Different clients, different priorities: the role of choice

One of the privileges of my role is spending time with adviser firms across the UK. Whether I’m meeting with networks or individual advisers, I hear first-hand about the challenges they face and how those challenges continue to evolve.

While every firm is different, there’s one theme that comes up time and time again: not all clients are looking for the same thing from protection.

Some want the most comprehensive cover available, whilst others are focused on protecting against a specific risk. Many are balancing protection needs against tight household budgets and wider financial commitments. And, from my experience, advisers are still looking for more flexibility in how they build recommendations around those different priorities.

That’s why we’ve continued to evolve our proposition.

Guardian is known for delivering high-quality protection backed by strong service, fast underwriting and a claims experience advisers can trust. That remains at the heart of everything we do. But advisers told us they also wanted more flexibility when recommending Guardian to clients whose needs, priorities or budgets might be different.

The introduction of our Essentials range has helped us deliver that.

Rather than offering a single route into Guardian cover, advisers can now choose from 2 ranges: Protection and Essentials. Together, they provide more opportunities to create tailored recommendations that reflect their individual client’s needs.

And that’s important, because protection advice has never been about finding one solution that works for everyone.

Every client arrives with different circumstances. Whether it’s a young family taking on their first mortgage or an established homeowner approaching retirement, no 2 clients have the same needs. One client may place greater value on broader cover and enhanced benefits, while another may be focused on securing quality protection at a more affordable monthly premium.

Neither approach is right or wrong. The role of the adviser is to help clients understand their options and build a solution that works for them.

Having both Protection and Essentials ranges gives advisers more ways to do exactly that.

In many cases, the conversation no longer needs to be about choosing between comprehensive protection and affordability. Instead, advisers have the flexibility to help their clients build plans around what matters most to them.

That might mean recommending products from our Protection range where enhanced cover is a priority. It might mean choosing Essentials where matching quality with affordability might be the key driver. Or it could mean combining products across both ranges to create a solution that balances protection needs, priorities and budget.

That’s where I think the real value lies.

The launch of Life Essentials, Critical Illness Essentials and Combined Life and Critical Illness Essentials hasn’t simply added new products to our range. It’s expanded the conversations advisers can have and has widened access to Guardian cover.

That’s particularly important at a time when affordability continues to be one of the biggest barriers to protection[1]. In conversations with advisers, affordability is often raised as an important barrier, alongside awareness, product understanding and engagement.

Giving advisers more flexibility is one way of helping. When advisers have access to a broader range of solutions, they can have more meaningful conversations about priorities and trade-offs, helping clients make informed decisions about the protection that’s right for them.

Importantly, while the cover features may differ between Protection and Essentials, our commitment to quality and service does not.

Whether a client chooses Protection or Essentials, they still benefit from Guardian’s straightforward approach to delivering a strong service and focus on delivering good outcomes. Advisers can continue to recommend Guardian with confidence, knowing their clients will receive the same high standards of support throughout their journey.

For me, that’s what makes the mix and match approach so powerful.

Our available ranges let advisers combine up to 10 covers for each person, using products from our Essentials and Protection ranges, to build a plan that reflects the client’s assessed needs, priorities and budget.

The best protection plans have always been built around individual needs rather than products. By offering both Protection and Essentials, we’re giving advisers more options to do exactly that.

By broadening the options available, advisers are better equipped to deliver recommendations that reflect individual client needs. This can help strengthen client relationships, increase access to protection solutions and support better outcomes.

[1] Source: Financial Conduct Authority (2026), FCA seeks views on how to help close the protection gap, 29 January 2026.