Life Insurance Facts

People often use dentists, accountants, solicitors and other professionals, but it has to be said that the majority don’t go out seeking advice from a financial advisor. Most people leave talking to an IFA, an independent financial advisor, till the day they think they actually need something, such as a mortgage life insurance pension or savings plan.

So what exactly is an Independent Financial Advisor then? Well, simply put, he or she is a person who works independently of the insurance companies, advising the best ways I which to deal with your individual financial situation. Now while it is true that it is a commission based job, independent means that he or she is not tied to any specific company. An IFA also has to put any advice that is given on record in writing and as such is held responsible for the advice given. With that in mind it is obviously in the IFAs best interest to give unbiased advice which can be clearly seen to be in the best interests of the client.

So what exactly can these independent financial advisors offer? Well, they can offer almost all financial products on the market such as life insurance, pensions, savings plans, investments and of course mortgages. Some advisors have additional services such as inheritance tax planning and will writing services.

Now that’s all well and good, I hear you say, but can I not get these products by simply taking a stroll down the high street on any given day. Yes you can, but the big difference is that an Independent Financial Advisor does not just sell these products. The companies sell the products, as such. If you require life insurance they will sell you life insurance but an IFA is there to advise you whether you actually require life insurance in the first place.

With an Independent Financial Advisor the basic procedure entails a face to face meeting. The IFA will firstly go through your present financial position, that’s to say, what policies you presently pay into. They then will gauge how much risk you associate and are willing to forego on the various different areas within your financial plans. Once both of you have established what your financial requirements are, an assessment will be made of how much you can afford and also are willing to pay for the services associated with these needs.

Then they will look at your future financial aspirations. They will ask you about the quality of life you would like in the years to come. Maybe you would like to retire earlier in life, get sickness coverage to cover future events or pay your mortgage off before the term stated.

All these facts lead a good advisor to the point that they are able to accurately advise you on the most appropriate products for your needs and your budget. At which point they are able to design a solution for you and go off and get quotes for the best products to fit your profile.

They will then arrange to sit down with you again and look at each of their proposals. You can then decide which option you are happiest with, at which stage the financial advisor can then proceed with the applications on your behalf.

You would think that that is where it would end, whilst it probably would end there with most providers it rarely does with an IFA. Your IFA will generally speak to you every year or so and make sure that the recommendations they made all that time ago are still the most suitable for your ever changing situation. It has to be noted that peoples finances change frequently and as such these regular updates and financial heath checks are vital.

So to summarize an independent financial advisors job entails gathering information about you and researching the best products for you then sitting down with you to ensure that you know exactly what you have and what they propose and then carrying out regular reviews to ensure that the advice stays current and relevant. So I think you will agree they are worth their weight in gold, especially in these financial times when we should all be reviewing what we have and most of all why we have it.