Case Study –Protecting a First-Time Buyer Against Critical Illness

The Client

A first-time buyer was referred to our Private Client Insurance team while arranging their mortgage.

The client was particularly concerned about the financial consequences of a serious illness and the impact this could have on their ability to maintain the new mortgage commitment.

Their objective was to arrange critical illness cover at a level designed to repay the full mortgage balance following a qualifying diagnosis.

The recommendation needed to reflect more than the amount of cover alone.

The client wanted meaningful protection while remaining within a premium they were comfortable paying. The mortgage term also extended into retirement, meaning the required duration of the critical illness policy became an important consideration.

Provider selection therefore needed to account for the policy term as well as the level and quality of cover available.

The Solution

Following a detailed protection discussion, we assessed the available market against the client’s priorities, attitude to risk and budget. We identified a provider able to consider the extended policy term while offering critical illness cover aligned with the client’s objectives. The policy was structured around the full mortgage balance, with the intention of providing a lump sum sufficient to repay the mortgage following a qualifying critical illness claim, subject to the policy terms and definitions.

The Henry Dannell Difference

Protection advice is not simply about selecting a policy or comparing premiums. It is about understanding the financial consequence the client wants to protect against and structuring the cover accordingly. In this case, the recommendation considered the mortgage commitment, required level of protection, attitude to risk, budget and policy term together, creating a solution aligned with the client’s wider financial position. Protection policies are subject to eligibility, underwriting, exclusions and policy terms. Cover will only pay where the relevant policy definitions and claim requirements are met.