The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) has announced the return of its annual Protection Viewpoint report, now in its sixth year, with The Exeter joining Legal & General and Royal London as co-sponsors for the 2025 edition.

The report will be officially launched on 5 November via an online event open to advisers, providers, and networks across the industry.

The 2025 Viewpoint will once again combine insights from a wide-ranging survey of 3,000 UK adults with a separate adviser survey due to go live later this summer.

Together, these will provide a comprehensive overview of the protection landscape, offering a retrospective on past progress, an analysis of current consumer behaviours, and a look ahead to the influence of social media, artificial intelligence and new technologies on the sector.

AMI’s chief executive, Stephanie Charman, described this year’s report as a pivotal opportunity to convert insight into action.

“Having been an advocate of AMI Viewpoint since its inception, I’m excited to be involved in the initiative for the first time as AMI chief executive,” she said.

“We know how valued AMI Viewpoint is within the market and for me, it’s all about driving tangible outcomes from the insights. Our aim is to deliver clear calls to action across the sector.”

The involvement of The Exeter marks a notable expansion of sponsor participation this year, following what AMI described as a strong level of provider engagement during its latest sponsor selection process.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Jamie Page, head of protection distribution at The Exeter, said the protection sector faced a raft of challenges, but also saw room for optimism.

“The UK protection industry continues to face many challenges – from building trust and increasing accessibility to embracing AI and emerging technologies. However, each of these challenges also presents an exciting opportunity to deliver better outcomes for customers and protect more people,” he said.

“We are delighted to be co-sponsoring this year’s Protection Viewpoint and hope the insights will help drive meaningful change to ensure our sector remains relevant, resilient, and inclusive for consumers and their evolving needs.”

Vikki Jefferies, market development director for retail distribution, emphasised the importance of data-driven insight as the industry navigates change. “

We’re facing a decade of disruption – from shifting customer needs to AI and new ways of working. AMI Viewpoint is essential in helping the industry not just react, but lead,” she said.

“By sponsoring this research, Legal & General is investing in the future of advice – built on evidence, not assumption.”

Royal London, a founding sponsor of the Viewpoint report in 2020, will continue its support. Jon Fuller, protection distribution director at Royal London, said the mutual was proud to renew its backing for the initiative.

“Working in partnership with AMI, L&G and The Exeter we’re excited about this year’s research findings and how Royal London can support mortgage advisers to ensure that more people in the UK have protection and that we support people when they need us most.”