Protecting your loved ones against death or serious illness.

Plan for the worst and bet on what you really don’t want, but hope for the best and celebrate when it happens!

Isn’t it strange why more people don’t bet on the team they don’t want to win? If you are desperately hoping for an England triumph, then why not hedge your emotions and put £20 on their opponents to win rather than the result you really want ? If the worst happens then at least you have the reward of a winning ticket to drown your sorrows and dry the tears.

Maybe we feel that somehow we are being disloyal and that, by putting our money on the opponent we are supporting them helping to make them favourites?

We can view some of our financial decisions in the same way. If you take out a life assurance policy and die the following week, it will be the best investment that you ever made for the benefit of your family. If however you live a long and healthy life, then all those premiums you pay will be more than compensated by every sunrise you see. Heads you win, tails you don’t lose!

Death is unfortunately a fact of life

Most of us have now had some first-hand experience of the pandemic that has reminded us that death is unfortunately a fact of life. As we search for silver linings on the clouds of Covid then maybe a new-found ability and willingness to think and talk about our own mortality, as well as those nearest to us, is one of them.

Some people find talking about death quite easy while others will do anything to avoid it. We can only admire the organisation and courage of someone who purchases their own burial plot years in advance and makes detailed plans for their funeral.

Taking responsibility for our loved ones

We all have responsibility for those who depend on us and insuring ourselves against death or critical illness should not be viewed as a waste of money, it’s not gruesome, it’s just one of life’s choices for which we need to take responsibility for the benefit of those we love.

Preventing potentially disastrous financial consequences

We might think that anything to do with having a critical illness or death is inevitably sad, scary or just depressing, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Insurance can never change the emotions attached to serious illness or death, but at least it can remove the burden of the potentially disastrous financial consequences.

When we face up to death, talk about it openly and treat it as a part of life, we can free ourselves from the unspoken shadow that it would otherwise cast.

Protection is a subject however that is all too easy to put off, so, if you haven’t got around to it yet, what will be the spark for the conversations that you should be having?

Thinking about your options

Speaking with your financial adviser is a great way to start thinking about your options and choosing the one that fits best with your financial life plan.