New Zealand fintech provider Trail has announced the official launch of Trail Research, an insurance research platform it says is designed to simplify product comparisons and premium quoting for financial advisers.
According to Trail, the launch follows more than a year of development and almost six months of beta testing, with the platform now available through paid subscription plans.
The company says a key feature is its integration with the existing Trail customer relationship management (CRM) system, allowing advisers to access client information already held in the CRM when generating estimated insurance premium comparisons.
Trail says this removes the need to manually re-enter client information into a separate research platform.
Connection with Kiwi Adviser Network
The new research platform forms part of what Trail describes as a broader investment in supporting New Zealand insurance advisers through technology, provider relationships and education.
Subscription options are available for Kiwi Adviser Network members (Trail and KAN are both owned by Trail Investments Limited), existing Trail CRM users and advisers using other CRM systems.
Research Across 33 Insurers
According to Trail, the platform contains ratings covering hundreds of current and legacy insurance products from 33 providers, together with side-by-side comparisons, policy information and supporting documentation.
The company says its estimated first-year premium quoting facility currently covers nine life and health insurers: AIA, Asteron Life, Chubb Life, Fidelity Life, nib, Partners Life, PPS Mutual, Southern Cross and UniMed.
Trail Research has its origins in the company’s acquisition of the Strategy insurance research database in early 2024.
It says the database contained approximately 20 years of historical product information, previously delivered through a spreadsheet-based system requiring manual updates.
The company subsequently developed an online platform, commencing beta testing in April 2026 and incorporating feedback from more than 65 advisers.
Trail CEO Warwick Slow says the company identified an opportunity to simplify a time-consuming component of the insurance advice process:
“Product research is a fundamental part of providing good insurance advice, but the process hasn’t always been as straightforward as it should be,” he says.
Trail Insurance Product Lead Phoebe Rolfe, adds the launch represents the first stage of a broader development programme:
“In 2027, we plan to build a new insurance advice process within Trail that brings product research into every stage of the advice journey.”
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