Plant and protect

Just as you carry out constant checks in your garden to make sure all’s well, you can do the same with your money thanks to FSCS

The perfect, bountiful garden doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of hundreds of hours of diligent work each year, kneeling on a pad with a cup of tea on one side and the radio on the other.

There’s so much pleasure to be had from nurturing a tiny seed into a healthy plant, but you know better than most that it takes a level of vigilance that to anyone else may seem effortless.

Naturally, plants need the right amount of light, food and water to thrive, but also your constant attention to fend off threats from the elements and pests. When it comes to protecting your plants, shielding them from frost or saving them from slugs and snails is all part and parcel.

All being well, your hard work is rewarded with beautiful plants, flowers or vegetables.

And, as you’ve been toiling away to achieve that perfect garden, you’ve probably used just about every tool in your shed and carried out a few essential checks to make sure each is in good condition along the way. For example, you’ve ensured that any tools with wooden handles haven’t been put away while wet, to guard against rotting. You might have even rubbed linseed oil on them to make them less susceptible to moisture damage. For your electrical equipment, you’ll make sure cordless batteries are fully charged, and for any petrol

operated machinery, you’ll top up the oil before long periods of storage. By taking all these steps, you can ensure your tools will last for years into the future and are ready and safe to use for when the seasons change once again.

Look after your money

Just like your garden tools, your money needs protection from its own set of risks, such as your pension or investments firm failing. That’s where FSCS can help. FSCS is a completely free and independent service that protects you if any of your financial firms go 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.