AJ Bell Investcentre has expanded its inheritance tax planning suite, with the launch of two new trusts.
A discretionary gift trust and an absolute gift trust are now available with a discretionary loan trust to follow.
The platform worked alongside Technical Connection to develop the trust deeds that are designed to give advisers access to flexible, open architecture solutions.
The launch comes amid growing client demand for IHT and estate planning solutions. Research from AJ Bell and Ad Lucem found nearly two thirds (63%) of advisers see IHT and estate planning as an important or critical part of their proposition, with four in five advised clients saying IHT planning is an important part of the advice they expect.
Furthermore, three quarters (76%) of advisers also stated they would value access to open architecture investing through a range of trusts with full provider support.
Mark Rendle, advised product director at AJ Bell, said: “In the wake of another Budget set to unleash yet more uncertainty for people’s finances over the next year and beyond, alongside the Government recently doubling down on its plans to apply IHT to unused pensions on death from April 2027, the need for robust financial advice on estate planning and tax management has never been greater. The result will undoubtedly be that advisers are set to play an even more crucial role in guiding clients through that process.
“We know that intergenerational wealth transfer is one of the most fundamental aspects of an adviser’s commitment to their clients, but it can be devilishly complex. That’s why we’ve broadened our IHT and estate planning offering for advisers by introducing more options with a wider range of underlying investments to protect client wealth in the form of the two trusts launched, with a third trust and onshore bond in the pipeline.”
Phillip Wickenden, CEO of Ad Lucem, added: “The research makes it clear that IHT is no longer a niche concern reserved for the very wealthy – a raft of changes to thresholds, reliefs and now pensions have pushed many more mainstream families into scope, and that direction of travel isn’t going to reverse any time soon.
“The good news is that both advisers and clients are open to modern, investment-agnostic trust solutions. This new AJ Bell range is very much built in that image – practical, flexible tools that help advisers turn good intentions on IHT into concrete action.”
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