Serve and protect

A great meal starts with great ingredients, so you’ll make every effort you can to protect them – and it should be the same with your money

It’s simple: if you’re going to spend time and money cooking up a storm, you want to make sure that everything going into your dish is as fresh as possible. You carefully store and look after your ingredients, and check that they’re good to use before cooking so you can achieve the best results.

In much the same way, when you check your financial investments are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) – who can help you get your money back when financial providers fail – you’re setting yourself up for the best possible future.

Careful cooking

Think about something as simple as a classic Victoria sponge. If you want to do it right, you’ll probably use a fresh block of butter and maybe even organic eggs from the farmers’ market. You won’t just tip in the dry ingredients – you’ll sift them thoroughly to ensure a smooth, consistent batter and a fluffy, even cake when baked. Fresh cream, organic British strawberries and a lovely sweet jam are a must to finish it all off. And, once you’ve enjoyed a slice (or three), you’ll pop your cake in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge so you can get a little extra life out of it.

It’s all about making your efforts go as far as possible. You might batch cook a stew or bolognese sauce at the beginning of the week and freeze it, knowing you’ll have delicious, homecooked meals ready to go whenever you want. Or perhaps you take care to place a strong cheese in a sealed area of the fridge, far away from other ingredients that may absorb the smell, or make sure to keep bananas away from other fruits so they don’t ripen too quickly. We’re always taking small, second-nature steps to protect our food on a daily basis.

Future-proofing your finances

When it comes to your finances, it should be equally simple and routine to check that everything is as it should be, and not vulnerable to threats. That’s where FSCS comes in. FSCS is a completely free and independent service that protects you if your financial firm goes out of business. It protects lots of financial products like pensions, investments, bank, building society and credit union accounts.

Of course, this isn’t about telling you what to do with your money or making you worry about potential financial trouble. It’s quite the opposite – FSCS can give you peace of mind with a crucial layer of protection. That’s why, as part of your yearly financial MOT, you should check your pensions and investments are FSCS protected.