The need to provide security for you or your family is the bedrock of financial planning. There are numerous methods of achieving this aim and they will have different degrees of relevance as your life progresses. Family and personal protection can include:

Decreasing term assurance - typically to cover a reducing debt such as a mortgage.

Level term assurance - to provide a lump sum or generate income over a specific period of time such as a loan or a child’s financial dependency.

Whole of life assurance - to provide for your dependants or possibly reduce or mitigate your family’s inheritance tax liability on death at any time.

Critical illness benefit - can be built into any of the above and paid on a first event basis as opposed to life cover only, or set up as a stand alone benefit.

Income protection - to provide a monthly income should you become unable to work in the event of illness or disability and therefore help protect your lifestyle, potentially until retirement.

Mortgage payment protection - provide short term cover for your mortgage payments in the event of accident, sickness or unemployment.

Long term care - with legislation constantly changing you may also be concerned about the potential cost of long term care and the effect this could have on assets which have been built up over many years. Planning for the future could again help to protect what has been built up for you and your family.