08/10/2021
Protection - How soon is Now?
It’s been a while since I wrote anything – the housing market has been crazy the past few months and time has been tight – add that to family life and further exams for myself and, well, you get the picture…
I thought where else to ease myself back into this than in my favourite little niche- protection.
Throughout the covid 19 pandemic we have all seen medical and clinical stats flying around but what have they really meant? Do they affect me or is it another demographic that needs to panic?
Now we have really seen an uptake in protection following the pandemic with the public seemingly more aware not only of their health, but also the financial consequences of reduced income following furlough pay, and the real worry that businesses may not be there in the future – who thought huge stores such as Debenhams or restaurant chains like Frankie and Benny’s would be closing many of its doors?!
So, this begs the question – when should I be looking at protection? Excluding an accident, Do I even need to worry until later life? I would say the answer is sooner than most think.
There are the obvious reasons for taking out a policy sooner such as the lower premiums for young people but it’s the claims stats that really make you think.
During the first half of 2021, what was the average age of someone claiming on a policy, having needed open heart surgery? I’ll let you take a guess. Maybe 55 or 60? What about motor neurone disease – maybe 65 or 70? Or a stroke – maybe 75?
Would you be surprised to learn that the average age of a claim related to open heart surgery was 35, motor neurone disease was 45 and stroke was 50?
The general, public perception is that people who suffer critical illnesses such as these are a lot older – in their 60s, 70s or even 80s. The reality, however, is that they are often a lot younger.
The biggest area of claims remains cancer, followed by heart conditions, stroke and multiple sclerosis.
It is a well-known statistic that one in two of us will get cancer during our lives. Figures show that the average age of claimants for various cancers was typically in the late 30s, 40s and 50. Testicular cancer was 38, leukaemia was 39, ovarian and cervical cancer were both 44, lymphoma was 45, breast cancer and melanoma were 47, renal cancer was 50, bowel cancer 52, lung cancer 57 and prostate cancer 58.
It makes sobering reading, yet the good news is that many cancers are now survivable. Nevertheless, the impact on your life – your ability to work and look after your family, either financially or in terms of caregiving – remains immense. The financial strain at a difficult time cannot be underestimated.
Many providers now offer ‘upgraded’ or ‘comprehensive’ plans which will offer pay outs at a much earlier stage in the diagnosis so that you get the financial help sooner. Further options would be to look at income protection which will maintain your earnings no matter the reason you are unable to work.
All in all, there is no better time to not only look at your protection needs but do so with an adviser to ensure that all bases are covered – hindsight is a wonderful thing, but regret can be devastating.