Tenet has witnessed an average increase of 16% in protection sales in 2011.

This is based on data from January to August compared to the same period in 2010 – which was itself up 30% compared to 2009.

Level term assurance showed the greatest increase, up 25% compared to last year and accounting for 48.5% of all protection business written.

Tenet believes that a number of factors underlie this increase, including the forthcoming ban on the use of gender in calculating insurance premiums, advisers reshaping their service propositions pre-RDR and a renewed concentration on qualifications, attributing to increased adviser awareness.

Keith Richards, group distribution and development director, said: “With the advent of adviser charging