Insurance Ombudsman, Caroline Gill, pointed out this week that complaints to her office were being fuelled by the frequently complex and unclear language used in much transaction documentation.

The following quote is a choice example of such language and a copy of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style is no doubt winging its way to the functionary who drafted it: "On each valuation date for which a premium is paid or deemed paid the company shall allocate to the policy the number of units of each specified fund equal in value at the offer price to the nominated percentage of the units element provided that units shall not be allocated in respect of the original amount of the units element nor in respect of any increase in the units element during the respective deferment periods."

And don't say you weren't warned.