I think that storing one's work and personal files offline on an external hard drive and also a backup on a Cloud Service for added peace of mind is the way to go.
Reinstalling Windows is then no big deal, the more often you do it, the more familiar one becomes with the process.
I use Eset as my anti-virus of choice, it is very reliable. I also use MalwareBytes as a belt-and-braces method of ensuring that I am fully covered.
I am pretty confident that if I click on a link that I am unsure of, that Eset will tell me (in advance) if the site is unsafe. Having a backup of everything in 2 places away from your PC or Laptop provides a feeling of security which is well-founded. Creating an image of your setup and storing that offline too is a way of avoiding any problems with a clean Windows installation as well.