Financial peace of mind has a new frontier: Personal data

Financial wellness has entered a new era, one where protection isn’t just about life cover or savings. It’s about the security of something even more valuable: personal data. Today’s policyholders are digital citizens. Their financial lives live online, from apps to emails, from statements to signatures. And with that comes a new kind of vulnerability. Clients no longer only ask, “Am I covered?” They’re now asking, “Is my data safe?”

Because financial peace of mind depends on trust, and trust depends on security. Money stress remains one of South Africa’s biggest challenges, but digital anxiety is fast catching up. Every week brings another headline about a data breach or cyber fraud incident.

A new dimension of financial wellness

Members who once worried about medical emergencies now worry about identity theft. Advisers who acknowledge and address this shift are the ones who’ll build deeper, longer-lasting relationships. “Financial wellness today is as much about emotional and digital safety as it is about planning and protection,” says Sibusiso Mbingo, Chief Information Officer at glu. “When people know their information and their interests are secure, they make clearer, more confident financial decisions. That’s where real peace of mind begins.”

Advisers should embrace the digital shift

For advisers, this represents a profound opportunity. Cybersecurity is not just a tech issue; it’s a trust issue. And it’s now part of the financial wellness conversation. Encouraging members to protect passwords, verify platforms and use multifactor authentication might sound small, but it signals something big: that you care about their whole wellbeing, not just their policy.

For advisers, that’s a story worth telling. It’s not just about selling a policy; it’s about helping clients feel secure financially, emotionally and digitally, while belonging to something bigger than themselves.

The message is clear: in a world where cyber risk is now part of daily life, financial wellness can no longer be one-dimensional. Members expect more than protection from life’s “what ifs.” They want assurance that their money and their information are safe, that their well-being is protected on every front.

How advisers can lead the way

Cyber security is an everyday reality. Show your clients that financial peace of mind includes cyber peace of mind, and that true wellness comes from knowing their data, money, and futures are all protected. Because in the modern world, being financially well-off means being digitally safe.