Protection
Cancelling your financial protection could be a dangerous way to save money
While the cost of living crisis may be putting a strain on your finances, read why cancelling your financial protection could be a dangerous way to save money Centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin said that… “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” This is especially true when it comes to ensuring your personal finances […]
Understanding Life Insurance: A Guide to Coverage Essentials
When it comes to safeguarding your family’s financial future, life insurance can be a valuable tool. It’s a subject that might seem complex and even intimidating at first glance, but don’t worry, we’re here to make it easier for you. In this guide, we at Downton & Ali aim to break down the basics oflife […]
What are value-added services?
Value-added services are benefits included in an insurance policy that you might not be aware of – but could help improve your overall health and wellbeing. When you take out an insurance plan like life insurance, critical illness, or income protection, you get the financial protection in the form of a payout, but there are […]
Understanding Critical Illness Cover: A Lifeline for When You Need it Most
Critical illness cover, an insurance policy that provides financial support should you be diagnosed with a specified illness or medical condition, can be a financial lifeline for families during challenging times.The unpredictability of life makes it worth considering, as it provides a sense of certainty in an otherwise uncertain situation. This article will break down […]
The cost of living crisis is causing many to re-evaluate the benefits of financial advice
Traditionally, the value of financial advice has been measured by monetary results of investment performance and returns. Today, the cost of living crisis is causing many to re-evaluate the benefits of financial advice. These days, financial planning is about more than simply looking after your money and protecting your wealth. As well as helping you […]
Income protection – one little change you can make to protect your family’s financial future.
As a parent, providing for your children is a top priority – from making sure they have food on the table, to ensuring they have the extras they need in life. Putting income protection in place means you’ll always be able to support your children with a regular income if the unthinkable should happen and […]
A little change you can make today can safeguard your biggest investment – your home
If you’re a homeowner, your mortgage payments are likely to take up a large part of your income each month. But if you became seriously ill or injured, and unable to work, would you be able to keep up your mortgage repayments? As buying a home is likely to be your biggest investment, it pays […]
Securing Your Future: Understanding Income Protection
In an unpredictable world, it is crucial to safeguard our financial future against unforeseen circumstances. Income protection is instrumental in ensuring you and your family aren’t left in the lurch if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury. Let’s take a look at the basics of income protection and why you might need […]
Protection policies aren’t just there for when things go wrong. Many protection insurers include access to a range of health and wellbeing support services – and you don’t need to claim to be able to use them. These services can make everyday life that little bit easier. From knowing you can have immediate professional support […]
Being self-employed can be a rewarding and fulfilling career choice, allowing freedom to work to your terms and pursuing passions. However, it also comes with its challenges, one being financial insecurity. Unlike those working within a company, if you’re self-employed you are responsible for your own financial stability. This means taking the necessary steps to […]
How Vitality Health Plans and Employee Benefits Impact Your Company’s Success
In today’s competitive business landscape, offering a comprehensive employee benefits package is crucial to attracting and retaining top talent. One such benefit that has gained significant traction among UK business owners is the Vitality health plan. This unique health insurance option not only provides employees with extensive Vitality health cover but also encourages a healthier […]
Safeguarding Your Business: The Importance of Key Person Protection
In today’s competitive business landscape, the success and growth of a company often hinge on the contributions of key individuals. These indispensable team members can make all the difference in driving innovation, generating revenue, and keeping operations running smoothly. But what happens when the unexpected occurs and you suddenly lose one of these crucial assets? […]
Being self-employed can be a rewarding and fulfilling career choice, allowing freedom to work to your terms and pursuing passions. However, it also comes with its challenges, one being financial insecurity. Unlike those working within a company, if you’re self-employed you are responsible for your own financial stability. This means taking the necessary steps to […]
Home Insurance – What you need to know
One wet and windy evening, Rachel and Nathan decided to take advantage of their newborn, Eli, falling asleep in his moses basket by getting an early night. Gently picking up the basket from its regular spot in front of the fireplace, they crept upstairs. No sooner had they settled in bed when they heard a […]
What are value-added services?
Value-added services are benefits included in an insurance policy that you might not be aware of – but could help improve your overall health and wellbeing. When you take out an insurance plan like life insurance, critical illness, or income protection, you get the financial protection in the form of a payout, but there are […]
What is business protection insurance and how does it work? Find out why it could be right for your business. If you own or run a small business, protecting it is always a priority, especially if something were to happen to a key member, which could affect the financial health of the company. In this […]
Shareholder/Partnership Protection
If you have a partnership business or one with multiple business shareholders (e.g. a private Ltd Company), have you thought about what might happen if something happened to one of you? This is where a Shareholder or Partnership Assurance Protection plan can help. If a shareholder in your private Ltd company or partner in your […]
Protect your possessions with accidental damage cover
Insurance claims for accidental damage increased over the past year as more people worked from home, so it’s a good time to check your own coverage. Figures from some of the country’s biggest insurance providers have shown a sharp rise in claims of accidental damage during the lockdown. With many millions now working from home, […]
How to unlock your superhero powers this Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a chance for fathers, dads, daddies, stepdads, and all the honorary dads out there to feel the love, especially after the year we have had. Father figures are often relied upon to protect the family and keep everyone safe from harm, and it isn’t always easy. Even dads are only human, after […]
Be a Superhero! (And make sure that your loved ones are looked after this Mother’s Day)
Nowadays, more than ever, it is important to show our loved ones just how much we appreciate them. On Mother’s Day this year, as we reflect on the last 12 months, you may wish to show your appreciation and demonstrate your love and affection for your Mum, Grandma, Spouse, Sibling, or someone else dear to […]
14 reminders this Valentine’s Day to make sure your loved ones remain protected when your circumstances change Love is all around this Valentine’s Day and we’re here to remind you that it’s important to make sure your loved ones are always protected, year round. You’ll typically encounter opportunities and milestones throughout your life which will […]
Exchanging contracts? Get insured first
Purchasing a property can be a busy, stressful time and it can seem like there are a million things to remember. Some things however, are more important to remember than others – for example, getting the right insurance in place at the right time. Many people believe that they only need to take out buildings […]
20 Reasons to Find Your Dream Home in 2020
In 2020 we’ll have been in business for 20 years! To celebrate, each month we’re sharing 20 top tips about topics that are closest to our heart. Our aim is always to provide you with the best possible information so you can make informed financial decisions. This month we’re talking about how our home buying […]
20 Reasons to Renovate Rather Than Move in 2020
In 2020 we’ll have been in business for 20 years! To celebrate, each month we’re sharing 20 top tips about topics that are closest to our heart. Our aim is always to provide you with the best possible information so you can make informed financial decisions. This month we’re talking about why we believe it’s […]
With policies like home insurance or car insurance, we’re all in the habit of reviewing our cover annually. With a life insurance policy potentially lasting for 20 or 30 years, it goes without saying that over that time, your lifestyle and therefore your cover requirements can change, sometimes substantially. Whenever you mark life’s important milestones, […]
20 Things You Need To Know About Business Protection
20 Things You Need To Know About Business Protection No-one wants to think about dying or becoming seriously ill. But the truth is, if you own or co-own a business and either you or one of your co-owners were to become seriously ill or die, it could lead to serious problems for the revenue and […]
20 Things You Need To Know About Accident Protection
In 2020 we’ll have been in business for 20 years! To celebrate, each month we’re sharing 20 top tips about topics that are closest to our heart. Our aim is always to provide you with the best possible information so you can make informed financial decisions. This month we’re talking about everything you need to […]
Protect yourself and your family in 2020
While most of us don’t go through life expecting something bad to happen, the truth is that we never know what’s around the corner. Why not make 2020 the year you put plans in place to safeguard yourself, your family and your home, so that you know you’re protected against life’s unexpected events? When to […]
It’s time to think about life insurance
If you have dependents – people who rely on you financially – then you should have life insurance. In fact, if you have dependents and don’t have life insurance, you are exposing them to grave financial risk. And who would want to do that? Life insurance tends not to feature on ‘to do’ lists because […]
20 Reasons Why You Need Protection
In 2020 we’ll have been in business for 20 years! To celebrate, each month we’re sharing 20 top tips about topics that are closest to our heart. Our aim is always to provide you with the best possible information so you can make informed financial decisions. This month we’re talking about insurance and the reasons […]
Accidental damage protects against life’s little mishaps
Nobody knows what is around the corner. Accidents can and do happen and the most commonly reported household claim in 2018 was for Accidental Damage. It’s therefore wise to check what is included in your insurance policy to help protect the valuable items in your home. Standard contents insurance usually protects you if you have […]
Winter is coming, and with winter comes unexpected weather patterns and more time spent in the home. Both can lead to an increase in accidents, and accidents for you or children can lead to time off work or loss of income. Outside risks It’s not only the obvious factors of slips, trips and falls and […]
Crowdfunding the Cost of Healthcare
Crowdfunding is becoming increasingly common among people who need healthcare that’s not freely available through the NHS. The increase is said to be due to access to overseas clinics and high-profile social media campaigns such as the 2014 campaign for Mike Brandon. Websites such as justgiving.com, crowdfunder.co.uk and gofundme.com are full of campaigns from families […]
In July 2015, Mark received a call from someone telling him his house in County Durham was in flames and that a team of firefighters were currently at the scene. He hung up – first, not quite believing what he’d heard was true – it must be a work colleague playing a prank! But when […]
Do you want to provide valuable life cover and financial security for your employees and your family in a tax efficient manner? A Relevant Life Plan could be the answer. What is a Relevant Life Plan? A Relevant Life Plan is an individual ‘death in service’ life policy that is affected by an employer on […]
Trusts are usually simple to set up, but it’s important to select the right type of Trust. What is a Trust? A Trust helps ensure a pay-out goes to the people you’d like to benefit from your protection policy – should the worst happen. As the ‘settler’ (the person who creates the Trust), you can […]
Look Beyond the Price of Your Protection Policy
Most of us celebrate the start of life and pay tribute to the end of life, but are we placing enough importance on everything in between? If we’re lucky we’ll enjoy certain life events like finding a lifelong partner, marriage / civil partnership, having children, enjoying a career and, ultimately, retiring. But how many of […]
The Insurance Policy That Could Prove Critical
Some people might be put off buying a critical illness policy because they believe it’s unlikely to pay out, despite the proportion of claims paid by insurers standing at just over 92%. So why is there such a gap between perception and reality among consumers? There have been well-publicised stories in the past where a […]
You might believe you’d be more likely to call on your income protection policy later in your working life, but data from protection insurer, The Exeter, show their average claimant was 40, and on certain products, just 33. Income protection is designed to pay an income if you’re unable to work as a result of […]
Is joint life cover best for couples?
If you want to help make sure your loved ones will have financial security if you pass away, life insurance cover is the answer. But, if you’re part of a couple and you both need cover, should you take out single policies, or a joint policy that covers both of you? With a single life […]
If you became critically ill and unable to work, could you cope financially?
Some things are more reliable than others – monthly bills, for example. Young or old, single or married, we all have financial obligations to meet each month; be it luxuries, like a satellite TV subscription or mobile phone contract, or the real essentials – like keeping a roof over your/your family’s head. But some things […]
Trusts are usually simple to set up, but it’s important to select the right type of Trust. What is a Trust? A Trust helps ensure a pay-out goes to the people you’d like to benefit from your protection policy – should the worst happen. As the ‘settler’ (the person who creates the Trust), you can […]
Choosing the right type of cover to protect you and your family is important
Act now to ensure you remain protected Making sure you and your family are financially protected should something unexpected happen is one of the most valuable things you can do and will help you avoid a financial crisis. So what type of cover is right for you? Term Insurance pays out a lump sum […]
The value of protection advice
Protection should be considered as the foundation of all financial planning. After all, if things go awry and you suddenly find yourself in dire financial straits, who or what could you rely on to keep you and your family afloat? Yet many of us are still reluctant to take out protection insurance, either because we […]
For its latest ‘Deadline to Breadline’ report, Legal and General surveyed 2,000 full and part-time workers to assess how long they could survive on savings if their income stopped due to serious, or long-term illness, or death. The rather worrying answer was 32 days. The research also revealed that just over a quarter wouldn’t have […]
How to prepare financially for long-term illness
While British life expectancy continues to rise, the same might not be said for the quality of health we could expect to enjoy as we get older, according to a stark warning from The British Heart Foundation. Their analysis suggests the number of people suffering heart attacks and stroke because of a rise in diabetes […]
How a trust can help your financial planning
Writing a policy in Trust could be perceived as something that only the wealthy require, but the reality is Trusts can play an important part in financial planning for people from all walks of life. When it comes to planning your family’s financial future it makes sense to take all steps possible to help protect […]
Become a Superhero in the eyes of our family
When he was younger one of my son’s favourite questions was; “if you could have any super power, what would it be?” He loved the idea of being a Superhero. I think, deep down, we all like the idea of being a Superhero. Being able to do things others can’t; amazing things to help those […]
Just 4% of self-employed workers have income protection in place, leaving the majority vulnerable to financial difficulties if they are suddenly forced to stop working through illness or accident. In its survey of more than 9,000 adults, LV= identified the self-employed as a niche group who would struggle to make ends meet if they stopped […]
The Importance of Life Cover for You and Your Family
Life cover, sometimes referred to as life insurance cover, is a simple way to make sure that in the event of your death, your family and loved ones are taken care of. When buying a life cover policy, you can choose the amount of coverage you need, the length of the policy, and whether you […]
If we asked you to list the most common reasons for claiming on your household insurance, you’d probably say theft, accidental damage, or damage caused by storms and flooding. The following claims, however, are slightly more unusual… Animals do the strangest things You may have blamed the dog for homework disasters in the past, but […]
How many times have you heard the phrase “It won’t happen to me” when it comes to the chances of suffering a serious illness? Unfortunately, given that 1 in 2 people born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during their lifetime we should perhaps adopt the lottery approach […]
What’s your General Insurance start date?
When you’re in the process of buying a house, you might think the best time for your Home Insurance cover to kick in is on the day you move in. Right? In fact, you must make sure you’re covered on the day you exchange contracts, because it’s at that point that you become legally responsible […]
Don’t let the ‘it won’t happen to me’ approach affect your decision on whether or not to take out critical illness cover. David thought he was a fit, healthy, middle-aged man, with a good exercise regime and diet. He was a keen runner, and had even completed the New York marathon. It was only when […]
Are You Missing Out on the Advantages of Pension Freedoms?
It can seem like we work our entire lives, but retirement comes faster than you think. The average person works around forty-five years of their life and then relies on a pension for another twenty-five years. That means the money you save towards your pension needs to go a long way. Whether you have multiple […]
Buying a new home is possibly one of life’s biggest and most exciting events. It’s also a major financial commitment – one that could be with you for 25 years or more. Your ability to maintain your mortgage payments relies on a constant income, so how would you continue to make your mortgage repayments if […]
Are you one of the one in three parents who worry about the risk of serious injury from school sports? Research from MetLife has found that one third of parents with school age children are concerned about serious injuries from sport – and there could be real reasons to be worried. The research shows that: […]
Have you upgraded your mobile phone in the past two years? If the answer’s yes, your choice may have been driven by a change in your needs or wants. Perhaps you opted for a better deal, a different contract, or a handset with new features that weren’t available with your previous model? When it comes […]
Millions of pet owners have purchased insurance in case of an expensive trip to the vet, but who will pick up the bill if something happens to you? Many pet owners will know the stress and financial burden caused by an expensive vet’s bill and have taken out pet insurance to avoid having to make […]
If something happened to you, your co-owners or employees, could your business survive? A study by Legal and General shows 40% of businesses would fold in less than a year following the death or critical illness of a key person. The loss of a key person within a small or medium-sized business can cause unexpected […]
Protecting your employees and assets
Whatever business you’re in, having the right insurance in place is essential to protect your assets and responsibilities. We’ve put together a short description of the most common types of cover for small businesses, along with a brief checklist to get you thinking about your current arrangements. Common types of business insurance Employer’s Liability insurance […]
When it comes to protection insurance, we hold two firm beliefs: it should form the foundation of your financial plan. cover should be reviewed regularly to make sure it continues to meet your needs. The latter is particularly important when you are at a particular ‘life stage’. Whether that’s buying a house, getting married, starting […]
Are Your Contents Underinsured?
When it comes to insuring your home and contents, many people take out far less cover than they need, risking potential upset if it comes to making a claim. The average UK home contains around £55,000 worth of possessions, but an average insurance policy covers just £35,000, leaving a huge £20,000 worth of uninsured valuables […]
What Makes a Good Buy to Let Investment?
With property prices continuing to rise, Buy to Let can be an attractive way to invest. But whether buying your first Buy to Let property, or adding to your portfolio, it’s important to consider what’s involved. Being a landlord As well as the obvious duties of finding tenants and making sure they pay their rent […]
Dementia and Alzheimers have replaced heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales, but the latter still accounted for 11.5% of all deaths in 2015. In fact, every three minutes someone in the UK has a heart attack and 30% of those are fatal. The good news is there’s a lot […]
Financial advice during a divorce
Going through a divorce, dissolution or separation is one of life’s most stressful events, so it’s important to have people around you to help with the practicalities. This is particularly true when it comes to financial matters, which can be complex and emotionally straining in these situations. Achieving a fair financial settlement As well as […]
Don’t Be a Victim of Online Fraud
With cyber crime hitting the headlines more and more these days it’s not just big businesses like TalkTalk and Ashley Madison that are in the fraudsters’ sights. What’s the worst that can happen? You may be thinking an email hack could lead to nothing more than someone reading the endless emails you’ve received from Groupon, […]
Back pain is a common problem that affects most of us at some point. In 2014/15 9.5 million working days were lost due to musculoskeletal disorders including back pain. To put that figure in perspective that’s just over 26,000 years of lost productivity. In some cases the back problem will be temporary and the sufferer […]
Are you one of the one in three parents who worry about the risk of serious injury from school sports? New research from MetLife has found one third of parents with school age children are concerned about serious injuries from sport – and there are real reasons to be worried. The research shows in the […]
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) was introduced in April 2015, effectively granting fathers the same rights as mothers in the first 12 months following birth or adoption. SPL – the basics The new laws offer flexibility over when and how parents wish to share their leave. They can both be off at the same time, or […]
It’s official: Raising a child is now more expensive than buying the average house. Average price of a semi-detached house in the UK = £219,255. Cost of raising a child to age 21 in the UK = £231,843. You’ve insured your home, but how do you go about insuring your kids? The breakdown Obviously costs […]
The Risks of Being Underinsured
Most of us wouldn’t think twice about protecting our home, car, TV or smart phone – we even insure our holidays and pets. But there’s one aspect of protection that too few of us consider – what happens to our homes and our livelihoods in the event we have an accident, serious illness or die? […]
Between 3 December 2015 and 3 January 2016 there were over 22,000 flood claims, with an estimated £1.3bn being paid by insurers following the destruction caused by storms Desmond, Eva and Frank. How do you know if you’re at risk? More than 5.5 million homes are at risk of flooding, with those in the highest […]
If you’ve ever imagined your own funeral do you think of a grand procession and a marble headstone or an altogether more demure affair? Before you start planning your funeral make sure you know fact from fiction. For instance, did you know: you don’t have to use a funeral director to organise a funeral you […]
Ever bought something online that doesn’t quite fit?
Ever bought something online that doesn’t quite fit? Sticking with the same provider year-on-year for financial products such as insurance or savings accounts may mean you’re not getting the best deal. But using price comparison sites when renewing your policy isn’t always the best way to find a better one. Added extras An investigation by […]
Give yourself a sporting chance
With a summer of sports coming up you might feel inspired to get involved. But before you do make sure you’re covered in case any of the inevitable bumps and bruises need more than just a plaster. There’s a host of major sporting events taking place this Summer. An active community Seeing so many of […]
‘Seven Families’ highlights the importance of protecting your income. Seven Families is a charity-led campaign that aims to raise awareness of the financial and emotional difficulties caused by long-term illness or disability. Launched in November 2014, it follows seven real families in the UK where the main breadwinner has been forced out of work by […]
Over-sharing Could Invalidate Your Home Insurance
If you use social media, you may have posted a picture by the pool or a selfie from the slopes. Even if you haven’t, you probably know someone who has. Did you know that sharing your current location or travel plans could void your home insurance? A quick swipe through your timeline will probably reveal […]
More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else. And during the winter months more time at home means more chance of an accident. You may take extra care whilst taking down the Christmas decorations or spring cleaning for Easter, but can you be sure your family are being as vigilant? Every year: There are […]
If something happened to you, your co-owners or employees, could your business survive? A study by Legal and General shows 46% of new businesses would fold immediately following the death or critical illness of a key person. The loss of a key person within a small or medium-sized business can cause unexpected costs at what […]
Flood Risk – Check Your Insurance
One of the grim inevitabilities of the winter months in Britain is the prevalence of flooding. Britain has experienced several years of above average rainfall that many scientists attribute to climate change. In 2007, for example, the country was20 percent wetter during the winter than any other year since records began in 1879. Some studies […]
Is Life Insurance Still An Asset For The 50+?
Most people start families in their 20s or 30s and this is also the first time they think about family protection, life insurance and making sure that their loved ones are taken care of if they die. Once this life cover is purchased, it is common to forget all about it and only review […]
After a lifetime of saving and prudence, you may well have accumulated a great deal of personal financial wealth that will outlast you. However, without a will to state who will benefit from your wealth, much of the hard work you have put in over the years might be lost. Dying without a will (being […]
“Expect the unexpected” may be an old cliché but the unexpected can and does happen. Hoping that it happens to someone else is a very poor strategy in terms of family protection. To put the matter quite simply, if you have people who depend on you in any way, you should be checking to see […]
Protecting Your Family If Your Are Too Ill To Work
For some of us, a good proportion of our time is spent avoiding thinking about difficult or uncomfortable things. Tax bills, medical checkups, dealing with difficult people at work are just a few, but one of the more overlooked areas in many of our lives is that of insurance cover. We might have adequate cover […]
Don’t Leave It Too Long To Get Life Insurance
Life insurance can make the difference between people being able to focus on dealing with grief and people being forced to confront harsh financial realities at a hugely painful time. While the statistical likelihood of dying goes up with age, death claims even young lives. What that means in practice is that life insurance could […]
When thinking of the family finances and your personal wealth, savings and investing may be at the top of your agenda. For some people however, life insurance can be a crucial part of taking care of dependents and loved ones in the event of their (untimely) death. With this in mind, it can be helpful […]
How to match your life cover to your mortgage
Anyone who’s watched Strictly Come Dancing will have had the opportunity to appreciate the importance of keeping all aspects of the performance in synch with each other. If it matters in a 90-second dance routine then it matters even more when looking at protecting your financial future. Whether you’re looking at savings, investing, insurance or […]
