Access FS supports advisers with free will writing service
15 December 2022
Leading mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services, has launched a free will writing service.
This initiative will enable Access’ advisers to attract more clients in this challenging economy, while providing an additional value-added service for their clients. This announcement follows a successful two-month pilot.
Access has partnered with nationwide legal firm, Prestige Legals Direct, to provide this service to clients of every age. Prestige specialises in wills, trusts, inheritance protection, Lasting Powers of Attorney and probate.
Access’ advisers will provide a legally-binding, execution only will. High net worth clients and those who require more sophisticated estate planning, will be passed through to Prestige Legal Services for legal advice from a qualified solicitor.
This initiative is highly significant, with recent research revealing that as many as three in five adults in the UK do not currently have a will.
Access’ free will writing service will help both mortgage and protection advisers maintain trust and further relationships with their clients, their families as well as helping them to attract new clients. The service also sees the firm strengthen its customer offering in line with the updated FCA’s Consumer Duty guidelines.
As advisers are required to contact trustees while executing a will, there is an additional opportunity to provide will services to a new generation of family members, as well as introduce a range of life and mortgage products.
Karl Wilkinson, CEO of Access FS commented: “When loved ones pass away without a will in place, it can be both time consuming and stressful for the next of kin. In many cases, beneficiaries are also dependent on funds from the estate to pay bills and provide for family members. For the three in five people don’t have a will in place it can result in a lengthy probate process and people unable to get access to much-needed funds, sometimes for many months.
“We are endlessly seeking new ways to help our advisers provide quality financial support for their clients. Our partnership with Prestige Legals Direct is the latest in a number of initiatives that we have introduced to help both our advisers and their clients. Throughout our two-month pilot, we found that 60% of clients who take advantage of the free will service also purchase another service from our advisers.
“It is a highly valuable service to help advisers generate more business in this challenging economy while also ensuring that we help comply with the FCA’s new consumer duty rules to offer value and a good outcome to the customer.
“I welcome any advisers looking to offer their customer a free will service to get in touch.”
The free will writing service is the latest benefit that Access FS have launched for advisers. Just in October, Access FS launched a new administrative service that freed up to 70% of a adviser’s time helping many treble the amount of mortgage and protection business they wrote.
Full details of the will writing service can be found on the Access FS website: https://www.accessfs.co.uk/
