Fernleigh Wearden & Company Ltd
Independent Financial Advisers
Four fields. That’s it.
One of our advisers will ring you back by the end of the next working day, at the time you asked for.
In a hurry? Call us on 01772 864314, 9am–5pm Monday to Friday.
For individuals
It is not a comfortable question, which is exactly why so many people put off answering it. It usually costs a good deal less than they expect.
Overview
We want our clients to know whether they could support themselves and their family if something happened that changed their way of life. Most people have never checked.
Because we are independent, the cover we arrange is very often cheaper than what people already hold, or what they were about to buy from a comparison site. Comparison sites sort by price. They do not read the definitions and with critical illness in particular the definitions are the entire product — two policies at the same premium can pay out on wildly different terms.
We will review your existing cover at no cost to see whether we can find you something better. If we cannot, we will tell you to stay where you are.
Advice areas
Most households need some combination of these. Very few need all three at full whack.
Pays a lump sum to your beneficiaries if you die within the policy term. Typically used to clear a mortgage or provide an income to raise children.
Pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a defined critical illness. Definitions vary enormously between insurers, which is where advice earns its keep.
Pays a monthly income if you cannot work through accident or sickness. Could you cover the mortgage and bills for a year off work?
Pays a regular income rather than a lump sum. Often cheaper and frequently easier for a family to manage.
Keeps the payout outside your estate and gets it to your family faster. Costs nothing extra and is regularly forgotten.
Key person and shareholder cover. What happens to the business and to their family’s shares, if a partner dies?
Quick calculator
A rough starting figure. Real advice looks at sick pay, existing policies, savings and state benefits — but this gives you a sense of the scale.
Your figures
A rough guide only, not a recommendation. It replaces your chosen income for the years selected, clears the mortgage and allows a flat £12,000 per child. It takes no account of employer sick pay, death-in-service benefits, existing policies, savings, state benefits or your partner’s income — all of which usually reduce the figure. Please speak to an adviser for a proper assessment.
Working with us
Nothing is committed until step five and the first two cost you nothing but time.
A chat, at our office, your home or over video. We listen, you ask questions. There is no charge and no obligation and if we can't help we'll say so.
What you have, what you owe, what you want and how you feel about risk. This is the part most people find surprisingly useful in itself.
We review your existing plans, charges and funds against the whole of the market. Being independent means nothing is off the table.
A written report in plain English setting out what we suggest, what it costs and why. You take it away and think about it.
Only once you're happy. We handle the paperwork, the providers and the chasing, which is usually the tedious bit.
If you'd like us to, we'll review everything at least once a year and tell you honestly if nothing needs changing.
Who you’d be dealing with
All three advisers arrange protection. Daniel spent over ten years at Lloyds Banking Group, latterly as a Mortgage and Protection Adviser. More complex cases generally sit with Mark, our Chartered Financial Planner.
In their words
Mark and Paul always provide an excellent and personal service. They are highly recommended.
The service provided by Paul and Mark has always been exceptional. As you know, we have always recommended you both to friends and family and will continue to do so.
The company is first class to deal with, efficient and trustworthy. I have no hesitation in recommending them wholeheartedly.
Often relevant alongside this
Cover and pensions interact more than people realise, particularly death-in-service benefits.
Read more Often nextWriting a policy in trust keeps the payout out of your estate. It costs nothing extra.
Read more Worth readingYou can pay us a fee or let the provider pay commission. We will explain both.
Read moreCommon questions
Rarely. Comparison sites are a regulated financial advice company in the same way that Fernleigh Wearden & Company Ltd are. However, our commission charges are often lower than the larger comparison sites, meaning it is often actually cheaper to go through a local financial adviser for your protection needs than to use an online comparison site.
Additionally, they do not assess whether the definitions suit your circumstances, whether the policy should be written into a trust, or whether you are covering the right risk in the first place.
It means the payout goes to your chosen beneficiaries directly rather than forming part of your estate. That usually means it arrives faster and may avoid inheritance tax. It costs nothing extra to arrange and is one of the most common omissions we see.
It might be, but death-in-service typically pays a multiple of salary and stops the day you leave. It is worth knowing exactly what you have before assuming it covers you.
Very often, yes — possibly with a higher premium or specific exclusions. It is precisely the situation where whole-of-market access matters, because insurers take markedly different views of the same medical history.
The review is free. If you go ahead, you can pay us a fee for the advice, a minimum of £795, or let the provider pay us commission for setting the policy up. We will discuss both options openly before you decide.
Not necessarily. Statistically you are more likely to be off work long-term than to die during your working life, which is why income protection is often the more useful purchase — and the one people think of last.
Our services
Advice areas overlap. Part of our job is spotting which ones actually apply to you.
We will review what you already hold at no cost. Tell us when suits and an adviser will ring you back.
