Just Covered

Welcome to the first episode of Just Covered.

These short conversations are designed by advisers, for advisers to explore current topics of interest for those working in the financial services industry. So, grab yourself a cuppa and listen in…

For our first episode, Hazel and Wayne are joined by Adrian Benjamin, a Wealth Protection Adviser at Precise Protect.

At the forefront of our minds in the insurance industry is the arrival of the new consumer duty rules. Can social media help lead to better client outcomes? In this episode, we talk to Adrian about the positive opportunity the new consumer duty presents to re-model ways of working. We also spend time focussing on how Adrian has utilised social media to improve his network connections and make waves with consumer understanding.

Topics covered:
- Our stance on what the consumer duty will mean for advisers 
- The ever-changing marketing opportunities that social media presents
- How social media usage can help advisers improve client understanding and awareness
- 3 top tips for achieving good customer outcomes

Please find some of the support materials mentioned in this episode in the attachments section.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

This is not a consumer advertisement. It is intended for professional use only and should not be relied upon by private individuals or any other persons.

Our second episode, Hazel and Wayne are joined by Priyesh Patel – Financial Consultant at Ablestoke Financial Planning.

With financial resilience forefront of consumer mind at the moment given the cost of living crisis, is it now more important than ever to ensure our customers are protected? Should resilience planning always be the starting foundation when providing financial advice? In this episode we talk to Priyesh about how he views his role as a financial consultant and he gives us some brilliant hints and tips on how to engage customers and help them realise the importance of having a plan B in place. Priyesh also shares the impact that dealing with a customer claim has had on his and his client’s mindsets.

We cover:

-- Why insurance can be the key to long term financial planning
-- How to help customers visualise the risk and their need
-- Priyesh demonstrates the importance of focussing in on the type of client you feel you can work with best
-- What you can do to help your existing clients if one has had a claim

Please find some of the support materials mentioned in this episode in the attachments section.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

In this episode, Hazel and Wayne are joined by Nicola Crosbie – Chartered Financial Planner and owner of Moran Wealth Management.

As professionals in the financial industry, what more can we be doing to ensure our clients feel empowered with their finances? Nicola voices her views on why she feels she is a “coach” to her clients and how to build a successful client relationships. Nicola believes we have the gift of knowledge that can help us give our clients power over their financial choices. Nicola shares why she feels a good match between adviser and client is essential to build rapport and deeper relationships with clients.

We cover:
-- Why having a strong personal brand helps your business and allows you to find “the right” clients
-- Why an approach genuine to your personality is essential as a financial planner
-- How to build lasting, caring client relationships with a foundation of trust
-- The benefits and importance of continuous learning to broaden your offering

Please find some of the support materials mentioned in this episode in the attachments section.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

Are you an adviser wanting to start recommending Business Protection? If so, this episode is for you…

In this episode, Hazel and Wayne welcome back Adrian Benjamin, a Wealth Protection Adviser with Precise Protect. Back when we first filmed with Adrian, he mentioned his goal of entering the Business Protection market and we wanted to invite him in to hear how his first 6 months is going…

In this episode we cover:
• Why Adrian feels business protection is a useful product to have in your toolkit
• The transferable skills Adrian feels set him up for success in this area
• An outline of the peaks and troughs within the first six months of Adrian starting business protection
• How Adrian developed his learning and CPD to be best placed to give this advice.

As Adrian references within our chat, here at Legal and General we provide a whole host of Business Protection webinars, workshops and support materials. If we can help you with this, then please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Please also find some of the support materials mentioned in this episode in the attachments section.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

We often talk to clients about diversifying their investments, and as advisers, we are often asked about a diverse range of products. But how often do we consider diversifying our own business strategy? Nicola McKenzie, Co-Founder of Dunham McCarthy, DM Mortgages and MyLastWill.co.uk (to name a few!) shares how she has done just that. Nicola also shares how she will continue to do this in the future by considering all aspects of a customer’s financial needs as well as the use of online tools and platforms.

A powerful female force and true motivator in the industry, Nicola talks through how she feels that passion and process are two essentials for success when it comes to growth within financial services, whilst doing the right thing for your clients.

In this episode we cover:
• Why diversification of offering is a great strategy not only for your business but how it also helps provide robust, holistic advice to your clients
• Why passion + process = power
• Our thoughts on the opportunity to protect renters and what we can do to educate this largely untapped area of the market
• How Nicola’s business covers all aspects of a customer’s needs from will writing through to mortgages and beyond

Please find some support materials relevant to this episode in the attachments section.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

In this episode Wayne and Hazel are joined by not one but two fantastic guests – the founders of Bates Wilcox, Natalie and Charlotte. They came together to establish Bates Wilcox in 2019 just before the pandemic, and in this episode we hear how they have taken the New Build mortgage world by storm.

Charlotte and Natalie share with us their clear passion for creating a sustainable work-life balance for both themselves and their team, whilst maintaining an exemplar level of service to their clients and stakeholders within the New Home world.

In this episode we cover:
-- Why both belief in yourself and your product are everything
-- How to create a sense of balance when it comes to managing client expectations and giving yourself time for your lifestyle
-- Medical underwriting up front – yes really!
-- Using disclaimers and their importance within the advice process

We loved chatting with Natalie and Charlotte, and we're sure you'll agree that this is a hugely valuable episode for anybody within the financial services sector.

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and feel you have a story to tell, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com.

It’s episode 7 and Hazel and Wayne are joined by Neil Bohan, Principle and adviser at Personal Touch Kent and what a conversation it is! This episode is bursting at the seams with superb one-liners which can quickly generate client trust and loyalty when it comes to building rapport and advising on products. Neil shares with us some of his best kept sales secrets and gives such an honest insight in to why he feels protection is a must have conversation when it comes to financial planning and mortgage advice.

As professionals in the financial industry, we can sometimes let our own mindset and assumptions get in the way and Neil talks through how he overcomes this and why he feels every single client needs to be giving the opportunity to take out protection.

We cover:
- Neil’s secrets to protection success and sales tips
- How Neil brings up the subject of protection in every single conversation no matter the scenario whether that be remortgage, product transfer, new purchase or financial planning
- The benefits and importance of continuous client relationships and how to retain your customer base with one simple phrase

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

With consumer duty coming down the tracks, it is essential for advisers to start planning how they will bring protection into their conversations especially when we consider the cross-cutting rule “Avoid foreseeable harm to retail customers”.

But what if you are an adviser who doesn’t have time? What if you haven’t sold it for a while? What if you don’t have access to a range of products? In this episode, Hazel & Wayne are joined by Steve Johnson and Nic Hopkins the owners of Real Life Advice, who may just have the answers!
Nic and Steve used their background in sales, training, and development to set up Real Life Advice, a protection firm providing advice to clients on all of their protection insurance needs.

We cover:
- Nic & Steve’s journey to setting up their business
- What they believe has been key to their success
- How Nic & Steve ensure clients get a streamlined and consistent service
- The benefits in using a protection specialist for your clients protection needs

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

If you’re an adviser looking to refer your protection business, this episode is the one for you! With a background in financial advice himself, almost 10 years ago Dale saw a clear gap in the market for a protection specialist firm to assist advisers with the protection conversation.
In this episode Wayne and Hazel are joined by Dale, owner of Pure Protect and Stonebridge Protect to explore what key skills are required when it comes to creating great protection referrals instead of it being a tick box exercise. During filming we were faced with the challenge of noisy building works outside and despite this, Dale gives some fantastic insights in to what advisers can be doing ahead of the consumer duty coming in to force at the end of this month.

We cover:
- The risks advisers face if they don’t review their protection process ahead of the new consumer duty rules coming into force
- What are the elements that go in to creating the perfect protection referral?
- A claim’s story which could have been very different had the customer not been seen by a specialist
- What makes a good protection adviser
- The commercial benefits of partnering with a protection specialist

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

With 60% of businesses stating they’d cease trading within 12 months of losing a key person and 75% of businesses having some form of borrowing*, there is a clear need in the market for business protection advice. This is where Nathan Ansell comes in, owner of Hend Consulting Ltd. Nathan set up Hend Consulting Ltd just under 5 years ago to specialise in business protection.
In this episode Wayne and Hazel explore Nathan’s journey into the business protection market and what he has learned along the way from the challenges he has faced. If you are looking to expand your business protection sales or generate leads within this market, Nathan expertly shares how he does this and why he feels giving this advice is imperative to achieving good client outcomes.

We cover:
- Nathan’s journey in to specialising in Business Protection and how he has grown his business in this area
- The different Business Protection client types and how to approach them
- How Nathan generates leads and demonstrates the need for multiple products to his clients
- What to look out for within a fact find to support Business Protection recommendations

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

*taken from Legal and General State of the Nation research 2021

We are excited to bring to you an extended "Technology Special" The world of technology has an ever-changing landscape and evolves at such pace so how can advisers keep abreast of the tools which can enhance their role, their customer service and provide them time to advise on protection? James Adams, Director of My Simple Mortgage and Thora Kehoe Chief Product Officer at Smartr365 spent time with Wayne and Hazel to uncover some of the truths around using technology in our industry, how it can enhance customer relationships, help keep advisers the right-side of compliance and drive efficiencies. All these aspects are key to running a successful business and in turn, provide extra time to provide great advice to our customers.

In this episode James shares how he has embraced and incorporated technology into his business and Thora shares some of the key facts’ advisers should keep to mind when looking at adding technology enhancements to their strategy. This episode is a must for any adviser considering how they can utilise technologies within their business.

We cover:
- James’s journey to adding technology in to his business and some of the challenges and learns along the way
- The reasons why technology could help keep your business compliant especially in the new world of Consumer Duty.
- What a “data prisoner” is and how to avoid becoming one
- The questions to ask of a technology provider before committing to add them to your business strategy
- Some of the ways James’s team use the extra time that technology provides them and why this helps create a successful environment for advising on protection

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

Dubbed the “Queen of Claims” by her colleagues and with an ability to keep protection advice both relatable and understandable – it is safe to say Amy Whittingham is one of the industry’s leading protection advisers.
Amy shares with Hazel and Wayne some candid stories of where the cover she has set up has made a difference to her clients as well as exploring how to navigate the protection conversation within the wealth space. This episode is a must for any adviser dealing with customers in the wealth space, and any advisers who are time short and want to refer their clients over to a protection specialist.

We cover:
- Amy’s journey and what it meant to be Future Proof’s first ever employee
- The reasons why it is crucial to be having a robust and holistic protection conversation
- The importance of true listening and taking the time to find the right solution
- Balancing affordability, wants and needs when it comes to protection advice
- Why we should never walk past a protection conversation, even if it looks like the customer is fully covered

If you are experienced in financial planning, mortgage or protection advice and would like to feature on future episodes, please reach out to hazel.johnston@landg.com. Please also get in touch with any topics you would like us to cover on this podcast.

In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, hosts Hazel and Wayne are joined by Wayne Griffiths, Managing Director of One Financial Solutions. He shares his journey to becoming an independent financial adviser after starting in the financial services industry in the 1990s.

Wayne discusses the challenges and uncertainties he faced during this transition and how joining a network helped to ensure compliance and support.

This episode also covers:
- The importance of being nosy and storytelling with your clients
- How to approach certain clients
- Intergenerational planning and equity release.
- Mental health and the importance of checking in on each other

Overall, the episode highlights the need for compassion, collaboration, and support within the financial services industry. By working together and fostering a sense of community, professionals can navigate the challenges of their job and create a more positive and inclusive work environment

Happy Podcastiversay! We are so thrilled to be reaching the one-year anniversary of our podcast. It’s been an amazing journey filled with insights, opinions, and stories from advisers across the country. So thank you to all of those involved, and for making our first year a roaring success!

In this Christmas special episode of the Just Covered podcast, host Sam Oakes takes over as the interviewer and is joined by Hazel and Wayne, the usual hosts. They reflect on the past 12 months and discuss how the podcast has helped them in their jobs.

Also covering

The last year of top tips
Stand out moments of 2023
What you can expect from 2024
Special Thanks to all our amazing guests, hosts, production team and to you, our listeners!

We look forward to what 2024 brings and to continue providing an authentic and raw experience, where guests share honestly and openly, allowing listeners to learn and potentially make changes in their own businesses.

If you feel you demonstrate brilliant customer outcomes and got your own story to share? Contact hazel.johnston@landg.com if you are interested in appearing on our podcast