Most insurance businesses wouldn’t knowingly publish misleading information. But sometimes the problem isn’t what the content says. It’s what the customer thinks it means.
Take a phrase such as ‘comprehensive protection for your rental property’.
It sounds reassuring. It might even be appropriate in the context of a particular product.
But what does comprehensive mean to the person reading it?
Does it include accidental damage? What about malicious damage by tenants? Loss of rent? Damage caused by gradual deterioration?
The answers may be different depending on the policy.
And that’s why insurance content deserves rather more attention than simply checking whether the copy reads well.
What does the FCA expect insurance customers to understand?
Under the FCA’s Consumer Duty, firms must support customers in making effective, timely and properly informed decisions.
The consumer understanding outcome is particularly relevant to marketing communications.
The FCA Handbook, PRIN 2A.5 requires firms to ensure their communications meet customers’ information needs, are likely to be understood and equip customers to make informed decisions.
Communications must also be clear, fair and not misleading.
Importantly, the FCA isn’t simply asking firms to replace technical words with shorter ones.
It expects firms to consider the information customers need, how that information is presented and whether customers can understand it.
That applies throughout the customer journey, not just at the point of purchase.
Where can insurance content go wrong?
Having written and edited insurance content for many years, we’ve found that some of the biggest risks can be hidden in perfectly ordinary-looking sentences.
They’re not necessarily factually incorrect. They just leave too much room for interpretation.
1. Broad claims about cover
Consider:
‘Our landlord insurance protects your property against damage caused by tenants.’
A reader could reasonably interpret that as meaning all tenant-related damage is covered.
But accidental damage, malicious damage and general wear and tear are different things. Cover may also be optional or subject to exclusions.
A more useful explanation would identify the types of damage that may be covered, explain whether additional cover is required and direct customers to the relevant policy wording.
2. Benefits without limitations
It’s easy to concentrate on the attractive parts of a product.
For example:
‘Loss of rent cover helps protect your rental income.’
That may be true, but it doesn’t tell the customer when the cover applies.
A landlord could mistakenly assume it covers a tenant simply stopping payment.
In many policies, loss of rent following insured property damage is distinct from rent guarantee insurance.
If the distinction isn’t explained, the customer may only discover it when something goes wrong.
3. Information that is technically correct but difficult to find
A website might describe a benefit prominently while placing important qualifications much further down the page.
The information may be present, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the customer has understood it.
This is particularly important where exclusions or limitations materially affect the value of the cover.
4. Outdated content
Insurance articles often remain online for years.
An older guide might refer to legislation that has since changed, describe a product that is no longer available or contain statements that no longer reflect current underwriting requirements.
Regular editorial reviews are therefore essential, particularly for pages attracting consistent search traffic.
The FCA has already identified problems with customer understanding
This isn’t simply an editorial preference.
In December 2025, the FCA responded to Which?’s insurance super-complaint, confirming that it would expand its work on home and travel insurance.
The regulator reported that 31% of consumers said there wasn’t enough information to judge the quality of different insurance policies.
It also committed to examining how insurance products are sold and how well customers understand their cover.
Then, in March 2026, the FCA published its review of consumer understanding practices.
One of the findings was that some firms were making superficial changes to communications without addressing the underlying reasons customers misunderstood important information.
In other words, making something shorter or more attractive doesn’t automatically make it clearer.
The review also highlighted the importance of testing communications with real customers and using the results to make improvements.
AI adds another complication
Insurance content is increasingly being discovered and summarised through AI search tools.
A customer might ask an AI assistant whether their insurance covers a particular situation and receive an answer assembled from several sources.
The answer may be useful, but it may also miss a qualification or combine information from policies with different terms.
This is one reason we’d be particularly careful with absolute statements.
Phrases such as ‘always covered’, ‘fully protected’ or ‘guaranteed payout’ need very strong substantiation.
Adding a generic disclaimer at the bottom of a page doesn’t necessarily correct a misleading impression created earlier.
And while insurers cannot control every AI-generated summary, they can control the accuracy and clarity of the information they publish.
Five checks we’d make before publishing insurance content
Before approving an article, landing page or customer guide, we’d ask:
- Does it answer the customer’s question? Not just the keyword we’ve chosen to target.
- Are the benefits and limitations explained fairly? Particularly where cover is optional or conditional.
- Could a reasonable reader misunderstand anything? Think about the impression created by the whole page, not just individual sentences.
- Is the information current? Check policy wording, legislation, regulatory references and relevant dates.
- Has the content been reviewed by the right people? Editorial checks matter, but product and compliance expertise are also needed.
We’d also look at the questions customers continue asking after reading the content.
If people repeatedly contact a business because they can’t understand a particular exclusion or benefit, that could be a sign the explanation needs improving.
Good content isn’t simply a compliance exercise
Clear insurance content can help customers compare products, understand their responsibilities and make better-informed decisions.
It can also reduce avoidable questions and misunderstandings.
That doesn’t mean every article needs to become a lengthy technical document.
In fact, some of the best explanations are relatively short. They simply give readers the information they need, in the right order, without glossing over important qualifications.
For us, that’s the standard insurance businesses should be aiming for.
Not just content that ranks well or sounds persuasive, but content that stands up to scrutiny.
Is your insurance content working as hard as it should?
At Speedie Consulting, we’ve been writing and editing insurance and financial services content for over 20 years. We understand the importance of getting the detail right, from explaining policy exclusions clearly to producing content that supports SEO, AEO and FCA Consumer Duty requirements.
Whether you need a fresh perspective on your existing website content, an editorial review to identify potential gaps and misunderstandings, or help creating new, customer-focused articles, we can help.
