By David Porter, Financial Planning Consultant, Armstrong Watson

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."

As romantic as Bill Shankly’s views may be to an ardent football fan, most people would agree that many things are far more important than football, for instance, our loved ones.

It’s quite easy to take the ones closest to us for granted and spend our time focused on earning enough to pay for the dream house, the next family holiday, to watch your favorite team or other luxuries. Having said that, it’s often these things which make life so pleasurable - shared experiences, common goals, bonding times. Beyond the bare essentials they can make a big difference and to many people they are important, but can be insignificant compared what is really important to most of us.

What happens if the family loses someone? Without the correct forms of protection in place, this can cause significant financial problems.

When a loved one dies, quite often their income dies with them. So following their death how does the family continue to live and not just exist? Too few people consider how they would continue to meet the mortgage repayments, fund family holidays and pay the bills if someone important was no longer around.

Losing a loved one is a difficult enough thing to come to terms with, but if you add in the complication of the financial status quo being disrupted, the grief is compounded. Most people want to know that their loved ones are taken care of should they die, but how many have made sure that this is the case?

By seeking advice and arranging suitable, tailored protection can ensure that after your time your family can still maintain the standard of living you would want them to enjoy, including being able to afford the luxuries that make life so enjoyable.

To check that you or your loved ones are adequately protected please contact me on 01756 620000 or email david.porter@armstrongwatson.co.uk for impartial, independent advice.