These days we are fortunate, there has never been so much choice of insurance products designed to help us protect our loved ones. However, like so many things in personal finance, this can be a mixed blessing: on the plus side, with more variety comes the ability to tailor insurance policies specifically to our needs, we have plenty of policies to choose from and range to find the policy that exactly suits our circumstances and budget. But the downside is that shopping around and finding the right product for our needs can seem more complicated too.

When searching for what we perceive to be the best deal, many of us turn to comparison sites to look for the cheapest insurance. However, when looking for life insurance, the policies we'll be presented with through this route are often no cheaper, with headline-grabbing offers that are not a true reflection of the price we'll actually have to pay and promise cover that could be unobtainable.

Furthermore, policies offered through comparison sites can be very simplistic and lacking all the options available to a consumer. This means we don't get the opportunity to take advantage of all the available options we might if we went through a broker - potentially leaving ourselves without valuable elements of cover.

To add to these complications, as a customer, we must disclose all facts that are relevant to the risk for which we are seeking cover - could you be sure when filling in a form online, with a limited explanation of what's relevant and required, that you have made full disclosure? If not, then you'll inevitably run the risk of not getting what you've been promised should the worst happen.

So, if you’re looking for a great deal and you want specialist guidance on a full range of options, then an insurance broker may well be the answer.

The Money Advice Service (MAS) supports the use of brokers by saying, “They’re experts in the market and – even with run-of-the-mill insurance – they can often find you better cover at a great price."

Here are a some of the reasons why going to a broker for life insurance might be the best choice (courtesy of the Money Advice Service):

Advantages of using an insurance broker

• Getting expert guidance does not cost you more: like comparison sites, brokers get paid commission by the insurance provider for selling their products, so you don’t pay them a fee for shopping around to get you a good deal. Unlike comparison sites they have specialist expertise and can give you guidance on the products that best suit your needs.
• Know your options: insurers won’t always offer you every type of cover when you go directly to them. Brokers can help you by pointing out the types of cover available from the insurers and help you to work out which product might be best suited to your specific needs.
• Find the right product for you: a broker will ask you about your personal circumstances to find you the right policy. They’ll also be able to tell you if you’re already covered by your existing insurance policies, so you don’t overlap, and they will often get you a good deal by comparing prices and product features. They can also be more flexible on price than comparison sites.

Additionally, in a recent study, The University of Nottingham, found that nearly 90% of the UK adult population cannot fully understand their insurance policies and that the least readable policy it reviewed could only be understood by 13.4% of UK adults.

This could make using the advice and guidance of an independent broker crucial when shopping for insurance. A good broker will take responsibility for ensuring that insurance jargon is demystified and they'll ask you all the right questions and so you know you have disclosed what you need to. They will ensure that the details of your cover are clearly explained and give you a clear understanding of exactly what level of cover is offered.

Not only is your broker there to see you get the best deals available, but if you speak to a broker who is authorised to give advice, they’ll give you guidance and their recommendation, they’ll simplify the process and explain things as they progress your application – which can be difficult and frustrating if you don’t know what you are doing.

The University of Nottingham study clearly shows that insurance policies are not necessarily complicated by their very nature, but that the way they are presented makes them seem complicated.

Our customers say that one of the things that they value most about the service we provide, is our ability to explain things well and so they have a greater understanding - you don’t have to take our word for this, you can read more of what our customers say here.

So, it seems that using a broker has a lot to offer - including an increase in the likelihood that people understand their insurance policy and what is being promised.

If you would like to discuss your life insurance needs and get further advice, we are a broker who is authorised by the FCA to give advice. We know our stuff, we focus on the detail and we take time to understand your situation and recommend a policy that's ideal for you. Essential Insurance advisors are well trained to explain why a particular product or provider would meet your needs and we have the knowledge to give you a recommendation that is tailored to your specific requirements - comparison sites are simply no comparison!

We’ve been told that “having a direct line to speak to a real person is a bonus” and that we’re not pushy, but polite and helpful – we genuinely have your best interests at heart. If you’d like to get in touch you can call us on 0800 612 8005 – and we’ll show you what we could do for you.