Same list, same year, still not done

The big ones for most families are life insurance (a lump sum if you die, usually used to clear the mortgage and provide for the family), critical illness cover (a payout if you're diagnosed with a serious illness, even if you survive it), and income protection (a monthly amount if you can't work due to illness or injury). Family Income Benefit is a popular alternative to lump-sum life cover — it pays the family a regular income for a set number of years, often more cheaply. The right mix depends on the mortgage, the income, the dependants and what's already in place

Yes — for parents with children under 18, it's the single most important document. A proper will lets you name guardians for the kids if anything happens to both parents, set up trusts so any money is managed properly until the kids are old enough, and make sure the right people inherit the right things. Without one, intestacy rules apply, which often isn't what you'd want and almost never accounts for guardianship properly.

They're three things that should always be considered together, and almost never are. The mortgage is usually the biggest debt a family has. Life insurance pays it off if something happens. The will makes sure the property goes to the right people, in the right way, with the right tax planning around it. When all three are handled by the same team, the protection gets updated when you remortgage, the will gets updated when you have a baby, and nobody's left holding all of that information in their own head.

 If you've got life insurance specifically set up to cover the mortgage — usually decreasing term assurance, which falls in line with the balance — the policy pays out a lump sum to clear what's left. Without it, the mortgage doesn't disappear. Your partner or estate is liable for it, which usually means keeping it going on a single income, refinancing, or selling the house. For joint mortgages, the surviving partner is liable for the full balance, not half.

 Yes. One team covers accountancy, mortgages and protection, financial planning, wills and estate planning, and conveyancing. You speak to one set of people who already know your situation, so when you remortgage we update the protection, when you have a baby we update the will, and when something life-changing happens you've got one number to call instead of four.