Regardless of age or lifestyle, everyone has financial commitments to some degree. These may be in the form of family expenses, a mortgage, regular bills and loans - all of which could become a considerable problem in the event of death, illness or disability. This is not something many of us wish to consider, but in life these things can, and do, happen.

For instance, one in two Britons will suffer a critical illness such as cancer or heart disease in their lifetime. Even worse 280,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 330,000 people have a heart attack every year in the UK. Some simple financial planning now could provide a cushion against the financial upheavals any of these eventualities could bring.