Remuneration

Ask Acorn acts as an intermediary (Broker) between you, the consumer, and the product provider with whom we place your business. 

The Background 

This page sets out how Ask Acorn is paid for the services it provides to you, as required by Regulation 32 of the Consumer Protection Code 2025.

If you have any questions about how we are paid, please ask your advisor or contact us at info@askacorn.ie   

How Ask Acorn is paid 

Ask Acorn is paid by commission — a percentage of the premium you pay or the amount you invest. This means the amount we receive will vary depending on the product and its cost. We do not charge you a fee for life or pension advice.

For general insurance products such as motor and home insurance, we may also charge an administration fee. Details of these fees are published on our Schedule of Fees page. 

There are different types of remuneration and different commission models: 

• Single commission model: where payment is made to the intermediary shortly after the sale is completed and is based on a percentage of the premium paid/amount invested/amount borrowed. 
• Renewal commission: Each year your policy or plan stays in force, we receive an annual commission payment from the insurer or product provider. This is separate from the initial commission paid when you first took out the product. In return for this renewal commission, we remain available to assist you with queries, policy changes, renewals, and claims support throughout the life of your policy.
• Indemnity Commission: Indemnity commission is the term used to describe a commission payment made before a commission is deemed to be earned. One form of indemnity commission is an advance of commission for future sales granted to an intermediary in order to assist with set up costs or business development. Indemnity commission may be subject to a clawback if the consumer lapses or cancels the product before the commission is deemed to be earned.   

Profit Share Arrangements 

In some cases, Ask Acorn may participate in profit-share arrangements with product providers, under which we may earn additional income based on the overall performance of the business we place with them. We are required to disclose this arrangement to you.

General Insurance Products 

General insurance products, such as motor, home, travel, health, retail or liability insurance, are typically subject to a single or standard commission model, based on the amount of premium charged for the insurance product. 

Life Insurance Products 

Life assurance products fall into either individual or group protection policies. Investment/Pension products are either single or regular contribution policies. Examples of products include Life Protection, Regular Premium Life Assurance Investments, Single Premium (lump sum) Insurance-based investments, and Single Premium Pensions.

  

Clawback 

Clawback is an obligation on the intermediary to repay unearned commission. Commission can be paid directly after a contract is concluded but is not deemed to be earned until after a specified period of time. If the consumer cancels or withdraws from the financial product within the specified time, the intermediary must return commission to the product producer. 

Other Fees, Administrative Costs/Non-Monetary Benefits 

Ask Acorn may also be in receipt of other fees, administrative costs, or non-monetary benefits such as: 

• Attendance at product provider seminars. 
• Assistance with advertising or branding. 

Acorn Life DAC

Acorn Life DAC pays Acorn Brokerage Ltd., trading as Ask Acorn, in order to cover costs associated with administering Acorn Life DAC business. Acorn Brokerage Ltd. does not make a profit from these payments.  

Acorn Life DAC is our preferred provider for certain life products. We present offerings from other insurance or product providers when there is an existing business relationship with an insurance or product provider or when a specific life product is unavailable from Acorn Life DAC. While we offer other life products we only do so where a suitable product is not available from Acorn Life DAC. 

Commission Rates 

The links below show the commission rates we receive from our main product providers;

• General Insurance Providers

• Zurich Commission Rates. 

• Acorn Life DAC Commission Rates. 

• Royal London Insurance