The Practical Protection Podcast

Hi everyone, we are the start of Season 3 and there is a bit of a change happening. I have a new co-host, with Roy McLoughlin joining me regularly on the podcast so we can talk about the latest developments in protection insurance and more. Roy is bringing his knowledge of investments, pensions, protection and many other areas to the show. Matt Rann will also be a regular co-host and we will be ta...

Hi everyone, this week I am speaking with Matt Rann, who has worked within the insurer, reinsurer and IFA community for the last 42 years. Matt is an underwriter who has seen many changes to the insurance sector, over his career. Matt is chatting about how he became an underwriter, and the rewards he has seen by using his knowledge to be an expert witness, when claims have gone wrong.  ...

Hi everyone, this week I am speaking with Alan Knowles, husband, co director, Chair of the PDG and the 2020 winner of the Protection Review’s Protection Adviser of the Year. Alan is doing an income protection masterclass, talking about how versatile these policies are and how they can sometimes have a bad rep, for not being particularly accessible. But, Alan goes through 4 case studies that show h...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Paul Moore and Di Stubbs, from Winston’s Wish . Winston’s Wish is a childhood bereavement charity and speaking with them has really opened my eyes to the amount of kids that are facing these situations every day. I needed a hug after recording this. Paul and Di talk about how Winston’s Wish was setup, the way that the charity has adapted over the years and t...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Alison Esson, Propositions Manager from AIG . Alison is the added value services guru within the protection industry, leading much of the developments that have happened in this area. Added value services are the extras that help policyholders and their immediate family, throughout their policy. It's not just about the claim anymore! Alison is talking about...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Ross Linnett from Recite Me . Ross has dyslexia and has developed an accessibility and language toolbar, that helps people to adapt websites to their needs. We have it integrated into our website, the Special Risks Bureau , and it is incredible. I'm chatting to Ross about why he decided to develop this software and how important it is for businesses to think...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Simoney Kyriakou from Financial Adviser . Simoney is on a mission to clear up rogue lead generation firms. From the start we are clear on this, not all lead generation firms are iffy, there are many out there that are completely reputable. As with anything in life you get some good and you get some bad. I'm chatting to Simoney about the ways that some lead g...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to my Dad! My Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in his early 50s and he is now 66. He is going to be chatting about how his condition started to affect his ability to work in the police force and what having his symptoms feels like. He is speaking frankly about how Parkinson's disease has at times changed his behaviour and personality, the symptoms you...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Hannah Godfrey , the News Editor at  Professional Adviser and Deputy Editor at  Retirement Planner . Hannah is joining me today to chat about pensions, her career and the Women In Financial Advice Awards that is being held today. This is a really interesting one for me as I don't 'do' pensions. The 3 key takeaways: Pay into your pension, it's...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Emma Thomson, Product Strategist at British Friendly. Last year Emma was diagnosed with breast cancer and she is joining me on the podcast to talk about her experience of having cancer, her treatment and her tips on reviewing your protection insurances. Emma is chatting about the extra costs of cancer too, the things that people often don't talk about e.g. p...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Vicky Churcher, Intermediary Director of AIG. Vicky is joining me to chat about her health, claiming on her insurance and how the additional services offered by Best Doctors have been phenomenal for both her and her family. In 2018 Vicky had a major heart attack, which was a huge shock given her being a regular runner, a vegetarian for most of her life and g...

Hi everyone, this week I am chatting to Alan Knowles, Managing Director of Cura, known for his work as a speciality insurance adviser. Alan is also the Chair of the PDG, founding member of the Access to Insurance working group and recently appointed as an executive for the Income Protection Task Force. As a side note he is also my husband and I promise that we kept our banter to a minimum! In this...

Hi everyone, it's episode 5 of season 2, and this week I am speaking with Lindsay Mason, my colleague at Cura, who has been through some significant events this year. Please note  that this episode could be quite emotional for some people to hear. We are talking about deaths caused by cancer, heart attack and coronavirus, and the feelings and difficulties that a family member can face when th...

Hi Everyone, It's episode 4 of season 2 and today is all about RedArc Nurses . I have Sue Kinsella with me, who is talking about her experiences working at RedArc and what it is that these nurses do. My 3 key takeaways, 1. Things to do and things not to do when someone talks to you about their health. 2. What to do if you are speaking with someone and you become concerned about the safety of their...

Hi Everyone, We are onto episode 3 of season 2 and this time I have Leo Miles with me. Leo works for Macmillan Cancer Support and spends her time fighting for equality for people that have had or are living with cancer. Leo has been a mortgage adviser, has worked within the Financial Services Authority and is now a charity advocate. My 3 key takeaways, 1. Access to insurance for people with a hist...

Hi Everyone, We are onto episode 2 of season 2 and this time I have Roger Edwards with me. Roger is an independent marketing consultant and has worked within the insurance world for many years. He is bringing his experience to help us understand how to avoid enraging customers. My 3 key takeaways, 1. Trust in insurance is the basis for people engaging and not engaging with our sector. 2. Roger's 3...

Hi Everyone, This is my first solo hosting episode, please be gentle with me! Catherine Morgan is joining me to start off this season. We are talking about people's mindsets, embedded beliefs that dictate how we feel about finances and whether we do or don't trust insurance. I came away with some personal revelations about how my money mindset has been shaped since childhood. We also chat about Ca...

Hi Everyone, In this episode we are chatting about HIV with our guest Rosalie Hayes from the National Aids Trust. Rosalie is chatting about the insurance from the viewpoint of people that are living with HIV, the barriers that have been faced, where insurance seems to be getting better and how there needs to be a clear focus on fair and reasonable terms of cover. Our 3 key takeaways, 1. There are...

Hi Everyone, In this episode we are chatting about diabetes . We try and keep the inevitable chat over coronavirus to a minimum in these episodes, but it's well and truly everywhere throughout this one. There have been some significant links between coronavirus deaths and diabetes and this has understandably changed the way that insurers are offering cover. We chat through potential insurance term...

Hi Everyone This is our first podcast episode that really tries to lay bare, what can happen if you apply for insurance when you have a mental health condition. The main bits: What insurers want to know about your mental health Why they even ask What happens when you apply for cover What are the risks What you can expect We have deliberately done this episode shorter than usual, so that we focus u...

Hi Everyone! Today we are thrilled to have Kara Gammell joining us on the podcast. Kara is an award winning financial journalist with a passion for talking about money, shown in her money saving blog ' Your Best Friends Guide to Cash ' and book that you can buy here . Kara is a big advocate of income protection. In this episode she talks about her childhood living in a household where both parents...

Hi Everyone! Today we are so pleased to have Steve Casey joining us on the podcast. Steve has worked within financial services for many years, but that is not the focus of this episode. In 2018 Steve had a stroke, completely out of the blue, in his words it came with a bang. This episode is focused upon hearing Steve's story, how it felt to have a stroke, what happened and how his recovery has bee...

Hi Everyone! Things have been incredibly interesting in the insurance world recently (yes, we know, you can count on us to be the life and souls of a party!). In this episode we are focusing upon multiple sclerosis and how the new world of insurance, is treating applications from people living with the condition. As always Kathryn poses a few challenges to Andrew on why insurers work the way that...

Hi Everyone! We are absolutely thrilled this week to be joined by our first guest, Mike Adams OBE. Mike is an incredible speaker and advocate for improving access to products and services, for people with disabilities. Mike's organisation Purple have gained significant attention in recent years with Purple Tuesday, a day where all organisations are asked to truly think about how they can improve a...

*** Disclaimer: In this episode we are going to be talking about mental health conditions and in particular suicidal thoughts and attempts . Please be aware that some people may find some of the content upsetting.*** Hi Everyone, We had a really insightful time at last week's Cover Mental Health conference. It was great to hear from our peers and new friends, about how we are all taking every step...