LifeSearch is launching the UK's first self-serve life insurance journey with a fully integrated digital trust solution – enabling customers to place policies bought online into trust during the digital journey. As one of the UK's leading protection advice specialists, this supports its aim to place 80% of all life insurance policies into trusts, ensuring LifeSearch customers and their loved ones are protected properly, when it matters most.
Created in partnership with Trust Genie and Yavia, this market-first collaboration embeds trust creation directly into the LifeSearch online quote and buy journeys. For the first time, customers can complete their purchase and ensure their policy will be paid to the right people, without delay or unnecessary tax exposure, in a single digital experience.
Embedding trusts into the online protection journey
The new approach makes trust creation a routine part of buying life insurance, ensuring that protecting people properly doesn’t simply end at the point of sale. The new LifeSearch app, powered by Yavia’s proven engagement platform and Genie’s end-to-end trust engine, provides a communications hub and educational content, delivering a seamless, compliant, fully digital trust experience at no cost to the customer.
Addressing low trust adoption
This integration addresses a critical gap in the market. In 2023, fewer than one in five (18%) of all new life policies were written in trust according to a report from Swiss Re¹. The report also estimates that 40% of under 45s in the UK live together unmarried – running a risk that a partner would not automatically receive a pay out if a policy was not held in trust and intestacy rules were applied.
Trust Genie already supports LifeSearch’s advised clients and acts as a bridge between the client, their trustees and the insurer. It’s safe, contextual artificial intelligence (AI) guides customers, produces personalised plain-English summaries, and eliminates double entry across multiple policies. Trustees are brought into the ecosystem with clear guidance, digital signing and ongoing support. Completed trusts are automatically submitted using the correct packaging rules to ensure accuracy and auditability. LifeSearch aims to extend Genie’s over-90% completion rate to self-serve clients.
Placing a life insurance policy into trust ensures that the payout goes directly to the intended beneficiaries without delay or avoidable tax exposure. It also supports faster claims settlement and gives dependants clearer financial outcomes. These features fit with the Consumer Duty focus on reducing foreseeable harm.
Debbie Kennedy, Chief Executive, LifeSearch said: “At LifeSearch our purpose has always been focused on the customer – to protect people properly. That is why we are passionate about supporting our customers beyond the sale of a policy, whether that’s through an advised or a self-serve journey. By both educating and supporting all of our customers to put their life insurance into trust, we can help ensure the right money reaches the right people at the right time, avoiding unnecessary delays and tax exposure.
“This market-first digital solution for online self-serve journeys shows our commitment to innovation and investment in our customers. By partnering with Trust Genie and Yavia, we're combining technological excellence with genuine customer care. Being first to market with this solution demonstrates our technology credentials and our determination to drive meaningful change across the protection industry."
Neil Glover, Chief Commercial Officer at Trust Genie, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Trust Genie. It’s accepted by all major insurers, delivers over 90% completion and, most importantly, supports the outcomes and personal motivations behind a client’s decision to purchase protection. A trust is the starting point, but good outcomes rely on connecting the client and their adviser with the insurer who will deliver the benefit, and the trustees who may one day need to act.
“We built Genie to do exactly that, synchronising logic, dynamic forms and bounded AI to create a safe, compliant and personalised journey. We’re grateful to the insurers, particularly their trust and legal teams, for the time and expertise they shared, and to LifeSearch for insights in helping us shape such a strong customer experience.”
Joanne Cole, Founder, Yavia said: “Yavia is already powering digital engagement for advisers across the UK, and we are excited to bring that same proven technology to LifeSearch and Trust Genie. Together, we are enabling a modern, intuitive trust journey that delivers better customer outcomes, creating a more educated and engaged customer who understands the importance of their policy and recognises the value of protecting their money through the trust process.”
LifeSearch is one of the UK's leading protection advice specialists, blending technology with expert human advice. Since 1998, it has helped over one million people, families and businesses secure 1.7 million policies through its team of 280 specialist advisers. LifeSearch has innovated by embedding protection into wider conversations, developing its own quote and buy experience blended with human advice, and reaching consumers in underserved markets to support its ambition to protect more people properly.
LifeSearch works with a range of partners including Which?, Lloyds Banking Group, Yorkshire Building Society, Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket, and PensionBee. For more information, visit the LifeSearch partner website.