Mary was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis at age 36.
Because she had maintained her cover, her Trauma claim was approved for more than $400,000 in 2025.
Mary's story is a powerful reminder that insurance can feel like an unnecessary expense when everything is going well. The reality is that you don't buy protection because you expect something to happen, you put it in place because you don't know if it will.
YFA has experienced an increasing number of claims over these past 2 years, and a surprising number of Trauma claims for clients under age 40, highlighting that serious health events can affect people much earlier than they may expect.
Get To Know Mary
- Mary, aged 28 when she first sought advice, was working as an Administration Assistant in the real estate sector.
- She is divorced and had 1 child.
- In 2014, Mary sought financial advice after being encouraged to consider personal insurance for herself and her family.
- As a young woman with a clean bill of health, she was able to obtain personal protection cover relatively simply and affordably.
- Her protection package included Income Protection, Life Insurance and Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) cover through super, as well as Trauma Insurance held outside super.
- Her decision to include Trauma cover was driven by a desire to ensure that she and her daughter would be financially protected if the unexpected happened.
Opportunities & Aspirations
- At the time the cover was arranged, Mary was young and healthy, so the need for insurance could easily have felt distant.
- Over the following years, Mary found her financial situation strained at different times.
- Mary contacted Michael approximately 3–4 times over the following 8 years to discuss whether she should cancel the out-of-pocket Trauma cover expense.
- She experienced what could understandably be described as “buyers remorse” questioning the ongoing expense of paying for something she hoped she would never need.
- However, Michael recommended that she maintain the cover, recognising the significant protection it provided.
- At age 36, Mary was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis.
Solutions Presented
- YFA helped Mary establish an appropriate personal protection strategy while she was young and healthy. Her cover included:
- Income Protection
- Life Insurance
- TPD cover through super
- Trauma Insurance outside super
- When Mary questioned the ongoing cost of her Trauma policy, Michael advised her to maintain the cover, highlighting the importance and strength of Trauma protection.
- When Mary was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, the YFA team worked carefully and methodically with her throughout the claims process.
- YFA provided ongoing advice, guidance and administrative support, helping Mary navigate the claim process at a particularly difficult time.
- Her Trauma claim was subsequently approved for more than $400,000 in 2025.
- Following the claim, Mary used the policy's reinstatement option to repurchase Trauma cover, allowing her to remain protected against a future diagnosis.
Benefits Received
- Over $400,000 Trauma claim paid in 2025, providing a significant financial buffer at a challenging time.
- The cover Mary had put in place years earlier provided financial protection when she ultimately needed it.
- She Mary also had access to 24/7 worldwide cover and ongoing service and support from the YFA team. She then gained peace of mind knowing that she and her daughter had financial support during a serious health event.
- Today, Mary has almost paid off her home mortgage, demonstrating the broader role that financial protection can play in protecting wealth.
- Through YFA's ongoing advice and support, Mary was able to maintain the appropriate level of protection and subsequently reinstate her Trauma cover.
