Being an arborist is rewarding work, but it also comes with risk. Days are spent climbing trees, working at heights, and using machinery. Just as you would never work without a harness or helmet, it’s equally important to think about your financial safety net. That is where the right advice makes all the difference.
Advice is not about picking a product off the shelf. Surety Life starts by asking the important questions:
• Why is your income important?
• Who relies on it?
• What would happen if it suddenly stopped?
Surety Life maps your income and expenses to understand what money would be needed for everyday living costs, mortgage repayments or rent, and long-term commitments. From there, the company builds a strategy, one that includes what should be protected, forhow long, and in what form.
Only once the numbers are clear does Surety Life research policies and compare options. That way, the product serves the plan, not the other way around.
Personal advice versus general advice
There are often ‘general advice’ warnings in insurance brochures or online. This means the information has not considered your situation and may or may not be right for you.
‘Personal advice’ is different.
As licensed financial planners, Surety Life is legally required to understand your circumstances and recommend strategies tailored to you. Advice is documented, reasoning explained, and you receive protections under the law if something is not right.
Why licensing matters
To be licensed, financial planners must meet strict education standards, ongoing training requirements, and comply with a professional code. For you as a client this means:
• Legal protection – clients have access to formal complaint and compensation avenues if advice is inappropriate.
• Quality control – advisers must act
in your best interests, not just sell a
product.
• Accountability – all recommendations must be backed by documented reasoning.
• Many arborists approach Surety Life needing proof of income protection just to get on site. But compliance is only the beginning. Real advice looks beyond the paperwork and ensures:
• Income protection benefits match your budget and living costs.
• The right payout structures are in place for permanent incapacity or death.
• You and your family know what financial support will be there if life takes a turn.
Case study: Justin and Ruby, arborist family
Justin, a qualified arborist, initially approached Surety Life because he needed an income-protection certificate for work. Like many in his field, he thought insurance was just another compliance requirement.
When he and his partner Ruby sat down, Surety Life asked deeper questions. What would happen if his income stopped? How would they manage the mortgage, school fees, and day-to-day living costs?
The answers revealed a bigger picture: a $550,000 home loan, a $275,000 investment-property loan, two young children, and a lifestyle built on two incomes.
The advice
Together a protection strategy was designed that included:
• increasing income protection inside super to replace 75 per cent of their salaries
• New Life and TPD cover to clear all debts and secure the children’s future.
• Trauma cover for both, plus child trauma cover, to provide funds if serious illness struck.
• Using concessional contributions through super to reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Instead of simply ticking a compliance box, Justin and Ruby walked away with a comprehensive plan. They knew their debts would be cleared, their income replaced, and their children protected if life took an unexpected turn. That peace of mind came not from buying a product, but as the result of tailored advice.
The bottom line
Insurance is a tool. Advice is the blueprint that tells you which tools are actually needed, how much, and why.
Just as a well-fitted harness ensures safety up a tree, the right advice keeps you financially safe when life does not go to plan.
To find out more about Surety Life, go to suretylife.com.au, call (03) 7053 0792, or email info@suretylife.com.au.