Essential Insurance Strategies

Essential Insurance Strategies

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Secure Your Family’s Future

The very nature of life makes it unpredictable.  A sudden illness, an unexpected injury, or the loss of a loved one can adversely impact the future financial comfort of your family. Essential Insurance Strategies and the right insurance policies can make a huge difference to them, and to you.

Life Insurance

This is a good way to protect your loved ones should the worst happen as it provides a lump sum payment to your beneficiaries in the event of your death. This will go a long way to help them manage financial obligations such as mortgages, debts, or daily living expenses. The cost of life insurance depends on factors like your age, health, lifestyle, and the level of cover you choose.

There are different types of life insurance to consider:

Term Life Insurance: This covers you for a set period, or term, paying out if you pass away within the term. Should you outlive the term, no death benefit is paid and the payments you made are not refundable. Variants include decreasing term (ideal for covering a mortgage), level term (offering the same pay-out whenever you die during the term), and increasing term policies. You can link an increasing term policy to inflation-linked indexes or a fixed percentage.

Whole-of-Life Insurance: Unlike term policies, this guarantees a pay-out whenever you die, provided premiums are maintained; usually until you reach 90 years of age. Because of the certainty of a pay-out, these policies tend to be more expensive than term or standard life insurance.

Life insurance can also be useful in estate planning, in particular for those who will be presented with potential inheritance tax liabilities. Placing a policy in trust can help ensure that your beneficiaries receive the full amount without it being subject to inheritance tax. Always speak to an advisor who knows what they’re doing about this aspect.

Income Protection Insurance

Income protection insurance is intended to provide a portion of your normal income if you are diagnosed as unable to work due to illness or injury. Whilst you will typically receive between 50% to 70% of your income, it can at least help you with managing essential bills such as mortgage, utilities, and daily expenses. This type of policy provides regular payments until you can return to work or retire.

Key points to consider include the deferral period (the time before payments begin), the type of coverage (such as Own Occupation, Suited Occupation, or Activities of Daily Living assessments), and the duration of the policy. While some employers offer sick pay, it is often limited, making income protection important for many of us.

Critical Illness Cover

Critical illness cover provides a one-off lump sum payment upon the diagnosis of a serious condition such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke; your policy will be more specific as to cover. You can use this money for anything; it could be very useful for medical expenses, household bills, or possibly to pay off your mortgage or to make any necessary adjustments to your home during your recovery.

Critical illness cover can be adapted to meet your needs, with options to increase cover over time or link it to your mortgage. It’s also common for people to combine critical illness cover with life insurance for comprehensive protection. It is advisable to speak to a professional about any Inheritance Tax implications if you have taken out both these insurances.

Why Insurance Matters

Insurance can provide some security against discomfort in the future. It can afford great comfort to know that your family will have some measure of support in your absence or inability to work, especially for those who do not have much put by in the way of savings.

For more information or to discuss your specific insurance needs, consider speaking to an insurance broker who can guide you through the options and help you make the best choices for your circumstances.

Regulatory Statements

Equity Release

Equity Release plans are not right for everyone. And it is important that you fully consider your options and receive independent financial advice before making a decision. It is also important that, if you do decide to use an equity release product, you choose one that meets your needs.

Remember that taking an equity release plan is generally a long term option. However, there are flexible plans available that may fit your varying needs and some will allow you to repay in the future without penalties.

Buy to Let Mortgages

Some Buy to Let Mortgages are not regulated by the FCA.

Mortgages

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE

Investments

All investments involve a degree of risk of some kind. This section describes some of the risks which could be relevant to the services we provide you. We may provide further risk information during the course of our services to you, as appropriate.

Our services relate to certain investments whose prices are dependent on fluctuations in the financial markets outside our control. Investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and you may get back less than the amount you invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.

True Advice Financial Services is a trading style of TA and SE Hollom Ltd. Which is an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd. Which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority : Number 460421.

Registered Office : New Leaf Distribution Limited, 165 – 167 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7QA

Tony Hollom
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