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Life is full of uncertainties


If the worst were to happen, would your bills still get paid?

Everyone should consider protection, even those who don’t have a family or a mortgage! Unless they have substantial savings or inherited wealth, most people rely on their salary to pay for everything.

Over the years, you may have taken out a number of different insurance policies to give you and your family financial security. Perhaps this may have been when you started a family, took out a mortgage, or became self-employed.

These policies are designed to give your loved ones peace of mind by helping make sure there will be enough money in place to cover bills and other expenses should you become critically ill, unable to work, or even die.

Although state benefits provide some support, few families want to rely on the state to maintain their standard of living. It is therefore crucial to keep abreast of the level of your cover.

Time to review

Your personal circumstances and needs will have almost certainly changed over time. Perhaps you have children who have since flown the nest, or you’ve paid off your mortgage.

You may also be entitled to benefits with your current employer that either overlap with polices you already have or leave things now important to you not covered.

It could be time to review these policies, and the level of cover they provide, to make sure they are still suitable.

Life cover protection

Life cover protection is designed to protect your family and other people who may depend on you for financial support. It pays a death benefit to the beneficiary of the life assurance policy.

If you have dependents or outstanding debts such as a mortgage, at the very least, it should ensure your family can keep their home, but ideally it would also provide an additional sum as a financial buffer at a difficult time.

There are different types of policy available, from ‘whole of life assurance’ which covers you for your entire lifetime, to ‘term assurance’ policies which provide life cover for a fixed period of time – 10 or 20 years, for example – and are often used in conjunction with a mortgage.

Income protection cover

If something happened to you, would you be able to survive on your savings or on sick pay provided by your employer? If not, you’ll need some other way to keep paying the bills.

Income protection cover is designed to give you protection if you can’t earn an income due to ill health, a sickness or disability. These policies protect a portion of your salary, typically paying out between 50–70% of your income. You receive monthly, tax-free payments that cover some of your lost earnings if you are unable to work.

They are vital policies for those with dependents and liabilities, paying out until you can start working again, or until you retire, die or the end of the policy term – whichever is sooner. They cover most illnesses that leave you unable to work, and you can claim as many times as you need to while the policy lasts.

Critical illness cover

If you are diagnosed with a critical illness, it can have a severe impact on your finances, as you may need to take time off work for your treatment and recovery. Critical illness cover pays out a tax-free lump sum if you’re diagnosed with, or undergo surgery for, a specified critical illness that meets the policy definition.

It’s designed to help support you and your family financially while you deal with your diagnosis, so you can focus on your recovery without worrying about how the bills will be paid.

Each policy will have its own list of specified conditions it covers, and it is vital to familiarise yourself with the full list and when you can claim for these illnesses before you apply.

Family income benefit cover

Family income benefit is a term insurance which lasts for a set period of time. If something were to happen to you, you would want to be sure your family is taken care of when you’re gone.

The policy will pay out a monthly, tax-free income to your family if you die during the term, until the policy ends. So, if you take a 20-year family income benefit policy and die after five years, it will continue to pay out for another 15 years.

There is no cash in value, so if you stop making premium payments, your cover will end.

Private medical insurance

Private medical insurance will pay for the cost of private healthcare treatment if you are sick or injured. If you don’t already have it as part of your employee benefits package, and you can afford to pay the premiums, you might decide it’s worth paying extra to have more choice over your care.

It gives you a choice in the level of care you get and how and when it is provided. Basic private medical insurance usually picks up the costs of most in-patient treatments (tests and surgery) and day-care surgery.

Some policies extend to out-patient treatments (such as specialists and consultants) and might pay you a small fixed amount for each night you spend in an NHS hospital. Premiums are paid monthly or annually, but most policies do not cover pre-existing conditions.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones

Some families would have to cut their living costs in order to survive financially in the event of the main breadwinner falling ill or dying prematurely. If your income were to stop due to an illness or death, this could mean mortgage repayments are missed, savings depleted, your home being sold, and your family’s standard of living eroded with stress and worry all too evident. Putting in place sufficient protection will give you peace of mind that if the worst does happen, the bills will still get paid. Please call Reeves Financial on 01403 333145 or email areeves@reevesfinancial.co.uk to discuss your situation.

This is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements. The content should not be relied upon in its entirety and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute, advice. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. For Reeves Financial, published by Goldmine Media Limited, Basepoint Innovation Centre, 110 Butterfield, Great Marlings, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 8DL Content copyright protected by Goldmine Media Limited 2017. Unauthorised duplication or distribution is strictly forbidden.

Adam Reeves

Author: Adam Reeves

DipPFS Cert CII (MP&ER)
Independent Financial Planner, Wealth Manager, Director

Last updated on

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Adam was quick to assess & understand my situation, and was able to discuss & communicate in a very concise and simple way the various options available to me, taking time for me to understand and clarify where necessary. My understanding & knowledge of taxation & pensions has increased significantly allowing me to feel much happier making financial decisions for the future.

Rob – West Sussex

Adam and his team undertook in-depth research into our existing QROPS schemes and clearly set out both pros and cons of transferring the funds back to the UK. Having decided to go ahead with the transfer, Adam and his team worked extremely hard to facilitate the transfer. The QROPS pension trustees were not always the most professional or responsive organisation – however we were very grateful for the perseverance and commitment that Adam showed us as clients.

Jonathan – East Sussex

Adam offered a range of financial products , the one he suggested was affordable and proved to be a good choice.  Returns on investments have exceeded my expectations, based on Adam’s advice and guidance. Profits have enabled house improvements to take place.

David - Surrey

Adam arranged an appointment very timely, he explained his role and qualifications as an IFA giving me reassurance , we went through my retirement and investment goals. Adam discussed my options explaining in great detail, I felt relaxed during our discussions allowing me to fully understand my choices. I feel very confident in the financial advice allowing me to enjoy my retirement.

I was very happy with Adam’s recommendations and explanations of financial products which would suit my retirement goals, I feel this has helped me review and reduce my financial risk as I reach retirement, leaving me feeling confident that I can enjoy my retirement plans.

Ron – West Sussex

After initial meeting Adam put together a very detailed and thorough written plan. At our second meeting he went through the whole booklet and explained everything in layman’s terms which made it a lot easier to understand.

I am very happy with everything that was suggested and put in place especially with something as big and important as pensions. Adam and his team have taken a huge weight off my shoulders and I would highly recommend their services to anyone needing help with their financial planning and pension.  Adam couldn’t have been more helpful, and even came outside his normal area to meet me on a number of occasions.

Richard - Kent

Unfortunately I had to claim on my critical illness insurance due to my wife being ill and because of the sound advice Adam gave in acquiring this insurance we ended up being financially safe through a tough time.

Steve - Kent

Adam did a review of our financial situation, confirmed that Flexible Drawdown best suited our needs as a family, and then did all the research into the best product for us. He will continue to monitor it for me. He acted extremely promptly because we had a deadline for requiring the lump sum; went out of his way arranging meetings during non-office hours, was professional yet friendly and explained a difficult subject very well.

Clare – East Sussex

Adam did a thorough review of my pension policies, clearly explained how well they had performed, how flexible they were, how the market regulation has changed, and, crucially, what the tax implications would be if I were to leave them untouched. He accurately assessed my attitude to risk and recommended an up-to-date solution that will offer me the greatest flexibility at retirement.

Greg – East Sussex
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