Just Covered (Legal & General)
Explore every episode of Just Covered
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 24 Jul 2023 | Priyesh Patel | Building Financial Resilience in a Cost of Living Crisis | 00:35:58 | |
Hazel and Wayne are joined by Priyesh Patel - Financial Consultant at Ablestoke Financial Planning
With financial resilience forefront of consumer mind at the moment given the cost of living crisis, is it now more important than ever to ensure our customers are protected? Should resilience planning always be the starting foundation when providing financial advice? In this episode we talk to Priyesh about how he views his role as a financial consultant and he gives us some brilliant hints and tips on how to engage customers and help them realise the importance of having a plan B in place. Priyesh also shares the impact that dealing with a customer claim has had on his and his client’s mindsets.
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| 24 Jul 2023 | Nicola Crosbie | "Its All About the Client, Not You.." | 00:46:13 | |
As professionals in the financial industry, what more can we be doing to ensure our clients feel empowered with their finances? Nicola voices her views on why she feels she is a “coach” to her clients and how to build a successful client relationships. Nicola believes we have the gift of knowledge that can help us give our clients power over their financial choices.
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. | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | Adrian Benjamin | Are You An Adviser Wanting To Recommend Business Protection? | 00:32:13 | |
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…
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| 24 Jul 2023 | Nicola McKenzie | How Often Do We Consider Diversifying Our Own Business Strategy | 00:35:43 | |
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.
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)
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) | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | Natalie Wilcox and Charlotte Bates | Belief In Yourself And Product Are Everything | 00:44:55 | |
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.
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. 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)
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| 24 Jul 2023 | Neil Bohan | How To Quickly Generate Trust and Client Loyalty | 00:34:23 | |
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.
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. | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | Steve Johnson and Nic Hopkins | Bringing Protection Into Your Conversations | 00:45:43 | |
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.
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| 24 Jul 2023 | Dale North | Creating Great Protection Referrals | 00:40:13 | |
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.
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| 23 Aug 2023 | Nathan Ansell | Business Protection – The Journey To Growing Your Business In This Sector | 00:44:46 | |
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.
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) | |||
| 21 Sep 2023 | James Adams and Thora Kehoe | How do you embrace and incorporate technology into your business? | 00:56:13 | |
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.
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. | |||
| 26 Oct 2023 | Amy Whittingham | Treat your clients like your family | 00:31:56 | |
Dubbed the “Queen of Claims” by her colleagues and with an ability to keep protection advice both relatable and understandable – it is safe to say Amy Whittingham is one of the industry’s leading protection advisers. Amy shares with Hazel and Wayne some candid stories of where the cover she has set up has made a difference to her clients as well as exploring how to navigate the protection conversation within the wealth space.
Useful Links | |||
| 23 Nov 2023 | Wayne Griffiths | The Power of Storytelling | 00:33:08 | |
In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, hosts Hazel and Wayne are joined by Wayne Griffiths from One Financial Solutions. He shares his journey to becoming an independent financial adviser after starting in the financial services industry in the 1990s. Wayne discusses the challenges and uncertainties he faced during this transition and how joining a network helped to ensure compliance and support. This episode also covers
Overall, the episode highlights the need for compassion, collaboration, and support within the financial services industry. By working together and fostering a sense of community, professionals can navigate the challenges of their job and create a more positive and inclusive work environment. Useful links Bank of family –https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/bank-of-family/ Charity mentioned -Men’s Mental Fitness charity - https://talkclub.org Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/
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| 11 Dec 2023 | Host Special | Celebrating One Year of our Just Covered Podcast | 00:51:13 | |
Happy Podcastiversay! We are so thrilled to be reaching the one-year anniversary of our podcast. It’s been an amazing journey filled with insights, opinions, and stories from advisers across the country. So thank you to all of those involved, and for making our first year a roaring success! In this Christmas special episode of the Just Covered podcast, host Sam Oakes takes over as the interviewer and is joined by Hazel and Wayne, the usual hosts. They reflect on the past 12 months and discuss how the podcast has helped them in their jobs. Also covering
Special Thanks to all our amazing guests, hosts, production team and to you, our listeners! We look forward to what 2024 brings and to continue providing an authentic and raw experience, where guests share honestly and openly, allowing listeners to learn and potentially make changes in their own businesses. | |||
| 25 Jan 2024 | Sam Oakes | Checking in on colleagues and clients: The power of asking 'How are you?’ | 00:20:58 | |
In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, Hazel and Wayne are joined by Sam Oakes from Financial Planner Life, where they reflect on the past year and discuss their goals for the new year. They also talk about the importance of checking in on colleagues and clients, and the power of asking the question "How are you out of 10?" to gauge someone's well-being. This episode also covers. - The Power of Connection: We explore the significance of advisors being able to connect with each other, their families, or join support groups like talk clubs. - Self-appreciation and Improvement: Our conversation also delves into the importance of taking the time to reflect on personal well-being and professional growth. - The Power of Talking and Listening: We discuss the power of communication in boosting mental fitness. Useful Links | |||
| 16 Feb 2024 | Fiona Tait and Manjit Kaur | Divorce after 50: pensions and property | 00:39:55 | |
Special: Divorce after 50: pensions and property In this special episode of the Just Covered Podcast, our hosts Hazel Johnston and Wayne Holcombe are joined by financial planner and pensions expert, Fiona Tait, and mortgage broker and later life lending adviser, Manjit Kaur. It starts with advice, and it starts with you. When property and pensions are your client’s two largest assets, of course, it makes sense to approach them with caution and understand the bigger picture. Our experts, Fiona and Manjit, give their take on pensions and property in divorce, and how the role of an adviser can help to secure the best outcomes for clients going through later life divorce. In this episode we cover;
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| 29 Feb 2024 | George Laidlaw | Goal-Based Financial Planning: A Positive Approach to Protecting Your Future | 00:31:43 | |
In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, Hazel and Wayne are joined by Chartered Financial Planner, George Laidlaw from Gilson Gray Financial Management. George shares his inspiring journey from working in the banking industry to where he is now and why it was important to him to achieve Chartered status despite raising his young family. Throughout George’s career he has adapted how he brings the topic of protection into his client conversations through the use of cashflow modelling and we loved exploring this with him.
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| 25 Apr 2024 | Beth Sutton-Evans | From Diagnosis to Grief: A Journey Through Loss | 00:52:50 | |
In this episode, Hazel and Wayne had the privilege of speaking with Beth, a Legal & General colleague who shared her heartfelt and poignant story about her husband Pete's battle with cancer and his unfortunate passing last year. Beth discussed the importance of having insurance, specifically critical illness cover, and life insurance, and how it impacted her family during such a challenging time. We also cover;
Overall, Beth's experience sheds light on the lasting effects of illness and loss, the need for comprehensive insurance coverage, and the ongoing support required for individuals and families facing such challenges. Thank you, Beth, for sharing your story. You can also watch Pete’s story here - https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/protection/adviser-toolkit/our-claims/case-studies/people-stories/#pete | |||
| 25 Jul 2024 | James Hindley | Offering Tangible Value: How Meaningful, Impactful Advice Creates Positive Client Outcomes | 00:35:39 | |
In this episode of the Just Covered podcast, Hazel and Wayne meet Senior Financial Consultant, James Hindley from Embrace Financial. During the conversation, James reflects on a lifetime selling protection and critical illness cover - including how he harnessed his skills, knowledge, and adept understanding of the industry. He also discusses his entry point into financial services starting in sales, what’s changed over the years, and the continued power of storytelling, compassion, and empathy in offering meaningful, holistic advice to customers. This episode also covers:
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| 05 Sep 2024 | Monica Bradley | Client-centric Solutions: Creating Trusting and Lasting Financial Support | 00:35:50 | |
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. | |||
| 17 Sep 2024 | Mike Jones | Later Life Lending: How Advisers Can Enhance Their Skills | 00:46:46 | |
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.
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| 10 Oct 2024 | Barry Kellegher | Seeing the world differently: Using life-altering events to bring advice to life | 00:45:39 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, Hazel and Wayne invite Legal & General Performance Manager, Barry Kellegher. Unlike many, Barry has a unique perspective on customer protection, having been on both sides of the fence. He talks honestly about how his personal health crisis has transformed his outlook on life, death and critical illness cover. And most importantly, he opens-up on how he now views the value of his own work, including how it informs the advice he gives to other people. It’s a touching, thought-provoking insight.
This episode also covers: · Life insurance and critical illness cover and the emotional relief they provide to customers and their families during otherwise challenging times. · Helping clients prepare for the unthinkable and having difficult discussions, while still delivering exceptional and empathetic service. · The importance of encouraging your customers to talk about their lifelong aspirations and goals, as well as their long-term wishes for family, as part of holistic financial advice. | |||
| 31 Oct 2024 | Phil Jeynes | Shifting attitudes towards protection: The importance of long-term, post-sale customer care | 00:52:35 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Phil Jeynes, Director of Corporate Strategy at Reassured. Phil is a well-recognised and respected protection expert with more than 20 years’ experience. During our thoughtful chat, he reflects personally on the change he’s seen across the industry, particularly around emphasis for ongoing customer care and how training has evolved. He also talks about his health scare, with cancer, and the financial and emotional piece of mind that critical illness cover was able to offer him at an extremely challenging time. This episode also covers: · The evolution of protection sales, from sometimes aggressive and shocking tactics, to consultative and empathetic longer-term approaches. · The importance of early and ongoing communication around protection policies to provide maximum benefit to the customer. · The changing culture around accepting and discussing mental health issues and the financial and emotional burden of being either mentally or physically ill. | |||
| 13 Nov 2024 | Fraser Kerr | Putting people first: How to build genuine client relationships | 00:34:07 | |
n this episode of Just Covered, we invite Fraser Kerr, Regional Director of Scotland for abrdn. During this insightful half-hour chat, Fraser charts his career journey, from washing dishes to his current senior financial position, reflecting on the key pearls of wisdom he now imparts as a leader to his team. His relentless focus on a people-first approach to financial planning is inspiring – seeing advisers as a source of clarity and peace of mind for families amidst turbulent market conditions and often-testing life events. We thoroughly recommend a listen… This episode also covers: · The importance of using cashflow modelling to bring your financial advice to life. · How to balance client needs with their emotional capacity for loss to provide the most effective advice. · The best, and most empathetic, stage to bring financial solutions or products into the adviser-client conversation. | |||
| 05 Dec 2024 | Gemma Cuff | Going it alone: Growing your own financial services organisation | 00:32:54 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Gemma Cuff, founder of Gemstone Mortgages. As one of the leading mortgage brokers in Colchester, Gemma tells her unique story around starting her own business – going into remarkably honest detail about her personal challenges and how she’s expanded her brand over the years and responded to changing demands. She also explains some of the philosophy behind how she recruits and trains staff, as well as her crucial use of technology and social media to grow her business organically.
This episode also covers: · How to use personal experiences in the protection conversation to deliver personalised advice that help clients truly relate. · The importance of training, teamwork and regular meetings in building a successful team of advisers. · Key learnings for advisers looking to become self-employed or start their own financial services organisation. | |||
| 18 Dec 2024 | Special: Mark Lambert | Later Life Lending: Intergenerational advice and gifting | 00:50:04 | |
In this special episode of the Just Covered Podcast, our hosts Hazel Johnston and Wayne Holcombe are joined by Mark Lambert, Director at Viva Retirement Solutions.
During the episode, Mark discusses the versatility of lifetime mortgages and the positive impact they can have for clients and their families. He also talks about educating clients on some of the common misconceptions surrounding LTMs and his holistic approach to providing advice to clients on their retirement options.
The episode also covers:
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| 19 Dec 2024 | Vanessa Barnes | Empowering Advice : Helping clients take control of their financial futures. | 00:23:46 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we’re honoured to be joined by Vanessa Barnes, chartered financial planner and recently appointed board member of the Consumer Duty Alliance. Vanessa is a trailblazer in many ways, running an all-female financial firm, she’s a powerful and dedicated advocate for women and the unique financial challenges they face, amongst many other things. This thoughtful discussion covers a range of key topics, like helping clients to find happiness in retirement, and details some of her own techniques for dynamic financial planning, like ‘the bucket method’. Take a listen…
This episode also covers: · The evolution of financial planning from product-focused to life-centric approaches. · Attracting women into the profession and how the industry can improve education, awareness and collaboration to support this. · How advisers can empower their clients and deliver long-term emotional and financial wellbeing, especially into retirement. | |||
| 30 Jan 2025 | Hulya Gunay | Navigating divorce: Why professional financial guidance is critical | 00:32:26 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we meet independent financial adviser, Hulya Gunay, for a divorce-focused special. Hulya’s story is unique and inspiring. Driven by a combination of personal and professional experience, she established her own firm in 2018 that’s carved a niche in the market specialising in representing women as they navigate key turning-points and transitions in their lives. Today, it’s her passionate mission to empower female professionals and business owners to find financial freedom. She also holds a strong belief in the crucial role of financial advisers in navigating divorce. Listen to her powerful story… This episode also covers: · Hulya’s client acquisition strategy and approaches to building long-relationships and trust with clients, especially post-divorce. · How women can be neglected from marital financial planning, and the often-overlooked extent of financial abuse and manipulation in relationships. · The importance of consulting financial advice as early as possible in the divorce process and other key divorce challenges. | |||
| 27 Feb 2025 | Ollie Popham| Evolving financial advice in pursuit of customers’ best interests | 00:31:43 | |
Ollie Popham| Evolving financial advice in pursuit of customers’ best interests In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Ollie Popham, Senior Sales Manager at Cavendish Online. Since the turn of the millennium, Cavendish has been of one the industry’s most exciting success stories. The company has grown from a small internet startup into a UK-wide organisation, with hundreds of staff. And it’s been repeatedly celebrated as a market leader through continuous nominations and, often success, in well-established industry awards. Ollie sheds some light on the company’s origin story, innovative strategies and pioneering use of technology in customer engagement and the importance of its culture in driving success. This episode also covers: · How AI is transforming financial advice and protection sales, improving training, creating efficiencies and augmenting how advisers work and support their customers · The importance of putting value before price during customer conversations and always enforcing a customer-centric approach · How to educate customers, and present options during client conversations, so that they can make informed decisions that put their interests first. | |||
| 20 Mar 2025 | Robin Melley | Client vulnerability: Promoting industry-wide care and best practice | 00:25:19 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Robin Melley, a founder and director of the Consumer Duty Alliance and co-founder of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce. As the only person to win UK Chartered Financial Planner of the Year twice, Robin is a force to be reckoned with. We were lucky enough to get his insight into the evolution of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce. And hear about his more recent work with us on the Thematic Review checklist, which has already proven a transformative tool for helping advisers with Consumer Duty. Don’t miss this one… This episode also covers: · Common misconceptions around vulnerability, and the importance of building awareness of it into every financial plan. · The five key questions Robin recommends you ask every client seeking financial advice. · The need to build trust and engagement as an industry to bridge the advice gap and further enhance client outcomes. | |||
| 24 Apr 2025 | Stephanie Charman & Vikki Jefferies | Industry-wide reflections: What’s shaping today’s mortgage market? | 00:46:22 | |
In this episode of Just Covered, we're excited to host Stephanie Charman, the new CEO of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), and our very own Vikki Jefferies, who has recently assumed her new role as Market Development Director. In this friendly and lively chat, they discuss their diverse backgrounds in the industry and the transitions that led them to their current positions. Gladly, they also share personal insights on current mortgage market conditions, changing regulations, and, perhaps refreshingly, their positive outlook on the future. They also discuss some of the game-changing initiatives they’ve recently been involved in. It’s an entertaining and informative hour-long chat… This episode also covers:
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