BROKERS TO COVER CLIENT WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING NEEDS AS ACRE TEAMS UP WITH HONEYPRO

05 December 2023

• Estate planning, lasting powers of attorney, and wills are a key protection need of consumers taking out mortgages, and could be in scope of consumer duty
• Acre is integrating will writing and estate planning referrals into its platforms to help refer clients identified as ‘at risk’ or with clear needs during the fact find stage
• HoneyPro is one of the UK’s largest providers of consumer-focused will writing, estate planning and probate services.

05 December 2023: Acre, one of the UK’s fastest growing intermediary platforms, has integrated with HoneyPro, one of the UK’s largest will writing, estate planning and probate firms, to help brokers support their clients in protecting their property and assets for them and their families. Under the new partnership, brokers using Acre’s platform will be able to identify ‘at risk’ homeowners and automatically refer to HoneyPro to assess the best way to protect their assets in an easy and efficient manner.

Half of the general UK population and a third of those aged 55 and over do not have a will1 and most have never heard of lasting power of attorney. Missing these crucial legal documents adds headaches to loved ones at a difficult time, and can delay accessing funds while making it impossible to remortgage. The Acre - HoneyPro integration lowers the barrier to effective conversations around estate planning, identifying customers with needs and referring them via an online questionnaire to experts from HoneyPro. This access to legal advice allows the broker to add more value to the client, strengthening the relationship by ensuring this little-understood area is covered.

Justus Brown, CEO and founder of Acre, said: “There is a common misconception among consumers that loved ones will automatically inherit homes and wealth upon their passing, and be in control of their joint mortgage. This is not the case. Brokers, under Consumer Duty, have a responsibility to flag this hole in their estate planning. By bringing into Acre leading specialists, like HoneyPro, brokers can have the right conversations with their clients, and support them in the best way possible.”

Alan Gardiner, CEO of the Honey Group added; “Making end-of-life plans should not be a challenging experience. A broker using Acre can now refer homeowners to us with a click of a button upon knowing that they are in need of some estate planning counsel. Together we can make sure that they not only get their dream home but can ensure that their loved ones are taken care of too.”

The HoneyPro integration is immediately available to all Acre users. Key to Acre’s platform continuous evolution is ensuring it addresses the real-world problems faced by brokers and their clients. For this integration with HoneyPro, Acre worked closely with Cornerstone Network to have its brokers trial and feedback the service ahead of this general release.

Chris Caulfield-Jones at Cornerstone added; “Protecting client’s assets is part of our duty of care when it comes to helping with one of life’s biggest purchases. HoneyPro’s integration into Acre allows advisors to evidence their commitment in ensuring all foreseeable harm is addressed during the mortgage advice journey.”