St James’s Place Wealth Management is among the latest firms to join the Protection Distribution Group (PDG).

The PDG was formed in 2016 to “drive change in the protection market and encourage insurers and intermediaries to deliver better consumer outcomes”.

Over the past three years the group says it has helped improve the industry through initiatives such as the Funeral Payment Pledge and the PDG Claims Charter and it continues to champion better access to insurance.

As well as SJP another firm, Essential Insurance, has also joined the PDG.


Alan Knowles, managing director of Cura Financial Services and Chair of the PDG, said: “We are delighted to see St James’s Place Wealth Management and Essential Insurance join the PDG.

“The PDG is a group of like-minded businesses trying their best to improve standards within insurance and public perception of our industry as a whole.

“Joining our group demonstrates the commitment by both firms to work alongside their peers to improve customer outcomes and make the claims process a positive experience, when customers need our support the most."


Tony Mudd, divisional director, development and technical consultancy at St James’s Place, said: “We are pleased to be joining the PDG as it is an organisation that is committed to creating positive change in the protection market.

“This commitment aligns with our own ambition in this market, which is to ensure that affordable protection products are available to our clients, helping them prepare for unexpected events.

“By joining the PDG, we can work with other companies in the financial services industry to make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Rob White, Director at Essential Insurance, said: “As a distributor of protection products, we’re looking forward to helping encourage positive change that delivers further improvements and better customer outcomes.”


Current members of the PDG include: Assured Futures, Cavendish Ware, Cura, Direct Life and Pension Services Limited, Drewberry, Future Proof, Highclere, LifeSearch, LightBlue, London & Country, Roxburgh and Sesame Bankhall Group.