When mother-of-two Rhiana was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at age 35, her initial concern was her family's welfare.
"I remember that when I was diagnosed, one of my first thoughts was about our finances and how we would survive with two young children, with me being unable to work," she says.
Fortunately, before the diagnosis, the couple had seen financial adviser Matthew La Rocca at Building Blocks Financial Planning to review their insurances.
Based on his advice, the family took out income protection, critical illness protection and life insurance. Though seemingly menial at the time, it ended up being a life-changing decision that Rhiana says they are incredibly thankful to have made.
It meant that when the diagnosis came, Rhiana and her husband had insurance that would cover them for treatment costs and ongoing bills such as their mortgage.
"I find it hard to put into words just how grateful we are that Matt had done such a comprehensive job at ensuring all of the correct insurances were in place for us before we needed them," Rhiana says.
After her diagnosis, Rhiana made a quick phone call to Matt, who eased her worries about their finances. He immediately took action in managing the claims process and contacting the insurer on her behalf. He was able to take everything off her hands, which for Rhiana, was one less thing that she had to think about. Instead, she could focus on her treatment.
"He was magical at handling all of our claims; he even traveled to us with all of the documents that needed signing," she says. "It really was such a relief and such a pressure off knowing that we would still be in a comfortable financial position, and we were then able to relax and focus on my ongoing treatment."
The combination of both income and critical illness protections helped cover the loss of income from Rhiana's time off work. As a result, she and her husband were able to pay the costs of treatment, daily expenses and other ongoing financial commitments without the stress of worrying about money.
"Although I am currently stable and responding well to treatment, it is a godsend knowing that there is no pressure for me to need to return to work to keep the house etc," she says. "I can focus on myself and enjoying my time with my amazing husband and two young daughters."
Like many Australians, Rhiana and her family have experienced first-hand the importance of having personal insurance and Rhiana advises other people to get covered, should the worst happen.
"Hopefully, you will never need to use the insurances but trust me, if you do, you will be thanking your lucky stars that you took the time to make sure everything was in place. Matt makes everything so easy, and it takes no time or stress to get everything into place," she says. "I cannot thank the Building Blocks Financial Planning team enough."
Get your insurance reviewed with Building Blocks Financial Planning
If you've been considering personal insurance or want your current cover reviewed, request your complimentary appointment with Building Blocks Financial Planning. We'll chat through how we can help you not only get the right insurance in place but stop paying for insurance you don't need.