Written by: Nicola Huxley, Director, Sphere Mortgages & Life Insurance
As protection advisers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of sticking with what’s quick, easy and familiar – the menu plan. It’s simple: one application, one provider. And when you’re juggling mortgages, compliance, and life, that path is tempting.
But doing a well-rounded job for your clients means sometimes ditching convenience and digging deeper.
I’ve changed how I approach protection massively in recent years – especially post-COVID. It shifted how I prioritise income protection. It went from an afterthought, to being right up there at the top of the pile. Real-life events proved just how vital a steady income is when things go wrong.
That meant rethinking my whole process. I started having proper conversations with the mutuals and friendlies – the ones I’d honestly sidelined for years. And once I understood their passion and niche support and products, especially for income protection, I realised how much I’d been missing.
Menu plans don’t serve this kind of cover as well. IP isn’t as simple to underwrite – it’s personal, bespoke, and it deserves to stand alone. If you’re just adding it into a multi-benefit plan, you’re likely cutting out some of the best providers – the ones who only do income protection and do it brilliantly.
My advice: start with multi-policy. Think in terms of people, balance of cover, not the number of plans. Reorder your approach. And yes, it might take a couple of extra minutes, but the outcome? A much stronger, more tailored safety net for your client.
We’re not here to sell policies – we’re here to protect people. That means sometimes stepping off the easy path and giving every part of their protection the focus it deserves.
