Following the success of L&G’s recent Hero in the Middle awards, IFA Magazine’s Social Media and Content Manager, Meg Bratley, sat down with one of this year’s winners, Kyle Fisk, Senior Protection Expert at Mojo Mortgages and Life’s Great Ltd.
New for 2025, L&G’s Business Quality Awards ‘Hero in the Middle’ category celebrated individuals who demonstrated outstanding dedication and contributions to the protection industry, often going above and beyond to support those who find themselves in extremely challenging circumstances.
Kyle’s story stood out for its compassion and attention to detail. While reviewing a client’s protection needs, he uncovered that the client’s wife, who had been unable to work for over a decade due to illness, held an existing policy that she could claim on. Thanks to Kyle’s diligence and care, the family went on to receive a life-changing payout that they never knew was possible.
In this exclusive interview with IFA Magazine, Kyle shares his personal motivation for working in protection, the story behind his award-winning case, and the lessons he believes every adviser can take away from his experience.
IFA: Congratulations on being named a Hero in the Middle winner. Could you start by telling us a little about your background and your role at Mojo Mortgages and Life’s Great Ltd?
KF: I’ve been doing this job now for almost seven years, advising on protection. Before that, I spent nearly eight years in the financial industry at Barclays. During my time there, I moved into a role where I was helping people with non-advised insurance cover, I say insurance advice, but technically it wasn’t advised.
I’ve always liked the idea of helping people with protection because of what’s happened with myself and my family in the past. Eventually, I got the opportunity to move into a firm properly and joined Life’s Great Ltd and Mojo in August 2023. I’ve been here ever since, and I’m now one of the Senior Protection Experts at Mojo.
IFA: Was there a particular experience that motivated you to work in this industry?
KF: Yes, it was definitely personal.
Around 14 years ago, my dad was a relatively healthy bloke, maybe a bit overweight at the time. He walked through some dirty water with open cuts on his feet and caught a virus called bacterial endocarditis, which vegetates on the heart valves and destroys them.
We were incredibly lucky to still have him. Back then, survival rates were about one in four, and even lower 14 years ago. It took doctors weeks to diagnose the problem, and he faced a “lesser of two evils” situation: take medication that would cause long-term harm, or don’t take it and die.
He took the meds, but they left him with kidney failure, fibromyalgia and residual heart damage. My dad only had life cover in place, which meant my mum couldn’t afford the expenses once he became ill. I was 21, still living at home, and my parents eventually went bankrupt, losing their house, cars, everything they’d worked for since they were teenagers, all because of one sudden illness.
I often share that story because people say, “Oh, I’ll never get ill.” You might not develop cancer, but as my dad’s case shows, you never know what’s around the corner.
And surprisingly, the most common way people contract bacterial endocarditis is actually through dental work.
IFA: That’s such a powerful story. Could you walk us through the case that led to your award and how you came into contact with the client?
KF: Our system works with separate mortgage advisers who complete the mortgage review and then warm-transfer clients across to the protection side. In this case, I happened to be free, so the client came straight through to me.
The gentleman I spoke to was the main income earner because his wife had been left in a disabled state for around 12 years. Their policy dated back to 2006. They had two kids, costs were rising, and interest rates were high, so affordability was tight.
When going through our fact-finding process, we use Salesforce. I always dig a little deeper, especially when health issues are mentioned. The wife had a severe back issue that meant she couldn’t work and struggled with daily mobility.
I asked the husband if he could pull up their policy documents while we were on the call and check for “total permanent disability” (TPD). He did, and it was there, under “own occupation.”
I told him, “You need to make a claim. I’m confident your wife would be eligible.” He was shocked, but I gave him the insurer’s number and said, “If you need any help, even though we didn’t set up the policy, just give me a shout.”
I didn’t hear back for two or three months, and then I received an email from the wife saying, “I don’t know if you remember speaking to my husband, Jeffrey, but after going through all the reports, we made a claim and have just had the payout. You are flipping amazing.”
If I remember rightly, the payout was around £67,000, absolutely life-changing for them.
IFA: How did that feel, both personally and professionally?
KF: It felt great. As I said in the Legal & General video that I did after my award win, it might sound corny, but I genuinely love my job. I love helping people, not just by setting up protection but by making sure they can claim when it matters most.
Since winning the award, I’ve actually helped another client in a similar situation. They received a £120,000 payout after being diagnosed with breast cancer. They had no idea they could even claim.
Moments like that remind me why I do what I do and why I always take that extra five minutes to ask the right questions.
IFA: Do you think there’s still a lack of awareness about policies and what they actually cover?
KF: Definitely. A lot of clients don’t even know what they have in place.
I always say, even if we spend 20 minutes reviewing your policy and nothing changes, at least you’ll understand what you’re paying for. If you’re paying for something you’ll never claim on, what’s the point?
In this client’s case, she’d had her policy since 2006 and had been unable to work since 2011 or 2012. She’d had her mortgage reviewed multiple times, but no one had ever spotted the potential claim. It really makes you wonder how many opportunities had been missed before.
IFA: What message would you want this story to send to other advisers?
KF: That clients’ lives are in our hands. We’re not just here to advise on cover, we’re here to genuinely help people improve their situation.
I often have conversations that go beyond protection, like asking clients if they’ve filled out their expression of wish form for their death-in-service benefit. It’s got nothing to do with us, but it matters.
We’re advisers, our job is to make sure clients leave us in a better position than they were in before, whether that means understanding their cover, improving it, or successfully making a claim.
IFA: Were there any challenges in this case, especially around the sensitive nature of the conversations?
KF: Not really. I’m quite open myself, so those conversations come naturally.
When talking about health or illness, I often share my own experiences, as it puts clients at ease. The main challenges usually come from the medical side during the claims process, not from the clients themselves.
IFA: How important is it for advisers to get to know their clients on a personal level?
KF: Massively important. If you’re not doing that, you’re not doing your job to the best of your ability.
If you don’t take the time to truly understand your client, you can’t give them the best advice. In both this case and another recent one, the claims only happened because I asked those extra two or three questions.
Most clients won’t share unless you ask. Maybe 30% will, but most people don’t like talking about protection; it can feel uncomfortable. But those are the conversations that really matter.
IFA: Do stories like this help raise awareness of the importance of protection?
KF: Absolutely. There’s still a stigma around life insurance, critical illness cover, and income protection; people see them like car or home insurance, but they’re completely different.
Real-life stories like these help people understand that these policies do pay out and that they do make a difference.
IFA: What has this experience meant to you personally?
KF: It’s reaffirmed that what I’m doing is right. It’s also had a big impact on my colleagues, both new starters and mortgage advisers.
Sharing these stories helps everyone understand the importance of protection. It’s not just about policies; it’s about protecting people’s lives.
IFA: Finally, what does being recognised as a Hero in the Middle mean to you?
KF: Honestly, I’m really proud of it.
I remember telling my dad I’d won the award; that was such a proud moment because I felt like I was doing right by him. He was really proud of me, and that meant everything.
Being recognised within the industry has definitely been the highlight of my career so far.
Kyle concludes:
“Every client matters. The more people we can speak to about protection, even if they don’t take cover, the better. If they go away understanding their risks, then we’ve done our job.”
