By Michele Jennings, Chief Executive, glu

A new year always brings a desire to reflect and reset. Clients want cleaner finances, fewer surprises and stronger habits heading into the new year. It’s the moment when people finally look at what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs a 2020Fix. For advisers, this mindset shift is a strategic opening, one of the few times clients are genuinely ready to rethink their cover with intention instead of urgency.

This period isn’t about paperwork. It’s about pause. It’s the moment when clients slow down long enough to ask whether their insurance still fits their lives. Premium changes, excess updates and risk reassessments often land at the same time, creating uncertainty for clients and clarity-lending opportunities for advisers.

South Africa’s insurance trends show a familiar pattern: when prices rise or benefits adjust, clients start shopping for alternatives. When something shifts unexpectedly, switching feels like the fastest solution. But fast decisions can be expensive. More than 35 000 insurance-related complaints were lodged with the National Financial Ombud Scheme last year, with over R328 million returned to consumers, a clear sign that many misunderstand their cover or react before they evaluate.

This is exactly where advisers become more than technical experts. They become the stabilising force in a client’s financial refresh. Clients often don’t realise that changing insurers can reset underwriting. That long-held protections might fall away. Or that new exclusions, especially in motor insurance, which contributed to roughly 40% of disputed complaints, can quietly weaken the protection they rely on.

These are the moments when clarity protects people. Not urgency. “Annual adjustments are a natural part of insurance,” says Michele Jennings, Chief Executive of glu. “But clients need help seeing the full picture, not only the price. This period gives advisers a real opportunity to strengthen trust through calm, practical guidance.”

As you approach the year with renewed purpose and guide clients into 2020Fix, ask the questions that matter. Has their lifestyle shifted? Are their exclusions still serving them? Do they understand what they lose if they switch? Are there weaknesses in their cover they’ve overlooked because everything “felt fine” until the premium changed? Are the new insurers premiums likely to increase higher in later years?

Advisers who take this approach don’t just retain clients. They deepen trust.

The start of a new year will always bring uncertainty. But with the right guidance, it becomes a moment of clarity, a meaningful reset rather than a reactive scramble. 2020Fix (2026) is your opportunity to help clients take ownership of their insurance decisions, setting up stronger financial protection for the year ahead.