Good Personal Protection Advice Needs to Be Individual

By Steve Evans, Business Development Manager at Scottish Widows Protection

Start With the Person, Not Just the Mortgage

When it comes to personal protection, the starting point for any mortgage adviser should be the individual in front of them. That might sound obvious, but all too often we still see conversations that stop at the mortgage balance, without going further into what really matters to the client.

Yes, the mortgage is important – it’s likely to be one of their biggest financial commitments. But it rarely tells the whole story. People have wider priorities, broader ambitions and personal responsibilities that extend well beyond repaying a loan. That’s why advisers are in such a valuable position. With access to a range of products – life cover, income protection, critical illness policies – they have the tools to help clients not just protect their mortgage, but safeguard their lives more broadly.

Why Protection Advice Must Go Beyond Death Cover

Take income protection, for example. It’s not there purely to cover mortgage repayments. It can also help with day-to-day costs if the client becomes unable to work due to illness or injury. These policies offer living benefits, and that distinction is important. Many clients don’t realise that protection isn’t just about what happens if they die – it’s about what happens if life throws them a curve ball while they’re still here.

Tailoring Recommendations for Life Stages and Aspirations

To have these conversations properly, advisers need to tailor their approach. The idea that one solution fits all simply doesn’t work. A first-time buyer, for instance, might be in their early 30s, with aspirations that go beyond their first property – starting a family, building a savings pot, planning for the future. They may not be able to afford everything immediately, but by revisiting protection as their circumstances change, advisers can help build financial resilience over time. Those early vulnerabilities can be turned into strength, but only if the adviser remains engaged and reviews the client’s position regularly.

Avoiding Missed Opportunities Through Broader Advice

Encouragingly, we are seeing more advisers take this broader, more holistic view. But we still encounter too many situations where protection advice is reduced to a single quote for life cover, with no further options explored. That’s a missed opportunity for the adviser and, more importantly, for the client. When a client believes they’re protected, only to discover that the cover in place won’t support them through a serious illness or loss of income, it’s a painful outcome. And it’s one that’s avoidable.

Offer Clients Real Choice, Not Just One Quote

Clients deserve choice. I often compare it to dining out: you wouldn’t expect to visit a restaurant and only be shown the main courses. You’d expect starters, desserts, maybe a wine list too. Some options will be lighter, some heavier – but it’s your decision to make. Financial advice should be no different. Advisers shouldn’t assume clients only want the most basic option. If the need is clear, many clients will value the reassurance that more comprehensive protection provides. It’s about presenting the options clearly, without making assumptions based on cost.

Support for Advisers: Tools to Build Confidence

For advisers who feel less confident in this area, support is available. Through the Cornerstone Network, for example, there’s a great deal of training and assistance on offer. Whether it’s help with sales conversations, technical knowledge, or simply understanding how to position different products, business development managers like myself are here to help. It’s not about pressuring clients or pushing unsuitable products – it’s about helping them understand their risks and giving them the tools to make informed decisions.

The Role of Ongoing Engagement in Delivering True Value

We all want the same outcome: to help clients build financial security. But that requires us to do more than quote a figure and move on. It means revisiting the conversation, checking in on affordability, updating the advice as circumstances evolve. That’s how we make protection meaningful and how we, as an industry, ensure we’re not just offering products, but delivering genuine value.