Walking the tightrope of life can be difficult enough at the best of times. Everyday pressures - your mortgage, household bills, that unexpected repair to your car - they all add up. All the time you enjoy good health and the salary cheques keep coming in, there's no real problem.

But, if you suffered a long-term illness or a major accident, the financial shock could send you and those who depend on you plummeting to the ground.

Heart Attack

Every year, around 150,000 people suffer their first heart attack and 250,000 are diagnosed with cancer. Grim facts, but thanks to advances in medical science, more and more people are surviving a serious illness. For example, half the men aged between 35-54 suffering their first heart attack will go on to live for thirteen years or longer.

Find out about Health Insurance cover

Find out about Private Medical Insurance cover

It’s not going to happen to me. That’s probably what most of the 1.7 million people currently off work for six months or longer thought. But it could happen to you. According to Department of Social Security statistics you are sixteen times more likely to be unable to work for more than six months than die before the age of 65.

Cancer

Even cancer is no longer the killer it was, with 40% of people diagnosed with cancer living for five years or more. Five years may not sound a lot, but consider five years without an income - how would you and your family survive? With SafeGuard you can depend on a replacement income for as long as you need it and it is tax free.

The chances are that like most people you have taken out life insurance and insured the contents of your home. Quite rightly, these are important priorities. Shouldn’t you be insuring your lifestyle too?

If you were unfortunate enough to suffer a serious illness or be one of the seven million people every year who are injured in accidents, how would you cope?