With one in five parents taking over 12 months unpaid leave to care for their child during cancer treatment, Aviva's Mark Cracknell believes advisers can help families understand the impact that childhood sickness may have on family finances.

Zurich has launched a website for employee benefits consultants, advisers and employers.

VitalityHealth and Nuffield Health have launched a joint venture to provide large employers with a health and engagement solution for their entire workforce.

Over two thirds of the UK adult population either hasn't purchased any life insurance (57%) or doesn't know whether they have or not (11%), research from LifeSearch has found.

Employers are 'in danger of having group risk protection policies that are not legislatively compliant' as the state pension age increases, Group Risk Development (GRiD) has warned.

British Friendly has extended its Mutual Benefits programme to members' wider family via two initiatives.

Capita Life & Pensions has launched a direct-to-customer digital protection system.

Ahead of MiFID II

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN), the international employee benefits joint venture between MetLife and AXA, has hired Nicola Fordham as director of underwriting.

Aviva, fresh from its substantial upgrade last November - when it absorbed market-leading Friends Life and introduced tiers of cover - has added further enhancements to its impressively comprehensive plans, writes CIExpert's Alan Lakey.