Last week was about cutting the dead weight in your process and fixing where value gets lost. Some of you are still posting the occasional brochure on LinkedIn and calling it digital. Meanwhile your next generation of clients live on TikTok. If you cannot meet them where they are you will lose them.
Mortgage-led protection is also still treated as an add on in many firms. That mindset leaves clients under insured and advisers exposed. If you run a mortgage focused practice you should treat protection as a core need, priced and prioritised with the same discipline as the loan itself.
We also set out a clear hierarchy of protection needs. Income first in most cases, then life Cover for dependants, then Critical Illness (CI) as budget allows. If you only benchmark CI quality, you are missing the point and you are likely failing Consumer Duty.
On healthcare, oncology is changing fast. Personalised medicine is moving from theory to standard care in many centres. That brings earlier detection, targeted therapies and better survival. Your advice should recognise that claim journeys and added value services matter more, not less.
Finally, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is not a tick box. It is your defence when a complaint lands and your engine for better outcomes. Choose CPD that improves client conversations, not just certificates.
- TikTok for advisers
Stop treating TikTok as a joke. It is a search engine for the under 35s. Short form video can build trust at low cost if you are specific about who you serve. Pick one topic, record weekly, answer real client questions. Disclose clearly, avoid product tips, focus on education. Measure watch time and saves, not vanity likes.
Actions you can take this week:
– Define a single audience and one promise you can deliver every week.
– Create a list of 20 client questions. Record answers in batches.
– Add subtitles and links back to your website compliance page.
– Track watch time and inbound enquiries, not follower count.
Read the full TikTok guide: A deep dive into TikTok for financial advisers
- Growing protection in the mortgage market
If protection sits outside your mortgage process you will underserve clients. Build a single fact find, single suitability workflow, and one pricing discussion that covers Mortgage, Income Protection (IP), and Life Cover. Show the cost of not being able to work before you show the cheapest premium.
Actions you can take this week:
– Put income risk questions in your first mortgage meeting.
– Quote IP and Life Cover alongside the Mortgage Agreement in Principle.
– Use pre-underwriting tools and quality comparisons, not price tables alone.
– Record client refusals with reasons and next review date.
Read how to grow protection in mortgage firms: How to grow protection advice in the mortgage market
- Hierarchy of protection needs
Start with what keeps the roof over a family. For most households that is IP. Then Life Cover where there are dependants. CI quality matters, but not at the expense of the basics. Advisers who only benchmark CI are taking regulatory risk.
Actions you can take this week:
– Adopt a default order of needs for mainstream cases.
– Document deviations and why they better serve the client outcome.
– Evidence quality and value, not just lowest premium.
– Review annually when circumstances change.
Read the hierarchy argument: Advisers must wake up to the hierarchy of protection needs
- Modern oncology and what it means for advice
Treatment is increasingly targeted and time sensitive. Added value services, early detection, and support pathways now matter as much as the core benefit. This raises the bar for what counts as value for money in protection products.
Actions you can take this week:
– Explain how added value services can shorten the path to diagnosis and treatment.
– Compare claim support features, not just definitions and payouts.
– Keep a simple explainer for clients on genomic tests and pathways.
– Update your research notes every six months.
Read the oncology update: Advancements in Breast Cancer Treatment: How Personalised Medicine is Shaping the Future of Care
- CPD that actually improves outcomes
Certificates do not protect clients. Better conversations do. Choose CPD that improves how you explain needs and value. Track behaviour changes after each module.
Actions you can take this week:
– Pick CPD with role play or client case work.
– Write three behaviour changes you will test next week.
– Share outcomes with your team and measure conversion rates.
– Store evidence that links CPD to improved client outcomes.
Read the CPD piece: CPD: More than just box ticking
Consumer Duty expects advice that delivers good outcomes. That means value over time, not just low initial cost. If your files still read like 2015, fix them now.
Have a great week everyone!
