Business protection that actually pays out
Key person, shareholder protection, relevant life cover and business loan protection — tax-efficient cover that keeps your business running, your family looked after and your co-owners protected if the worst happens.
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We compare the whole business-protection market
Including the business-focused insurers and trust structures most high-street advisers never even look at.
How business owners pick the right cover
Directors, shareholders, partners, SMEs. We look at the whole business — ownership structure, key people, loans, contracts — in three simple steps. It’s why we’re rated 5.0 on Google.
Tell us about the business — the full picture
Limited company, partnership or LLP? Two directors or twelve? Any key people, loans, shareholder agreements or cross-options? 15 minutes over the phone or Teams — we’ll map it with you.
We match cover to your structure
Different protection products suit different structures. Relevant life for directors. Shareholder protection with cross-option agreements for owner-managed companies. Key person for the rainmakers. Business loan cover for the bank debt. We get the fit right.
Tax-efficient cover in place — properly
Written in trust where it should be, with the right cross-option agreements and HMRC paperwork, so the money lands where you want it — tax-efficiently — when it’s needed.
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life cover
Why business protection matters
Most UK businesses insure their van, their stock and their office — but not the people who actually generate the revenue. If a key director or shareholder dies or becomes critically ill, the business loses income, shares lock with the family, loans get called in, and staff start updating their CVs.
Business protection is the cover that keeps the business trading. Tax-efficient. Paid for from the company, not your net salary. Written in trust so the money lands where you want it. At Montgomery we set it up properly — structure, underwriting, cross-option agreement and trust — so if the worst happens, the claim actually pays out the way you planned.
Book a business review →Every kind of business protection
Whether you're a sole director, a partnership, a limited company with shareholders or an SME with key staff — the right cover keeps the business trading, protects the people you employ and looks after the family you leave behind. Here's what we arrange.
Key person insurance
Protects revenue if you lose a key directorIf your top salesperson, MD or technical lead died tomorrow — what happens to revenue, client relationships and the bank's view of the business? Key person cover replaces the lost income while you recover.
Shareholder & partnership protection
Cross-option agreements draftedIf a co-owner dies, the shares pass to their family by default — not to you. Shareholder protection funds a clean, pre-agreed buyout so the business stays with the people running it.
Relevant life cover
Tax-efficient director life coverThe company pays the premium, the director gets life cover, HMRC gives the business corporation tax relief — and there's no benefit-in-kind on the director. A no-brainer for most limited company owners.
Business loan protection
Directors' loans, bounce-back, commercial financeIf a guarantor director dies, the bank usually wants the loan cleared immediately. Business loan protection pays off the debt so the business isn't forced to sell assets or fold.
Executive income protection
Sick pay for directors — paid by the companyMost directors have no sick pay and no employer safety net. Exec IP pays a monthly income if you can't work — the company pays the premium and claims it as a business expense.
Critical illness for directors
Lump sum on cancer, heart attack, strokeA serious diagnosis often means stepping back from the business for 12–18 months. Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum so you can focus on recovery without watching the business bleed.
Partnership & LLP protection
Buyout cover for partners & membersPartnerships and LLPs need their own structure — shares don't exist, but capital accounts and goodwill do. We draft the right cover and agreement so surviving partners can buy out cleanly.
Group life, CIC & income protection
Employee benefits at SME pricesGroup death-in-service, group income protection, group CIC — proper employee benefits that used to be corporate-only. Great retention tool, fully deductible, priced per head.
The Montgomery business protection promise
Whole-of-market insurers
Aviva, L&G, Royal London, Vitality, AIG, Scottish Widows and more — we compare every business-focused insurer, not just one panel.
Tax-efficient by design
Relevant life through the business, corp tax relief on premiums, no benefit-in-kind on directors. Cover structured so HMRC works for you, not against you.
Cross-option agreements drafted
Shareholder and partnership protection is only as good as the legal paperwork behind it. We draft the cross-option agreement so the buyout actually happens.
Trust paperwork included
Business cover in trust pays out faster, outside the estate, to the right beneficiaries. We set it up properly — no extra fees, no loose ends.
One dedicated adviser
One human from first meeting to policy on risk — talking directly to your accountant and solicitor where needed, not bounced around a call centre.
Annual reviews built in
Business valuations change, directors come and go, loans get repaid. We review your cover every year to keep it matched to the business as it grows.
Don't take our word for it
Business protection FAQs.
Quick answers to the questions directors and business owners ask us every week.
Ask a real person →What is business protection and do I actually need it?
Business protection is a family of insurances that pay out to the company (or to surviving shareholders) if a key director, shareholder or employee dies or gets critically ill. If your business would struggle to pay a loan, keep trading, or buy out a deceased shareholder’s estate — you need it. If you employ key people or have co-owners, it’s almost always worth looking at.
What's the difference between key person, shareholder and relevant life?
Key person cover pays the business if a critical employee dies or is diagnosed with a serious illness. Shareholder protection funds the buyout of a deceased co-owner’s shares. Relevant life is a tax-efficient personal life policy paid for by the company, with the payout going to the director’s family. Most business owners benefit from a combination — we'll tell you which.
Are the premiums tax-deductible?
It depends on the product. Key person premiums can qualify for corp-tax relief under the Anderson rules (short-term, employee-only, loss-of-profits). Relevant life premiums are usually a tax-deductible business expense with no benefit-in-kind. Shareholder premiums are generally not deductible. We structure each policy so HMRC treats it correctly — and work with your accountant.
Who owns the policy and who gets the payout?
Depends on the arrangement. Key person: the company owns it and receives the payout. Shareholder: either the company or the individual shareholders, usually written into trust alongside a cross-option agreement. Relevant life: the company pays premiums, the policy sits in trust, payout goes to the family. We make sure the right structure is chosen and written down properly.
Do I need a cross-option agreement for shareholder protection?
Yes — without one, the insurance just leaves a pot of money with no agreed route from the surviving shareholders to the deceased’s estate. The cross-option agreement gives both sides the legal right (but not the obligation) to buy and sell the shares at a pre-agreed basis. We draft it as part of the arrangement — don’t buy shareholder protection without one.
Can you work alongside my accountant and solicitor?
That’s exactly how we’d prefer to work. Tax treatment, trust wording and cross-option agreements all benefit from your professional advisers signing them off. We handle the insurance and the structuring; they handle their specialisms. One joined-up arrangement, no loose ends.
Let's protect the business you've built
Free 20-minute call with a Montgomery adviser. We'll identify the gaps, compare the whole market, and structure the cover so HMRC works with you — not against you.
Book a business review →