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The Practical Protection Podcast

The Practical Protection Podcast

Kathryn Knowles 156 Episodes Sep 10, 2026

The Practical Protection Podcast explains how life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection work when applicants have circumstances that make insurers hesitant. Host Kathryn Knowles, a specialist adviser, talks with guests about the realities of underwriting and risk assessment. The show aims to give consumers and advisers a clearer, more open understanding of why insurance applications can face problems and how they might be handled. It draws on Kathryn's experience of insuring people with complex or unusual health and lifestyle situations.

Episodes

Income Protection Claim - Parkinsons
Income Protection Claim - Parkinsons Sep 10, 2026 27:51 Hi everybody, I am back from the summer holidays and feeling quite sad to have finished my first ever cruise. I was a bit paranoid as I have always been quick to feel motion sickness, but I was pleasantly surprised that I was ok, albeit with some pretty strong anti-sickness medication!In this episode I am speaking with Andi, who was diagnosed with Parkinsons. She shares how the condition has alter
Dementia
Dementia Jul 23, 2026 33:38 Hi, everybody, Alan is back with me and we are discussing arranging protection insurance for someone living with dementia. The very first thing that you need to do, in my opinion, is to consider the person as vulnerable, with partners and children being classed as potentially vulnerable. The next step is to check with your compliance and any other oversight, to determine what you are and are not a
THE Best Insurer
THE Best Insurer Jul 9, 2026 01:05:47 Hi, everybody, I changed my mind and I’ve not done a medical deep dive and instead focused upon who is the ultimate insurer. Sadly, there isn’t one. Our lives would be so much easier if there was…In this episode I have discussed the things that different insurers offer, that stand out to me. So this is my opinion, based upon my experience of when a client has explained their circumstances and I ha
Think Outside the Box
Think Outside the Box Jun 25, 2026 50:44 Hi, everybody, instead of doing a health deep dive, Alan had the great idea of doing an episode on being imaginative with client recommendations. There are lots of ways to build protection recommendations, a lot of the time it’s straightforward, but sometimes getting creative is necessary. I would like to make sure I’m clear that being creative must still be compliance approved!In this episode I a
Underdisclosure
Underdisclosure Jun 11, 2026 50:04 Hi, everybody, it’s the start of Season 12 and I’m focusing on underdisclosure in protection insurance. Also known as misrepresentation or non-disclosure, this is a situation that everyone wants to avoid. Underdisclosure might not change the terms of insurance, but, it can lead to prices or sum assureds changing, and in the worst case a policy being cancelled from inception.The key takeaways:Non-d
Overdisclosure
Overdisclosure May 28, 2026 34:10 Hi, everybody, we are on the last episode of Season 11 and I’m focusing on overdisclosure. There is a lot of discussion in our industry about underdisclosure or non-disclosure, but not a lot of focus is put on the times when people tell insurers too much.It is essential that you answer insurance applications truthfully and to the best of your knowledge, but you don’t need to volunteer information
Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty Liver Disease May 14, 2026 31:31 Hi, everybody, we have Alan back for the first time in a while and he is chatting to us about fatty liver disease. The options for life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection can vary quite a bit, depending upon the cause of the fatty liver and the stage that it is at. The good news is that the liver has a brilliant capacity to heal itself, so there can often be options for insura
The Value of Lasting Power of Attorneys
The Value of Lasting Power of Attorneys Apr 30, 2026 42:13 Hi, everybody, it's been a while. I’ve been away from the podcast for a bit as my mum died in February. It has not been an easy time and I have tried to carry on as usual, as much as possible, but I think we can call agree that the podcast was an area that could take a pause.I’m starting to get back into the swing of things and it feels right that the first episode of the podcast is focused upon L
FCA Protection Market Study
FCA Protection Market Study Feb 19, 2026 39:59 Hi, everyone! I have ended up out of sequence! Last time I said we would be back with an episode on fatty liver disease, but the FCA has published its Protection Market Interim Report, and I absolutely had to cover this.The good news is that the FCA thinks that the protection industry is working really well, it just needs a couple of tweaks. Overall, I am really happy with what the report says, bu
Vulnerable Clients
Vulnerable Clients Feb 5, 2026 43:35 Hi, everyone! As I am sure you can imagine I am always looking for ideas about what to cover in the podcast. We’ve done lots on health conditions, I’ve done deep dives into insurance products, commented on market developments, but I was absolutely shocked to realise I have not done a specific episode of vulnerable clients.Most of you probably recognise my name as a specialist protection insurance
Weight Loss Drugs
Weight Loss Drugs Jan 22, 2026 36:15 Hi everyone, we are back and talking about the use of weight loss drugs and getting protection insurance. Millions of people in the UK are now taking drugs like mounjaro and ozempic, to help them reach a healthy weight.Health professionals and insurers have said for many years that having a higher BMI isn’t healthy and can lead to long-term health complications. Weight loss drugs are proving to be
Neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis Dec 11, 2025 26:57 Hi everyone, we are talking about neurofibromatosis, a rare condition that causes tumours to develop in the body. The tumours are not usually cancerous, but it is still a condition that can lead insurers to take an extra look at the insurance application. There are three types of neurofibromatosis and each of them are reviewed by the insurers on a case by case basis, as the symptoms and affect on

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