In this IIL financial services lecture Dan Atkinson will explain the importance of protection in financial planning and the role of the financial planner.

When we plan for the future we often think about what might go ‘right’. We might be able to save sufficiently for a comfortable retirement. Our portfolios might deliver returns that support and sustain this. However, what happens we things don’t go to plan? If our investments don’t deliver the returns we expect we may be able to make choices to retire later or adjust our lifestyle aspirations. But there some things that we can’t ‘adjust’ to that have a big impact on our clients’ financial plans.

Aside from the impact on family life, events such as disability, illness or death can have financial ramifications. Depending on the timing this could put a stop to planned saving and/or bring forward spending (either expected or unplanned). Indeed the same is true for businesses when a key employee or an owner experiences one of these.

Financial Planners are key to helping clients identify the potential consequences of these happening. Straight forward financial protection such as life cover, income protection and critical illness can help reduce or mitigate the impact.

By the end of this lecture members would have gained an insight into:

• The impact of disability, illness and death on financial plans
• The tools we have to reduce or mitigate the impact of these risks
• How financial protection is a key part of a robust financial plan

Speaker Bio:
Dan Atkinson is an award-winning paraplanner at EQ Investors. He heads up the Technical Team who provide support for a team of 16 financial planners. Dan is active within the paraplanning community, contributing to events and writing in the trade press.

Chair:
William Sallitt FPFS, Associate Partner, Chartered Financial Planner, TEP.