insurance is a product that needs to be sold. Many websites and comparison sites have tried to sell short-term income protection and the like, but penetration has not increased. Why? I believe that few consumers really understand what they need to cover, how much they need to cover, and the options available to them. That's why intermediaries are, in my view, best placed to help consumers get the protection they need.However, you need products that are fit for purpose.Our Income Protector and Home Protector policies have turned the traditional approach to underwriting mortgage and short-term income protection on its head. This new breed of accident, sickness and unemployment protection prices the policy according to the risk profile of each individual customer when they buy it. And as the policy is effectively built around the policyholder at the point of sale, barring the consumer unintentionally providing inaccurate information, there is no reason why any valid claim should be turned down.And if complete accident, sickness and unemployment cover is still beyond the financial reach of some, we also offer good value unemployment-only policies that can provide consumers with the peace of mind they crave at a price they can more readily afford.The trick is to shop around on behalf of your clients to ensure you have a range of options to discuss with them. That way they can make an informed decision and obtain the right level of protection to suit their needs and their budget.PROTECTION - THE "MUST HAVE" CONVERSATIONGARY LITTLEHead of Key Accounts Assurant IntermediaryThe Bank of England's decision to hold interest rates at their record low may have been welcomed by many existing and aspiring homeowners but I hope it doesn't lull them into a false sense of security.