By: Kamal Patel, Senior Financial Adviser at Old Mutual Personal Finance

July isn’t a traditional milestone on the financial calendar—but it can become a powerful one. For financial advisers, the halfway point of the year presents a clear opportunity to re-engage customers, reframe how they think about life insurance, and reinforce the adviser’s role as a strategic financial planning partner. “Many customers still see life insurance as a once-off purchase—a policy they set up and forget,” says Kamal Patel, Senior Financial Adviser at Old Mutual Personal Finance. “But that view no longer holds. Today’s policies are designed for regular, structured reviews. July gives us a timely opening to revisit those assumptions and bring the life cover conversation back into relevance.”

Patel stresses that this isn’t about ticking boxes or checking in for the sake of it. “It’s not just a policy review—it’s a strategic moment. It’s about linking cover to real, evolving goals—like protecting a child’s education, maintaining bond payments during illness, or preserving a family’s financial stability during unforeseen life events.”

By mid-year, many customers have already experienced life-stage shifts—salary changes, job moves, a property purchase, or changes in family structure. “These are real planning triggers,” he explains. “If you’re not having that conversation now, you could be missing the most important developments in your customer’s year.” A structured check-in allows advisers to uncover those shifts and adjust the plan before gaps emerge. Importantly, Patel notes that these conversations also help shift customer thinking—from viewing cover as a static, once-off product to understanding it as a dynamic tool for financial continuity and protection against setbacks. “Customers engage more deeply when they see their cover as a way to protect progress—not just to respond to a crisis,” he says.

In a crowded financial advice market, this mindset shift can be a key differentiator. “Using moments like July to lead with relevance shows your customers that advice doesn’t stay still—it moves with them,” says Patel. “That’s not just good service. That’s what earns trust.”

He offers five ways to re-engage customers with meaningful conversations:

1. Anchor the conversation in real progress, not abstract risk.

Rather than asking, “What if something goes wrong?”, shift the focus to: “What are you building—and how can we protect that momentum?” Customers are more engaged when they see cover as enabling continuity, not just preparing for a catastrophe.

2. Use life changes as a planning opportunity.

When customers buy property, get promoted, start a family, or change health status, their life insurance needs to evolve too. Ask: “Has anything happened in the last six months that might affect who or what you need to protect?” This makes life changes the starting point—not the policy itself.

3. Link product features to long-term financial goals.

Help customers understand how specific benefits—like income protection or severe illness cover—support their long-term strategy. For example: “This ensures your investment plan stays intact, even if your health doesn’t.”

4. Position reviews as part of your professional service model.

Treat July like a standing financial checkpoint—just like annual tax or medical aid reviews. Tell customers: “We recommend doing a mid-year review, because life moves fast and your cover should keep up—whether or not you’ve noticed changes yet.” This turns consistency into a value differentiator.

5. Highlight policy changes as signs of active, personalised advice.

When a customer’s cover is adjusted—up or down—position the change as evidence of smart, responsive planning: “This shows we’re actively managing your plan together—not just letting it run on autopilot.” Mid-year isn’t just the halfway point—it’s a high-value planning moment. “When financial advisers use this milestone to revisit goals, identify new risks, and reposition life insurance as a tool for continuity, they move beyond transactions and into trusted, long-term partnerships,” concludes Patel. “July may be overlooked by many—but for the financial advisers who choose to show up with purpose, it becomes a clear competitive advantage.”