More consumers will buy protection direct from online providers in response to the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), an online insurance group has predicted.
Beagle Street said affordability and speed were driving growth and that it expected the trend to continue after the legislation was implemented on 21 December.
Matthew Gledhill, managing director of Beagle Street, said: "Following RDR and all the other changes in the market next year, there is going to be a fairly seismic shift in consumer behaviour.
"There's going to be a lot of movement towards people buying direct from online providers, as there has been in a lot of other markets, and excluding the traditional processes."
Paul Doyle, a consultant at Net Worth Planning, said RDR would definitely have an effect on some consumers, but it was not just as "clean cut" as it driving them away from the adviser route.
He said: "I don't think it's driven by the changes of RDR but the relationship the adviser has with the client.
"Those who are seeking protection make their own judgement on whether to deal with an adviser. Clients who value the advice process will continue to use the adviser route."
Gledhill said he expected the "good" advisers to benefit from the changes and the "poor" ones to suffer.
