Be prepared. Be protected – Kevin’s Story

Life is full of ups and downs and it’s important to protect yourself and your loved ones against the times when things don’t go smoothly.

You don’t have to live in a state of anxiety about what might happen but, if you take some simple precautions, you can remove many worries.

One client, Kevin, took steps to protect himself - for which he was to become extremely grateful.

Kevin was a successful professional golfer. He was in his late 40s, married to Claire with two children at school and led an active and comfortable life. His job was demanding, involving constant practice and a lot of travel, often abroad.

When Kevin became a Reeves’ client, we established that he and his family had nothing to fall back on if, for any reason, they lost his income, apart from Claire’s pay from a part time job. There was no income protection, or business protection income or sick pay.

We advised Kevin and Claire to set up an income protection plan. He was initially reluctant as he had always been in excellent health and merely saw it as an extra cost but we persuaded him that it was the right thing to do.

Two years later, the pressure of constant training, travelling and the sheer level of concentration required by his job all proved too much for Kevin and he suffered a mental breakdown. He had to give up the golf and so lost his income, leaving him and Claire with a mortgage to pay and children to feed just on her salary. However, their income protection was triggered and this has provide them with inflation proofed income of £2,000 a month. This income will pay out until Kevin is able to work again or reaches the age of 65. The family have since been able to continue to live a comfortable life with their insurance income, keep their home and even take regular holidays.

Also, Kevin has been able to concentrate on recovering his health without the added burden of financial worries and he is now planning to ease himself gradually back into the professional golfing circuit.

Kevin’s story demonstrates the importance of putting protection in place and of recognising that mental health issues can affect anybody and those doing demanding and stressful jobs are particularly vulnerable.

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The articles are for information only and should not be construed as advice or a recommendation. The investment strategies mentioned are examples only and may not be suitable for your particular: circumstances, tax position or objectives. Please seek independent financial advice before taking any action.

Names have been changed to protect identity.

No advice should be conferred from the articles. No action should be taken without independent professional financial advice as any actions on your pension may be irrevocable and have a big impact on your income in retirement.