Browne Jacobson has become the first ever legal firm to partner with Plain Numbers – in a move that shows their commitment to leading the way in understandable policy documents.

The leading UK law firm has an experienced team of lawyers who advise on and draft policy wordings and associated documents in all categories of insurance business.

At Plain Numbers we are pleased that the Prime Minister has put a focus on numeracy. It is the consumer vulnerability which impacts the largest number of adults in the UK and one that has been largely missed. We welcome initiatives that support people with their number confidence. While education is a part of this, more needs to be done to help adults who struggle with numbers outside the education system.

Vanquis Banking Group are the latest financial services organisation to join Plain Numbers as an Implementation Partner. Together, over the next three years, we will work on improving consumer outcomes with clear and understandable financial communications.

Joining other Advisory Partners such as The Bank of England and HM Treasury and the Building Societies Association, the ABI became part of the Plain Numbers community in February 2022. ABI-member firms that have joined Plain Numbers so far include Admiral, Aviva, Bupa, Direct Line Group, Fidelity International, Royal London, RSA, and Standard Life (part of Phoenix Group).

UK’s biggest building society joins Plain Numbers on a three-year Implementation Partnership

Nationwide Building Society has become an Implementation Partner with Plain Numbers in order to enhance member communications and communicate numerical information in a clearer and more effective way.

Fidelity International has become the latest financial services provider to join Plain Numbers as an Implementation Partner. Fidelity International will use the skills and knowledge gained during the Partnership to build the confidence of their workplace pension scheme clients and members as they engage with the products and investments.

Plain Numbers is delighted to welcome Manchester Credit Union among its ever-growing portfolio of Partners. MCU is the first credit union to work with us and is pioneering in the sector, leading the way on supporting customers who struggle with numbers.

As we wrap up our second year, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back on some of the key highlights that have made 2022 a standout success for Plain Numbers.

While it’s focussed on numbers, the Plain Numbers methodology goes far beyond just that.

It teaches you a different way of approaching the content and design of all your communications, and gives you the skills to make sure every customer can understand everything that matters to them.

And with the new Consumer Duty rules, that’s more important than ever.

Jaja Finance, a digital lender, has become the UK’s first credit card provider to partner with Plain Numbers.

The partnership aims to help its customers better understand their credit card bills and make informed spending decisions.

PayCaptain has become the first ever payroll provider to partner with Plain Numbers – in a programme which will give thousands of workers the confidence to understand their payslips.

The West Brom has become the first building society in the country to become a Plain Numbers Partner.

The three-year partnership will support the team at the West Brom to improve consumer communications so that more people can understand information and make informed choices.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance to enable firms to comply with new Consumer Duty rules. These new rules set higher expectations for the standard of care firms give consumers by requiring firms to “act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers”.

We are pleased to see that the FCA cited Plain Numbers as an example of a way to do this.

Free debt advice provider PayPlan is continuing to improve its service after a number of staff completed a training course dedicated to helping customers who struggle with numbers and data.

Plain Numbers launched on July 1st 2021 with an event at the Bank of England, which showcased our initial trials research. Plan Numbers has grown into a dynamic and innovative organisation in the year since then.

We’re here to enable firms across all sectors to communicate numbers and data clearly and fairly and thereby support their customers to make informed decisions – and we are delighted to have made a such a strong start in our first year working towards this mission.

With very high inflation and many people struggling to meet the cost of living, it’s more important than ever that people feel able to make informed decisions with their money. Those decisions will now come with an extra layer of anxiety and stress for many who are trying to make ends meet.

A Plain Numbers Approach is vital for allowing consumers to make decisions that work best for them.

We were delighted to join this years Building Societies Association Annual Conference in Liverpool on May 5th for a panel discussion on a New Consumer Duty.

Ben Perkins our Head of Operations joined the panel to give insights to members on how they can meet their obligations around communications and consumer comprehension.

We are pleased to support Plain Numbers and we have been a partner since the campaign was launched in December 2020. It’s important for organisations to communicate numerical information as clearly and accessibly as they can. It allows people to make more informed choices and to participate confidently in the wider economy.

Ben Perkins, our Head of Operations, has years of experience working with people with low confidence in their numeracy skills and maths anxiety. In this blog he sheds light on what that means and how it can impact consumers.

We are delighted that The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has announced that they have joined forces with Plain Numbers as an Advisory Partner