Just Covered – Details, episodes & analysis

In this special episode of the Just Covered Podcast, our hosts Hazel Johnston and Wayne Holcombe are joined by Mike Jones, adviser at Mewstone Later Life. 

During the conversation, Mike discusses the latest product innovations in the later life lending space, and how advisers can use them to better support clients and provide them with a more bespoke service. He also reflects on the importance of consumer duty and how advisers can build trust with clients by ensuring they are well supported and informed of the implications of products over the client's lifetime. 

This episode also covers: 

• Mike's career experience to date, including his beginnings in retail banking and move to mortgage advice 
• Understanding the evolving later life market, and the challenges and opportunities for clients and advisers 
• The importance of a personal and client-centred approach when advising and educating clients, building a lifelong relationship built on trust

In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, Hazel and Wayne meet Monica Bradley, award-winning mortgage adviser and owner of Monica Bradley Associates. During this chat, she sets out the unique vision and ethos behind her firm, including her persistent emphasis on strong leadership. She also explores her approach to having a specialist team which ultimately enables each adviser to reach their maximum potential while delivering exceptional client outcomes. 

 This episode also covers:

· Understanding the financial adviser’s role as a lifelong partner to clients by helping them plan appropriately for unexpected events and navigate challenges as they arise.

· The importance of truly caring for your clients and effectively preparing teams so that they’re able to confidently and compassionately ask tough questions.

· How to keep clients regularly informed and engaged with the evolving financial landscape and the best channels, approaches, and communications tools for doing so.

We are excited to bring to you an extended “Technology Special”! The world of technology has an ever-changing landscape and evolves at such a pace so how can advisers keep abreast of the tools that 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 on 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 in 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 into 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 uses 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 in 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

During the episode we refer to Legal & General’s State of the Nation, SME Report 2021. To review this research and download the report follow this link: State of the Nation | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

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

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 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.

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

 During this episode you’ll hear us reference “Kelly” and her story being the reason why Neil was a winner of L&G’s Hero in the Middle award. 
 
 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 as business owners 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

 Wayne and I loved chatting with Natalie and Charlotte in which we are sure you’ll agree 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

 Support materials:

Want to find out some more of the elements which equate to adviser success with protection conversations? Explore our research here: Secrets of Protection Success | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

Want to talk to someone regarding Protection? Find your dedicated team here.. Find my dedicated team | Adviser Protection | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

We often talk to clients about diversifying their investments, and as advisers we are often asked about a diverse range of products yet 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 and 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 un-tapped area of the market
•  How Nicola’s business covers all aspects of a customer’s needs from will writing through to mortgages and beyond

At Legal and General we also diversify our offering and can offer products and support to advisers via our Retirement, Home Finance, Insurance and Mortgage Club teams. It is likely our business could help you help your customers in more than one area. To find out more about this, contact us: Contact | Advisers & Wealth Management | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

 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.

Support materials:

Want to find out some more of the elements which equate to adviser success with protection conversations? Explore our research here: Secrets of Protection Success | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

Want to talk to someone regarding Protection? Find your dedicated team here.. Find my dedicated team | Adviser Protection | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)

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… 
 
 Within Legal and General’s State of the Nation business research we discover how many businesses have debt and how many would be forced to cease trading within 12 months if they lost a key person. Advisers are ideally placed to help businesses understand the uncertainty of risks, and to make the right decisions in protecting themselves against certain unexpected and in many cases unforeseen events. The report helps advisers protect the nation's SME's, build long-term relationships, and ensure they are protected for their futures. Therefore, it is no surprise that Adrian has seen an opportunity here to adapt his approach and focus on helping business owners with their protection needs.
 
 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.