Protecting income when you are the main earner

When one salary carries the mortgage and most of the weekly shop, illness or death hits harder than any investment dip. Protection advice starts with that reality, not with product leaflets.

Life cover is for dependents who would face a shortfall if you died. We size it against the mortgage, childcare years remaining, and any other debts the household could not service. Term length should match the risk period — often the mortgage term or until children finish education.

Income protection replaces a portion of earnings if illness or injury stops you working for a sustained period. Employer sick pay rarely lasts forever. Knowing the gap between occupational cover and household needs tells us how much private cover is worth buying.

Critical illness cover pays a lump sum on diagnosis of specified conditions. It can clear a mortgage or fund time off work, but definitions matter. We walk through exclusions and survival periods so clients understand what is — and is not — covered.

Bring payslips, mortgage details, and any workplace benefits booklet to a family protection meeting. Those documents turn vague worry into a cover schedule you can actually afford.

Back to all guides