Best Insurance Looks Ahead to 2026: AI, Portals, White Labels & More
Insurance distribution, underwriting, and claims are moving fast. 2026 will reward teams that cut friction, ship automation, and tighten control of outcomes. Here's what to expect-and what to build-based on four clear trends Best Insurance sees across the market.
1) Digital-first distribution becomes the default
Buying flows will get cleaner and quicker for advisers and consumers. Expect self-serve to grow in life and income protection, while adviser portals move beyond basic quotes to full case management.
The firms that integrate, automate, and speed up decisioning will win volume at lower cost. Those that delay will feel the squeeze on margins.
- Build adviser portals that handle case tracking, automatic updates, and straight-through processing.
- Offer better product comparisons and integrate with CRM and back-office systems to improve data quality.
- Stand up non-advised online paths where appropriate to capture digital demand without hand-holding.
- Partner where needed to access better tech, underwriting speed, and simpler flows.
2) AI underwriting accelerates
Underwriting will lean harder on automation, data prefill, and real-time decisions across personal lines and protection. The aim: fewer touchpoints, consistent outcomes, and faster cycle times.
Complex and non-standard cases-especially with medical or mental health factors, or irregular income profiles-will still need human judgment. Balance speed with risk appetite and clarity.
- Use prefill and third-party data to reduce disclosure friction and manual review.
- Deploy AI triage for case routing, with clear handoffs to manual underwriters for special cases.
- Codify underwriting rules, then monitor drift, fairness, and reason codes for auditability.
- Track KPIs: STP rate, decision time, referral rate, overturn rate, and loss performance by segment.
3) Regulation pushes automated claims with real-time status
Consumer Duty keeps pressure on transparency, service, and outcomes. That means visible claim progress, fewer dead ends, and faster, fairer settlements.
Expect investment in automated claims intake, real-time status updates, and digital evidence capture. The gap will widen between carriers that execute and those that stall.
- Automate FNOL, add guided intake, and enable secure document and media upload from any device.
- Expose claim status APIs and customer portals with clear next steps and timestamps.
- Tighten SLAs across adjusters and suppliers; trigger alerts for stuck claims.
- Measure: time to first contact, cycle time by claim type, leakage, complaint rate, and outcome satisfaction.
For context on the regulatory direction, see the FCA's Consumer Duty guidance: FCA Consumer Duty.
4) Product innovation, partnerships, and white label solutions
Demand for flexibility is rising. Modular protection and mental health support will stand out, with cover and add-ons that adapt as lives change.
Distribution will broaden through digital platforms, affinity groups, and non-traditional partners. Expect more white label products built for specific audiences.
- Design modular benefits that can be adjusted, extended, or pared back over time.
- Add preventative mental health tools, early intervention pathways, and access to therapies.
- Use partnerships to reach new segments, share data signals, and reduce acquisition cost.
- Standardize white label frameworks to launch faster with controlled risk and clear governance.
What to do this quarter
- Distribution: Map your top three friction points in both adviser and D2C flows. Fix one end-to-end with automation and clear tracking.
- Underwriting: Pilot prefill and AI triage on a narrow segment. Define guardrails, reason codes, and reviewer workflows before scaling.
- Claims: Launch a status tracker with timestamps and next steps for one claim type. Publish SLAs and measure against them weekly.
- Product: Ship a modular rider or mental health add-on with usage analytics from day one. Test pricing and uptake with affinity partners.
- Data and controls: Stand up dashboards for cycle time, STP, complaint rate, and outcome metrics. Review exceptions in a weekly ritual.
The direction is clear: faster flows, fewer touchpoints, and sharper accountability. Teams that keep the customer path simple and the control layer strong will pull ahead in 2026.
If your team is upskilling on AI for underwriting, claims, or automation, this practical certification can help: AI Automation Certification.
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