“It’s amazing how quickly life can change”
* Client story
A few years ago, my wife and I had just bought our new home here in Canberra, our careers were advancing, and we had plans for a bright future – everything was ahead.
The purchase gave us a chance to consolidate our mortgage finances with David and Leisa, who arranged an excellent deal for us. Knowing that Tiffen & Co also provides insurance services, we also decided to take care of our risk cover.
We were impressed with Fiona’s expertise and professionalism from the outset. Fiona provided invaluable advice to us on selecting the right cover and insurer, tailored to our circumstances as a young couple.
Once we had made up our mind, the underwriting process was straightforward, and we disclosed our full medical histories and financials during the application process. Over the course of about six weeks, Fiona ensured that we were fully covered for life insurance, critical illness insurance and temporary income protection insurance with a leading Australian insurer.
It is amazing how quickly life can change.
All of a sudden, I was facing a cancer diagnosis. To this day, that time remains a blur to me, going through the battery of tests and then undergoing treatment. I took an extended leave of absence from work. To say that dealing with the treatment side effects was difficult is a significant understatement, but still I found the cloud of uncertainty over our future to be the hardest part.
It is impossible to prepare for the experience of cancer, and the wide-ranging effects it can have on our lives. Fortunately though, in financial terms, everything was taken care of. Fiona worked closely with my wife from literally the day after I was diagnosed to submit my claim to our insurer. At a time when I was largely incapacitated, Fiona took all the stress out of helping my wife to complete the applications paperwork and liaise with the insurer’s claims team and case managers.
Once the insurer had decided to accept my claim, Fiona ensured that income protection benefits were received by us before I had exhausted my leave entitlements at work, and that the trauma insurance benefit was received by us within weeks of submitting our claim.
The policies that Fiona had helped us set up, and the claims she helped us establish, have meant that my wife and I could focus completely on getting through treatment and its aftermath, as all of our financial commitments were covered by the benefit payments.
We cannot emphasise enough how helpful Fiona’s advice and support has been, throughout the time I was undergoing treatment and afterwards. Our journey to this day has been extraordinary in so many ways – while anything can happen in life, each moment is special, and there is so much to be thankful for.
