‘In Focus‘ comes to a close today, but before it does, we hear from Justin Harper, Chief Marketing Officer at LifeSearch as he explains why income protection needs to move from a ‘nice to have’ to a core part of every client conversation.
Uncertainty feels closer to home again. Global instability continues to ripple through our newsfeeds. Prices are rising – not just petrol, but food, energy and everyday essentials. Household budgets are under pressure; we and our clients feel it week by week.
Most people still remember COVID and the furlough scheme. For many, it was the first time income (not assets) became the immediate concern. When work stopped, and our pay changed, priorities shifted fast. What income buys, and how quickly life can unravel without it, became very real.
Clients are more conscious than ever of their income and the strain on it. What’s far less clear is how exposed they are if that income is disrupted – and how protection planning can help build real financial resilience.
The ‘disturbing’ conversation: creating focus without fear
In advice conversations, I’ve found there’s a fine balance between reassurance and challenge. Some call it ‘disturbing’ the client and label it a bad thing. This isn’t about fear‑based selling. It’s about helping clients see risks they may never have had the space or confidence to think about properly.
At LifeSearch, we often start with simple, grounding questions:
‘What brought you here today?’ (even when we have a good idea why!)
‘If your income changed tomorrow, what would worry you most?’
Then we probe a little deeper:
‘How long could things carry on as they are?’ ‘Who or what would you rely on first… savings, family, your employer?’ ‘What would you want life to look like for your family if the worst happened?’
Asked calmly, these questions don’t alarm people. They clarify.
Making risk real, not abstract
Most clients instinctively understand life insurance. It’s familiar and fairly binary. Far fewer have really thought about the risk of serious illness or being unable to work for an extended period, even though those risks are often more likely to disrupt everyday life.
This is where tools like the LV= Risk Reality Calculator work well (adopted and adapted by many firms and adviser networks). I’ve seen it used to introduce risk in a neutral, factual way, showing the relative likelihood of death, serious illness and long‑term sickness (two months or more). It creates a shared, believable reference point for discussion.
Some advisers deliver it as a personalised report, even going as far as illustrating indicative costs. Tools like these help clients understand why your conversation – and these risks – matter.
Anchoring protection in everyday life
Protection advice lands best when it’s rooted in the ordinary. We’ll often ask clients to talk us through a normal month – the mortgage or rent, food, energy, travel, childcare, small treats.
Then we’ll ask: ‘If your income stopped, which of these would go first? Which would you fight hardest to keep?’
That shift, taking an abstract risk to real life – changes the tone of the conversation. Clients stop thinking about policies and being sold to and start thinking about life. Emotion, brought into everyday reality, is what makes protection relevant.
Income: the asset that underpins everything
Ask clients what their most valuable asset is and many will say their home. I gently challenge that. In reality, it’s their earning power. Over the next 10, 20 or 30 years, income pays for everything.
This is where the IPTF’s Protect your everyday – The Building Blocks of Life video is so useful. It’s short, generic and deliberately product-free. Advisers can use it before a meeting to set the scene, during a conversation to reinforce the message, or afterwards as a follow‑up. It reframes income as the foundation block that holds everything else up.
Using language people recognise
Confusion around critical illness cover and income protection persists – even among people who already hold policies.
One simple shift that helps is language.
People understand statutory sick pay. Some have ‘employer sick pay’ – they get the idea (even if they don’t fully understand its benefits or its limits). Framed this way, ‘income protection’ becomes ‘personal sick pay’ (some bright spark named an IP policy exactly that) – designed around them, their loved ones, their lifestyle and their budget.
For advisers wanting practical support here, the IPTF’s Let’s Talk Income Protection podcast is a great resource. It’s conversational, adviser‑led and focused on what actually works in real client discussions. Episodes show how to introduce income protection early, clearly and without product overload.
Protection as the foundation
Advisers are often the first to expose and educate clients to the full range of financial risks they face. Many still don’t have life cover, let alone critical illness cover or income protection. The responsibility sits with us.
Protection planning done well is about protecting everyday life. It maintains choice and gives clients the foundations they need to cope when the worst happens. In uncertain times, that isn’t an add‑on to financial advice. It’s the foundation of financial resilience.
