Can a Financial Advisor Help With Inheritance Tax?
Yes. A regulated financial adviser can play a central role in reducing your IHT liability in England and Wales. Financial advisers are often better placed than solicitors to recommend investment-based solutions and lifetime strategies. They must be authorised by the FCA to give this type of advice.
A financial adviser can calculate your current IHT exposure across all assets, including property, savings, and investments. They can advise on lifetime gifting strategies, recommend business relief investments that become IHT-exempt after two years, and arrange life insurance policies written in trust so the payout covers the IHT bill without forming part of your estate.
They can also help set up trusts for passing wealth to children or grandchildren, and monitor your plan as tax rules change. The planned inclusion of pension funds in estates from April 2027 is one such change that needs attention now.
An independent (whole-of-market) IFA is preferable to a restricted adviser, as they can recommend any suitable product. For legal documents like wills and trust deeds, you will still need a solicitor alongside your adviser.
A financial adviser can calculate your current IHT exposure across all assets, including property, savings, and investments. They can advise on lifetime gifting strategies, recommend business relief investments that become IHT-exempt after two years, and arrange life insurance policies written in trust so the payout covers the IHT bill without forming part of your estate.
They can also help set up trusts for passing wealth to children or grandchildren, and monitor your plan as tax rules change. The planned inclusion of pension funds in estates from April 2027 is one such change that needs attention now.
An independent (whole-of-market) IFA is preferable to a restricted adviser, as they can recommend any suitable product. For legal documents like wills and trust deeds, you will still need a solicitor alongside your adviser.