The Asset Protection Strategy

How to Asset Protect your Clients

2011-10-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

Following our previous post on Mortgage Broker Client Services, an update to the Kingswood Law success story with The Asset Protection Strategy has been featured in Mortgage Solutions on-line (you need to register to access the article so we have included a synopsis below).

Toby Clement of Kingswood Law started actively promoting wills and trusts services in 2009 because his core business as a mortgage broker was 'taking a hit'. At first, he found the study and training was a challenge but he continued with dogged determination and boosted his income by approximately £60k during the first six months of 2010 by offering asset protection solutions to his clients, helping them to protect their wealth in the long term, across generations, from erosion by external sources - including HMRC - completely legally.

For clients, The Asset Protection Strategy (TAPS) provides peace of mind by setting up wills and trusts to suit their circumstances and wishes.

For brokers, TAPS is an opportunity to increase revenues by providing an additional service to both existing and potential clients. TAPS provides the expertise so that brokers do not have to prepare the legal documents or be responsible for any technicalities. The FSA does not regulate wills and trusts and formal qualifications are not required by the broker.

More information can be found on The Asset Protection Strategy website.

How much additional income can TAPS generate for IFAs and Brokers?

2011-10-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

There is immense job satisfaction in protecting an individual's or familyʼs wealth across generations, especially when the vast majority of people in the UK do not have a Will and many existing Wills are either out-of-date or incorrectly drafted.

Also, for the Mortgage Broker, it is likely that almost all life insurance policies held by clients will not be written in trust, which can result in unnecessary inheritance taxation. Some clients may have no additional life assurance in place at all.

The Asset Protection Strategy offers Mortgage Brokers and IFAs opportunities to increase income with additional services for existing clients.

Typically, brokers who currently offer asset protection advice to their clients enjoy average case earnings of around £2000. This may comprise £800 payable within 14 days for wills and trust services plus £1,200 protection premium commission, payable at around £50 per month.

There are no formal qualifications required, as wills and trusts are not regulated by the FSA, but brokers are not required to write the wills or trusts, themselves - a third party legal provider with full personal indemnity cover has responsibility for will and trust creation.

With The Asset Protection Strategy (TAPS), the training package fee of £395+vat covers a pre-training study programme and a one-day workshop. Brokers commit to a client case fee of £25 per client and a monthly subscription of £50 towards technical support, access to report writing software, marketing and sales information and a customisable micro-site, ready for launch. Find out more at The Asset Protection Strategy.

Training Course: Questions Answered Clearly and Fully

2011-10-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Our thanks to Philip Clark for this feedback, following our recent course:

"Great refresher course plus some new thoughts and ideas.

Also specific technical and marketing questions answered clearly and fully."

Quick-click to dates for The Asset Protection Strategy Training Courses.

Mortgage Brokers & IFAs - Grow Your Business

2011-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

"I advise all mortgage brokers / IFAs to look at TAPS [The Asset Protection Strategy] as an additional income stream"

TAPS recommendation from Mortgage Broker Toby Clement

2011-10-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

Toby Clement, mortgage broker and partner at Kingswood Law, joined the Asset Protection Strategy programme two years ago. He says that offering asset protection to his clients has resulted in higher quality referrals.

By its very nature, people involved as trustees, executors or guardians of Wills tend to be 'professional' friends or relatives, who are trusted to undertake the role responsibly. As brokers interact with those nominated, to ensure that they understand their roles, opportunities arise to widen the client base. On average, for Toby, each client case generates a further two clients.

Toby suggests that brokers who are starting along this revenue path should not aim add too many clients in the first instance and to use each case to fully develop understanding of the content and process. He stresses that it is important to get your first case exactly right, which requires your maximum input.

This extra revenue stream helps to protect brokers like Toby against future down-turns in the mortgage market. Learn more about The Asset Protection Strategy for brokers and IFAs.

Asset Protection - Proven Revenue Stream for Brokers

2011-10-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

In 2009, there was a significant down-turn in activity for Toby Clement, a partner and Mortgage broker at Kingswood Law. He contacted a business contact, Danny Bloomfield, who was a founder of The Asset Protection Strategy (TAPS) and had been promoting wills and trusts to his clients for some time.

TAPS had started running workshops for brokers to help them increase their revenues by offering additional services to their clients and, at Danny's suggestion, Toby signed up.

Less than a year later, Toby's return was approximately £60,000 from advising clients on wills and trusts. Since then, the asset protection business has continued to flourish. Another year on and Toby made £60,000 in just two months from selling asset protection to his clients.

Interested? Visit www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk to increase your revenue.

"...help cement the sales of financial services products"

2011-09-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

"I have just started doing this and it has already formed an integral part of my business. Not only will it add a significant residual income but it will also help cement the sales of financial services products"

... according to Darren Wiltshire following his day at The Asset Protection Strategy Training Course.

"...safeguard their assets for the future"

2011-09-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

"The course was extremely helpful and illuminating. I felt that I can talk to my client bank authoritatively on the topic of wills and trusts, and safeguard their assets for the future."

Feedback from Dermot Hanley after attending The Asset Protection Strategy Training Course.

Content was right. Pace was right.

2011-09-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

At The Asset Protection Strategy courses we always ask for feedback. This is what Scott Downie had to say:

Content was right.
Pace was right.
No headache at any time during the day, which is a positive in its own right.
The process had a superb structure which lead easily through from start to finish.

That's what we like to hear!

As the Scouts say, "Be Prepared"

2011-09-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Most of us know that we should take the time to prepare a last Will and Testament, but all too few of us actually get around to creating this important legal document. The reasons for this procrastination are many. Sometimes young people may feel that they are invulnerable and therefore do not need a Will. Young workers may feel that they have not yet accumulated enough assets to warrant a formal Will. And many older people may put off the creation of a last Will and Testament because the subject is morbid.

No matter what the reasons for procrastination it is important to overcome them. Putting off this important task does nothing except put your family at risk and postpone the inevitable day of reckoning. Fortunately there are a number of things you can do to make this admittedly unpleasant task a great deal easier. By preparing well you can take a lot of the pain and hassle out of creating a last Will and Testament while providing your loved ones with the legal and financial protection they will need in the event of your untimely death.

Make It a Family Affair

Having a family meeting about the creation of a Will may not be the most pleasant thing in the world, but it is one of the most important. Gathering the family together to talk about the creation of a Will is important, and keeping the lines of communication open during the process is just as important.

It is not necessary to involve young children in this process, and may parents will not wish to share financial details with their older kids, but it is a good idea to have age appropriate conversations with children who are mature enough to deal with such matters.

Adult children should definitely be part of this important discussion, especially since one of the adult children is likely to be named as the executor of the estate. This may also be a good time for parents to discuss their children's situations and prod them to create Wills of their own if they have not already done so.

Have a Serious Discussion

Now is also a great time to hold serious discussions about delicate issues such as the choice of guardianship for the children and the choice for executor of the estate. No matter who is ultimately chosen it is essential to make sure that:

a. They want the responsibility
b. They are capable of handling the responsibility

When choosing an executor for the estate it is vital to choose someone who is mature and responsible since that individual will be charged with the task of handling all the details of the estate. These duties will vary from estate to estate, but this person may be asked to look after any real estate and make prudent investment decisions with the funds your heirs will inherit.

Choosing a mature and responsible person is even more essential when it comes to naming a guardian for your minor children. It is essential that the person you choose have a genuine desire to raise the children in the event of your demise, so serious discussions are definitely in order here. This can be a difficult subject to broach, but it is certainly a discussion worth having.

Only after you have completed this planning should you sit down and actually start planning your Will. Taking these preliminary steps will make the process of creating your last Will and Testament much easier and considerably less stressful.

Writing a Will when you're over 50

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Making a Will is the only sure way to guarantee that your wishes are carried out when you die and that you avoid leaving problems and disputes for others to sort out. Yet few people in the UK have a Will - including the over 50s who should be wise enough to know better.

Ongoing research shows that around 70% of adults in the UK do not have a Will. This is a shocking revelation and quite inexplicable when you look at the issues and difficulties which arise when people die intestate (legal jargon for not having a Will).

For the over 50s, the situation is even more perplexing. Like it or not, we are now entering a time of our lives when our statistical chances of dying, and the likelihood of sudden death both become much higher.

So although in the best case scenario we may have several more decades of life ahead of us, we may not. Hence why we need to be realistic and sort out our legal and financial affairs.

Myths and misconceptions

Anecdotal evidence tends to show that people don't like to think about Wills because somehow they feel that if they make a Will it will magically increase their likelihood of dying. Even the most superstitious should realise that there's no way this can be true.

On the other hand, as most people are caring and concerned partners, parents, grandparents and friends you would think they would want to save their loved ones the heartache, grief, uncertainty and conflict that can arise when someone dies without a Will.

Other reasons that people quote for not having a Will is that "I haven't got much, so I don't need one", and "It'll all go to my wife/husband anyway, so I needn't bother". Neither of these is a sound or accurate reason. No matter how little you think you have (and it can often add up to more than you might think) it will need sorting out on some basis, and even if you have been happily married for many years, not everything will automatically go to your spouse if you don't have a Will.

The legal system is very complex and although you may believe your affairs are very straightforward, there may be all sorts of factors that will need taking into account, possibly leading to a situation where, without a Will, your nearest and dearest are not left as well-provided for as you had wished after you die.

Things may be even more complex if your family situation is at all complicated, for example if you live with a long-term partner (of either gender) rather than a spouse.

Practical steps to take

In the overall scheme of things, drawing up a Will is not expensive.

It is possible to write a DIY Will, but again, these can often turn out to have been badly written or unclear, so it really is an area in which you would be best advised to seek professional advice.

Before you do so, take the time to draw up an up-to-date and detailed list of all your assets and liabilities (including those that you may have jointly with your partner or spouse, such as home ownership).

Find out all the relevant paperwork and put it in a file.

Then think long and hard, for as much time as it takes, about what you want to happen to your assets when you pass on, bearing in mind that such a situation may not occur for some years. Make sure you think through the possibilities. For example, if you want to leave everything to your spouse, what will happen if you die at the same time (unlikely but possible)?

Other questions concern the role of partners and spouses of children or grandchildren, future relationship breakdowns, bequests to friends or charitable institutions, and much, much more.

This is where having a professional adviser will help. They know all the questions to ask you and all the avenues you will need to consider. This includes recommending trusts where appropriate, to protect your assets for the generations to whom you leave behind.

I Will You My Rabbits

2011-09-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

It makes sense to make a Will. Most of us realise that, but actually getting around to it seems such a hassle. How much thought went in these "Wills with a difference"?

The famous magician and escapologist, Harry Houdini, couldn't escape death. Having died from a burst appendix, one of his biggest surprises came with the reading of his Will. His magicians equipment went to his former partner Theodore, who was also his brother. His magical powers didn't work on the next item - his considerable library of books on magic and the occult. He left these to the American Society for Psychical Research, but only on the condition that their research officer J Malcolm Bird, who also was the editor of their journal, resigned. The collection passed to the Library of Congress.

The rabbits that he used in his act came out of their hats and were divided around the children of friends. Continuing the odd theme, he left his wife ten words, which formed a secret code, with the promise that he would use these words to reach her from the afterlife. Each year for ten years, following his death, she faithfully held seances, but Harry never made contact.

Rock and blues singer Janis Joplin had a brief but memorable career. She recorded several rock classics and four albums, including "To Love Somebody" and "Me and Bobby McGee". After years of drug and drinks, she passed away from an overdose, aged 27. Two days prior to her death in 1970 she willed the figure of $2,500 to fund an all night party at her favourite pub so that her friends could "get blasted after I'm gone." It must have been some party - that was an appreciable amount of money back in 1970.

We've all heard of people that, unexpectedly, donate all their money to the cats' home, much to the dismay of their family. Lots of family feuds start when a Will is read. As long as the person who made the Will is of a sound mind and not under duress when the Will is made, it's their choice and can be seen as a gesture of their individuality.

Quirks apart, if you die without leaving a Will, the people whom you would wish to inherit will not necessarily be the ones that do so. You could have a partner of several years, but if you're not married or in a legal partnership, he or she won't get your estate, whatever your intentions and promises were. This can be sad when it's not clearly understood and can cause devastating financial consequences.

Wills that make you go "Hmmm..." Charles Millar

2011-08-25T12:53:00.001-07:00

Charles Millar, a successful lawyer in Toronto, Canada, was well known for his practical jokes. And when he died on October 31, 1925, having never married and without any close relatives, he left a will that reflected his wry sense of humor.

For example, he left joint lifetime tenancy in a vacation home to three friends who despised each other. He also left stock in brewery to some Protestant ministers who supported prohibition.

But it was his final bequest that drew the most attention. It required that the balance of his estate be converted to cash ten years after he died and given to the woman who could produce the most children during that time period.

The Great Stork Derby, as the resulting contest became known, lasted until October 31, 1936. Four women, Anna Katherine Smith, Kathleen Ellen Nagle, Lucy Alice Timleck and Isabel Mary Macclean, each had 9 children and were awarded $125,000, the equivalent of about $1.5million today.

Great Business Proposition!.......

2011-01-17T02:37:00.001-08:00

I have attempted to get into the Wills & Trusts market over the last few years, but this has been the only training course that has given me a clear outline of how it works and how to position it to clients. Looking forward to getting in front of clients to talk about it.
Viki Selmeczi. 12.1.11.

Very Interesting Day.....

2011-01-17T02:31:00.001-08:00

Having no prior knowledge of the Asset Protection Strategy, I felt that the presentations were of excellent quality and delivered in an understandable format (for a layman!!). I think that the length of the course was just about right, although there will be a need for review of all the information received. All in all a very interesting day.
Nick Aylward. 12.1.11.

Excellent Day.....

2011-01-17T02:24:00.001-08:00

Presentations were both engaging and informative and very well explained. It gave me lots to think about with regards to my clients. Many questions were raised which were answered thoroughly and clearly by Jeff, Spencer & Matthew.
Julia Curle. 12.1.11

Dangers of Not Having a Will......

2011-01-17T02:20:00.001-08:00

A very thought provoking day, and a major eye opening to the dangers of not having a Will and your Assets written in trust. The training day was well run, and at a good pace. The people running the day were very knowledgeable.
Kevin Burroughs. 7.12.10

A Very Good Product......

2011-01-17T02:11:00.001-08:00

A very good product, professionally delivered, I can see how this could benefit clients and I fail to see how it couldn't help to grow any Advisors business.
Kevin Stanbridge. 7.12.10.

Great New Possible Income Stream.....

2011-01-17T02:08:00.001-08:00

What was fantastic, it worked at a pace everyone could keep to but all came away with full knowledge of Wills and Trusts, etc. Great new possible income stream with new partners.
David Noyes. 7.12.10.

Great Concept.......

2011-01-17T02:04:00.001-08:00

Very enthusiastic team with a great deal of knowledge. A great concept to increase our income in these difficult trading times. The content of the course is very well set out and understandable.
Darren Scott. 16.12.10.

A Great Opportunity......

2011-01-17T01:58:00.001-08:00

A very informative day. A lot of information to take in on one day but great opportunity to provide that extra service other Advisors can't offer and the potential to earn some significant money.

Valuable insight.....

2011-01-17T01:53:00.001-08:00

Course provided valuable insight into the sales process. Including collecting of information & presentation of solution. Will in particular with his technical information was excellent. Alot of information but the solutions are relatively standard. An excellent course offering great opportunities.
Tony Langley. 16.11.10

Fantastic..................

2010-11-08T02:42:00.001-08:00

Fantastic, very informative presentation. Would add value to my business and our clients. I look forward to implementing into our sales process.
by David Murray, Course Date: 3.11.10

I expect this to bring extra income to my business....

2010-11-08T02:39:00.001-08:00

Good presentation. I expect The Asset Protection Strategy will add value to what I can offer clients in the future. I expect this to bring extra income to my business.
by Rudath Kapugeekiyana, Course Date: 3.11.10

Excellent Presentations.................

2010-11-08T02:35:00.001-08:00

Generally a very good course, well structured. Very clear content and easy to understand, good member participation. Excellent presentations.
by Lauren Butterworth. Course date 3.11.10.

Very Comprehensive Course.......

2010-10-25T04:43:00.001-07:00

Very comprehensive course run at a fast pace and the information before the course was invaluable. I will take this with me and introduce it to my clients as I feel I will get more clients and increase my business.

The workshop was excellent......

2010-10-25T04:38:00.001-07:00

The workshop was excellent. Very well presented and informal. There is alot of information to take in, but very relieved that there is a helpdesk. I can think of at least 10 people would benefit from this service. Great Service!!!
By D. Woodhouse. Course date: 19th October 2010.

A well positioned and professionally delivered presentation......

2010-10-25T04:33:00.001-07:00

A well positioned and professionally delivered presention focusing on an area that clients are genuinely concerned about. The course has given the skills & technical knowledge to assist my clients with their Will & Trusts.

Very pleased with the pace of this day........

2010-10-25T04:19:00.001-07:00

Very pleased with the pace of this day. The presentation, for me was clear and precise and answered many questions as it went along.

The knowledge and awareness was very obvious as well as being very encouraging.

By S. Hazell. Course Date: 19th October 2010.

Very informative, very relevant........

2010-10-14T02:46:00.001-07:00

Very informative, very relevant and very structured session that will enable financial advisors to get back in contact with their clients and book more business. Thanks very much!
by Mimi Pagsibigan - Course Date: 6th October 2010

Great Day.....

2010-10-14T02:37:00.001-07:00

Its been a great day, we will change our process in order to raise Wills & Trusts as a first issue rather than an add on. Thank for setting this out in such a clear way.
By Justin Bharucha - Course Date: 6th October 2010.

Well worth the investment.......

2010-10-11T04:15:00.001-07:00

Absolutely brilliant day, well worth the investment. I have little doubt that utilising this process will add value to my business, and potentially transform my business spilt from 80% mortgages and protection to 80% protection and wealth. A pleasure!
From: S. Newsome course date 6th October 2010.

Last Will and Testament Interesting Facts....

2010-10-01T02:26:00.001-07:00

The shortest Legal Will Ever....

To date, the shortest valid Will in the world is attributed to Karl Tausch of Germany, who simply stated "All to wife" in January of 1967.

Longest Will Ever....

Although American housewife Frederica Cook did not have many possessions, she still managed to write an extremley Long Last Will and Testament. When she was finished, her final wishes and goodbyes totalled 95,940 words-a length comparable to a novel. The bulk of her Will contained farewells, best wishes, and other words to her family, friends, and even enemies. At probate, the Will was not read.

Rejected Donations....

When actress Vivien Leigh (from Gone with the Wind fame) prepared her Will, she left her stunning eyes to an organ bank. The were unforutnately rejected because at the time of her death, she had suffered from tuberculosis.

Oldest Found Last Will and Testament....

The concept of a Will dates back to ancient days. In the past, the word 'Will' was used to specify real estate left to others, while 'Testament' was used to identify the personal belongings that one wished to leave to loved ones and friends. Today, the word 'Will' is used to refer to anything (real estate or personal pocessions) that is left behind by another. The oldest document that represents a Will was discovered by an archaeologist named Sir Flinders Petrie during an excavation in a tomb in Egypt. The tomb dated back to 2500 BC.

Roman Influence in Documenting Final Wishes...

During the 1st century, the Romans are credited with using the Will as a legally binding document. The ancient Romans acknowledge that the inheritance of property or goods could not occur unless the items in question belong to an individual and not a group or to the state. Thanks to Roman lawyers, the 'Living Will' was born.

During those times, a middleman (called a Familae Emptor) acted as the executor. For example, a husband would execute a fake sale of his estate to a middleman who would promise to let the husband keep his real estate for the duration of his life. When the husband died, the middleman 'owned' the estate and was responsible for distributing it according to how the deceased wished.

This practice allowed the direct transfer of goods from a dead person to the living. The Romans deemed this necessary to appease religious and legal obstacles. The dead no longer possessed any rights and as a corpse, the Romans believed that their possessions became property of the gods. The middleman was a way for 'sold' goods to remain amongst he living. Eventually, the Romans abandoned the use of middlemen and started to recognize that the testament of a dead man could be followed without angering the gods.

A Will is vital if you die, but what if you become incapacitated?

2010-09-30T05:44:00.001-07:00

Despite writing wills, many people never make power of attorney in case they become mentally incapacitated. If it happens to you, it means The Court of Protection may take control of your assets, and your spouse may have to apply to access your bank accounts.

Why do you need power of attorney?

Everyone knows you should write a Will to make sure your loved ones are provided for when you die, but what happens if you are left mentally unable to make decisions because of accident or illness?

With an ageing population it happens more than most people think - and if you haven't got power of attorney specifying who can look after your affairs you'll have to go through the Court of Protection. The court was set up to protect the assets of vulnerable people.

Recent changes in the law

In 2007, as a result of the 2005 Mental Capacity Act, the new Court of Protection replaced the former office of the Supreme Court with the same name and was given an extended jurisdiction.

According to The Ministry of Justice, these changes have resulted in a more personalised approach, giving most people who deal with the court greater flexibility over how money is spent, whilst still safeguarding vulnerable people.

However the course is still seeing high levels of complaints and in December the President of the Court of Protection Sir Mark Potter announced he was setting up an ad hoc committee to review the Court's rules once again.

How to grant control of your finances - lasting power of attorney

There's an easy way to avoid the Court of Protection, and that's to grant someone you trust lasting power of attorney, giving them the right to look after specific aspects of your financial affairs or health and welfare after you lose the capacity to do so.

- You can get copies of the forms needed to complete either a Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney covering money matters, or a Personal Welfare LPA covering medical matters, from The Asset Protection Strategy Ltd.

- You can choose to appoint anyone you trust as long as they are over 18 and not bankrupt

- You need to fill in the forms and get it signed by all relevant parties (yourself, an independent third party called a certificate provider who verifies your capacity, and the person you're appointing power of attorney)

- In addition you should list one or more people who you want notified of the application. If you list no one an additional certificate of capacity must be provided

- Registration costs Â£120 per form. Certain people, including those on means tested benefits and those earning less than a certain amount per year may be entitled to fee remissions, details of which can be found on the site of the Office of the Public Guardian

- The Lasting Power of Attorney must be registered before it can be used. This means that if you want to you can save it until a time when it's needed. However the advice is to get it registered as soon as you can firstly to avoid the long registration waiting period in emergencies, and secondly because if you've made mistakes and it's declared void it will be too late.

- Prior to 2007 it was possible to make Enduring Power of Attorney. This was a simpler document but didn't include some of the important safeguards against fraud built into Lasting Power of Attorney. It is no longer possible to make an EPA but they are still valid if they were made prior to 2007.

Now you can make your Will with ease....

2010-09-27T04:12:00.001-07:00

No one likes to think about dying. However, whether you're perfectly healthy or you're in declining health, it is still a good idea to write up a Will. While it's not the most pleasant task in the world, it will save your surviving family and friends a lot of pain and effort after you're gone. Here are a few things to consider.

Contrary to popular belief, making up your own Will isn't difficult. It's always best to seek advice of a professional, especially if you have any particular complicated requests in mind. This will make absolutely sure that your Will won't be questioned after your death. That aside, the only real requirement is to have your Will signed by two witnesses who aren't included in the Will. These can can be anyone from friends to family members to collegues at work.

Of course, there are a few requirements you must consider as you write your Will. While you are free to distribute your money, belongings and property as you see fit, you must prove that you are both of sound mind and body at the begining of the Will. If you've written a Will in the past, it's a good idea to mention that previous such documents are null and void. This way, there is absolutely no doubt regarding your last wishes.

That done, you're free to put your affairs at ease. This can be anything from deciding who your pets will live with to deciding who will be the guardian to your children. If you've written books or created art, your Will can decide what happens to your art after you're gone. That includes placing some or all of you assets into Trust, which can protect their value for future generations.

Along with writing a Will, many people now make Living Wills. These allow you to decide what should happen to you should you become so ill or injured that you can't decide for yourself what should happen next. It may be unpleasant to think about, but it's much better than putting your family through the agony of not knowing whether or not to keep you alive. And usually, a Living Will is accompanied by a Lasting Power of Attorney, a simple document that passes control of your health and wealth to a trusted person, should you be unable to look after yourself or your money on your own.

Learn more about all the aspects of making a Will and protecting your loved ones at The Asset Protection Strategy.

What Would You Do If You Had 46 Days to Live?

2010-09-21T05:14:00.001-07:00

Imagine visiting the doctor for what you thought was a minor illness, and being told instead that you had a rare disease that would take your life within two months. How would you want to spend your final days? Would you have the capacity to make important legal and financial decisions while dealing with the shock and grief associated with your diagnosis?

These are the issue Chuck Jaffe addresses in his moving article "46 Days to Live: What's Your Plan?". Earlier this year, his brother, Rob, was unexpectedly diagnosed with primary amyloidosis, a rare blood disease that took his life in just 46 days.

Fortunately, two years before his diagnosis and death, Rob had the wisdom to visit an attorney to have an estate plan made. So, while Rob undoubtedly had plenty to deal at the end of his life, one thing he didn't have to worry about was making sure his legal affairs were in order.

Rob asked Chuck to share his story so that he could help other learn about the value of planning ahead. He wanted to impress on other.

How big a blessing it is to know - when their time comes - that they have everything in order, that they have everything in order, that they don't need to stress or worry about how things they worked their whole life for are going to turn out . . . I would not want to waste a minute of my life now having to do estate planning or worrying that I live long enough to get documents filed to whatever garbage comes with it.

By planning his estate while he was still healthy, Rob was able to evaluate all his choices and make the best decisions for his family instead of having to deal with the heartbreaking details when he knew his death was near. As a result, he was able to spend his last days focusing on the people and things that mattered most.

If you discovered today that you only ha 46 days to live, how would you like to spend you final days? I'd venture to guess that estate planning would not be high on your list. None of us like to think about dying. We all hope to live long, healthy lives. But we can't predict the future. We owe it to our families and ourselves to plan ahead.

Good approach to sales techniques.....

2010-09-17T03:45:00.001-07:00

Here's some concise and helpful comments from Lindsey Dinesan shortly after observing the recent course... "Very informative, good approach to sale techniques. Good terms of definitions for beginners. Good use of cases studies/roleplays".

Will book my first appointments with absolute confidence

2010-09-16T07:08:00.001-07:00

Having completed the training study and passed the pre-course test with an impressive mark, Rob Pryor had this to say as he left his Training Workshop day...

"Good, concise presentation of what could have been an overly technical subject matter. Nicola managed to keep the day on track and ensure delegates maintained a focused approach rather than pursuing a technical intricacy unnecessarily.

Very impressed and will book my first appointments with absolute confidence tomorrow."

Great technical day

2010-09-14T01:21:00.001-07:00

Peter Evans was pleased to give this feedback after completing his refresher training...

"Great technical day. The step by step sales process is just what I needed. Thanks."

An excellent day...

2010-09-13T03:39:00.001-07:00

All advisers who attend Asset Protection training are invited to attend a further day to brush up their knowledge and sales skills. Here's a short and sweet testimonial from Mike Brown on leaving the refresher training day...

"An excellent day, providing me with much more confidence to present to more clients."

'I feel my clients will benefit greatly'

2010-09-10T01:21:00.001-07:00

Here's what Neil Forsythe said after his recent experience at our training workshop...

"The Will writing proposition is the key to unlocking additional financial services business. I have seen this in action. However, I feel The Asset Protection Strategy is a more professional way of doing estate planning business compared to the way I have offered the service in the past. And I feel my clients will benefit greatly from this."

First rate day

2010-09-09T02:34:00.001-07:00

Here's another comment from the recent course, this time from Mark Evans...

"First rate day. Identified lots of opportunities to assist clients and really provide a holistic service to clients."

Why You Shouldn't Write Your Own Will

2010-09-07T02:27:00.001-07:00

With so many do-it-yourself forms on the market, it might be tempting to write your own Last Will and Testament. But while you may think you're saving a little money by doing it yourself, it could end up costing your loved ones greatly in the long run.

For starters, do-it-yourself forms are generic in nature - they have to be in order to appeal to the masses. But let's be honest: your estate is anything but generic. Maybe you have a disabled dependent who will need special care after you're gone. Perhaps you've got minor children, a family business or rental properties you'd like to distribute among your heirs.

Do you plan to leave everything to your beneficiaries in a lump sum, or would you prefer to spread it out over time? Better yet, why not tie some of that inheritance to milestones that encourage your heirs to pursue their goals and succeed on their own?

A self-serve form can't accommodate this type of customisation and unless you're well-versed in estate planning law, you won't be able to make the changes you need.

Another reason you should avoid writing your own Will is that laws change. That means that even if you manage to find a form that's usable now, it doesn't mean it will still comply with future law changes later. And having a Will that's out-of-date and out of compliance is the equivalent to not having a Will at all.

But perhaps the most important reason to choose a specialist adviser trained by The Asset Protection Strategy over a do-it-yourself form is the guidance you'll receive. Just like an architect can help you design your dream house, a qualified adviser can help you design the perfect estate plan for you. A plan that protects your assets, provides for your heirs and even helps them avoid the lengthy and sometimes expensive probate process, not to mention the huge amount of tax they can save you as well.

Good knowledgeable presentation...

2010-09-03T05:09:00.001-07:00

Nick Lofthouse recently attended a free one day update course. Here's what he said at the end of the day...

"This day helped to refresh and simplify the process. Good knowledgeable presentation from Nicky. Well worth the time out."

Live on from beyond the groove

2010-08-31T02:33:00.001-07:00

Music lovers can now be immortalised when they die by having their ashes baked into vinyl records to leave behind for loved ones.

A UK company called "And Vinyly" is offering people the chance to press their ashes in a vinyl recording of their own voice, their favourite tunes or their last will and testament. Minimalist audiophiles might want to go for the simple option of having no tunes or voiceover, and simply pressing the ashes into the vinyl to result in pops and crackles.

The company was founded by Jason Leach, who co-founded the techno group and record label Subhead. Leach explained there were a number of factors that made him launch the service, including thinking that he was 'getting a bit old' and 'might not be invincible'. His mother also started working at a funeral directors, which brought the whole funeral process closer to home. A third prompt was when he saw a TV programme that showed someone in America putting their ashes into fireworks, which made him think about how he might want to be remembered. And, he says, "It's a bit more interesting than being in a pot on a shelf."

The process of setting human ashes into vinyl involves a very understanding pressing plant. Basically the ashes must be sprinkled onto the raw piece of vinyl (known as a 'biscuit' or 'puck') before it is pressed by the plates. This means that when the plates exert their pressure on the vinyl in order to create the grooves, the ashes are pressed into the record.

The site has a very irreverent style and operates under the strapline "live on from beyond the groove". One of Leach's family stories suggests why he has a practical attitude to people's ashes.

He explains how he went out on a boat with his family members to sprinkle the ashes of his grandfather into the sea. His uncle "released them on the wrong side of the boat and so the ashes went all over us." Apparently the same thing happened to his father, too!

And Vinyly also offers personalised RIV (Rest In Vinyl) artwork -- the simple version just carries your name and your life span, or you can have your portrait painted by artist James Hague, using your ashes mixed into the paint.

The basic package costs £2,000 and comprises of the standard artwork along with up to 30 ash-flecked discs with whatever sounds you choose, lasting a maximum of 24 minutes.

Extras include "Bespook Music", where artists from The House of Fix and www.daftwerk.com write a song especially for you and global distribution of your record in vinyl stores.

The main challenge is choosing the music. Leach says: "It's difficult to think of what to put on your record because you want it to be the best album you can imagine."

What would he have on his own record? "I would definitely have a recording of my own voice as well as some 'sound photos' of places that are important to me and then I would have some of my own music on there. It's something I'm working on."

An Interesting Will Bequest

2010-08-25T01:41:00.001-07:00

Benjamin Franklin bequeathed $55,000 in 2010 Dollars to each of the cities of Boston and Philadelphia, in trust to gather interest for 200 years. As of 1990, more than $2,000,000 had accumulated in Franklin's Philadelphia trust, which had loaned the money to local residents. When the trust came due, Philadelphia decided to spend it on scholarships for local high school students. Franklin's Boston trust fund accumulated almost $5,000,000 during that same time; at the end of its first 100 years a portion was allocated to help establish a trade school that became the Franklin Institute of Boston and the whole fund was later dedicated to supporting this institute.

Following the Training Course on 18 August, financial adviser Stephanie Monks had this to say...

2010-08-23T02:00:00.001-07:00

"The course was very informative and interesting. The trainer was very knowledgeable and covered all aspects of the Asset Protection Strategy and its sales process. I think the pre-course work was essential to get a good base knowledge of all the areas that are covered on the workshop as there is a lot to take in on the day, however the workshop itself provided me with essential information on how to present the Asset Protection Strategy to clients and fit this within my current sales process rather than an 'added' extra to have to talk to my clients about. After coming away from the course, I can now see from a practical point of view how this will work so well with my clients and therefore provide me with the extra sales opportunities and income I was looking for."

Where there's a Will?

2010-08-11T02:22:00.001-07:00

Our history is full of quirky tales of strange legacies and contested Wills

Two of our most ironic and revered national figures - William Shakespeare and Horatio Nelson - left interesting bequests and instructions in theirs.

There has been much speculation about whether leaving your wife your second-best bed, as Shakespeare did to Anne Hathaway, was a warm tribute or calculated sleight.

Lord Nelson added a codicil to his Will on the morning of the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he left Lady Hamilton (with whom he had an illegitimate daughter Horatia) as a legacy to King and country, asking also that she be financially supported.

Anne Hathaway's thoughts have not been recorded. Nelson's petition on behalf of his mistress was not successful and within 10 years of Nelson's death at Trafalgar, Lady Hamilton had died in poverty in Calais.

Today making a Will is no less important than it was centuries ago - indeed it is even more so, as we shall see.

A poll for the charity Barnados showed earlier this year that over half the adults in the UK have not made a Will. The figure for cohabiting couples who haven't made a Will is shown as higher at 74%.

Some people put off making a Will because they are uncomfortable - even superstitious - about thinking about a time after they're gone. Others may think wrongly that their estate will go to their nearest and dearest automatically.

But once you have made a Will, unless circumstances change and you wish to make amendments or additions, you really can consider the job done and forget about it. There are many good reasons to make a Will, not least of which is that your wishes about who inherits your assets and more importantly, if you have children, who should care for them when you are no longer around, are known and set down in a legal document.

For example, if you do not have a Will, are unmarried but living with your partner, you may be putting your loved ones at risk. A person who dies without making a valid Will is known as dying 'intestate'. In these cases, the assets belonging to such a person are distributed according to a strict set of default rules, and instead of going to the deceased's chosen beneficiaries, they are left to relatives in a particular order.

If someone dies without close relatives, it may even mean the estate passing to The Crown, even if the deceased would have preferred friends or charities to benefit.

When you are cohabiting, the cohabitee has no entitlement in the event of intestacy therefore it is essential that you make appropriate provision for each other by making Wills.

If marriage or a civil partnership is not on the agenda, a cohabitation agreement and/or deed of trust when you start to live together, or when you decide to have children, will help to put your mind at rest.

It is also important to note that the effect of entering a marriage or civil partnership is to automatically revoke a Will.

The only way around this is to make a Will called "in contemplation of marriage" to a particular person and within a particular time - then, if these conditions are met, the Will remains valid. For parents with children under 18, a Will takes care of such issues as naming guardians for the children and if possible, appointing trustees for such capital as we will leave to the children on death.

If the unexpected does then happen it is one less - hugely important - detail to have to worry about.

A Will is one of those things that only shows its real power and importance when absent. Time spent now preparing a Will can save heartache and more expense in the future.

Very Professional

2010-08-05T02:20:00.001-07:00

Here's some more positive feedback we received following our course on the 27th July, from Kevin Lynch...

"Very professional, concise and structured. Has helped me feel confident presenting a concept almost every client should consider."

Excellent Concept

2010-08-03T01:29:00.001-07:00

Here's some positive feedback we received from Daniel Waring after he attended last week's training course...

"Thank you; a well structured and very well presented course. I feel confident that I can now start to use this excellent concept in front of my clients."

A vital part of my business going forward

2010-07-30T02:46:00.001-07:00

Here's what Craig Dunne said following his refresher Asset Protection Strategy course this Tuesday...

"Fantastic course, well worth the money and will make this a vital part of my business going forward. Matthew and the team were very helpful."

Simplistic and easy to understand

2010-07-28T02:36:00.001-07:00

Here's what new delegate Susan Boone had to say after attending yesterday's course...

"I really enjoyed the day. Pace was suitable for all delegates. Material was kept on quite simplistic and easy to understand level. Plenty of time to ask questions. Reassurance particularly for myself as I am on a big learning curve. Offer to revisit on another course at Asset cost. Nice lunch too!"

Twin Room, Not Double

2010-07-23T04:10:00.001-07:00

Two separate life policies are often better value for couples than a joint policy - it just makes sense.

Decisions about value for money are a daily reality in all our lives. Whether it is a new car, a computer or even a box of chocolates, most people will take the time to compare prices and choose the item that gives them the best value for their hard-earned cash.

When it comes to taking out life or critical illness cover, price has always been an issue. For many people protection is seen as a luxury product rather than a necessity. But with the UK population worringly underinsured, providers need to be offering a product that not only meets the customer's needs but is also seen to be offering good value for money.

Take joint life plans. When a couple needs protection, it is natural for an adviser to quote for a joint life policy. But is this best for the customer from the point of view of price and the protection is provides? Joint life policies seem perfectly logical for covering mortgages because a loan only has to be paid off once. But these days in order to provide the family complete protection a joint life policy might not be enough. The death or critical illness of either partner can have devastating effects on the family finances. Effects the family may feel unable to cope with at a time of emotional stress.

Certainly, a joint life policy will be cheaper than taking out two single life plans. But for the benefit of continued protection and peace of mind, it really is worth talking to clients about the option of taking out two single life policies.

For example, consider Jackie and James, both non-smokers aged 35. They have two children and both have full-time jobs. They recognise the need for life insurance and are advised to take out a joint life term assurance over 20 years for Â£100,000. Their premiums have been quoted at around Â£9 a month. This policy will pay out once if either of them dies within the term.

Had Jackie and James been advised to take out two single life policies, their monthly premiums would be about Â£15. However, they could ultimately end up with a double payout of Â£200,000, as both deaths will be covered, rather than just the first.

Single life policies may be more expensive, but the advantages mean they are much better value for money. With joint life first death, if one person dies, the second person is left with no life cover. If the first death happens some time after the policy has been taken out, the survivor is likely to be older and therefore more expensive to insure.

Single Life

Choosing the single life policies approach also provides a couple with more flexibility. If they should unfortunately split up, they would each have their own cover. Joint life first death policies cannot be separated which would mean cancelling the joint policy and taking out two single life plans.

Another benefit of two separate life policies is that each person can put their plan in trust for the other. And if the other is not around or the relationship breaks down before death, the plan owner can nominate other people to receive the payment. This can also be a useful way of mitigating inheritance tax and speed up the payment process, as the insurance company can pay to trustees straight away, rather than having to wait for probate.

So when it comes to value for money and flexibility the separate single policy approach wins hands down. It might involve a little extra paper work, and a few more pounds a month but the extra protection it provides more than compensates.

The strength of the proposition does the talking

2010-07-19T01:55:00.001-07:00

Here's what Cliff Hammond emailed to our commercial director a day after attending his training course...

"Hi Jeff, good to meet you too. Just wanted to say that you have the right approach with the Strategy. Really did enjoy the course because you don't ram it down the throats of the attendees. You let the strength of the proposition do the talking. It just makes so much sense. Many thanks again. Cliff."

Exposed: Banks that prey on the bereaved

2010-07-16T06:08:00.001-07:00

Bereaved families are being preyed upon by banks and unregulated probate firms which charge thousands of pounds to execute the estate of their loved ones.

Money Mail and consumer group Which? have separately investigated the often-murky world of will-writing and probate services - the legal process of handling the affairs of the deceased.

They found shocking evidence of:

- High street banks charging almost twice as much as solicitors for probate services
- Grieving relatives subjected to 'hard-sell' tactics
- Banks automatically appointing themselves as executors of wills
- Unregulated firms left free to give poor advice
- Bereaved families prevented from shopping around for better deals.

Executing or administering the estates of the deceased is a lucrative business for banks, solicitors and specialist probate and will-writing firms, with estimates saying it is worth more than half a billion pounds a year. When someone dies, executors must deal with the financial details such as the sale of assets, paying bills and distribution of the estate among the beneficiaries.

Families can often do this themselves, with the whole process costing no more than a few hundred pounds. But banks are exploiting the fears of customers and appointing themselves as executors.

Consumer group Which? sent eight undercover researchers to make 42 visits or calls to solicitors, specialist will-writers and banks around the UK posing as divorcees wanting to write a Will. They found that banks will charge on average £10,830 for executing a typical £270,000 estate - around double the £4,759 charged by will-writers and £5,199 by solicitors.

Barclays is the most expensive of the High Street giants, with an average charge of £13,395.

From the Daily Mail on 16 June 2010.

More interesting and profitable than arranging mortgages

2010-07-15T02:35:00.001-07:00

Having completed his training course a few weeks ago, Richard is now fully up to speed on recommending Wills and Trusts to his clients, earning a great new income stream in the process. This is what he says...

"The best thing about The Asset Protection Strategy is that I now have a product to sell to clients that I would not otherwise have thought of contacting - and it's a whole lot more interesting and profitable than arranging mortgages, that's for sure."

1,000GBP Per Will And Trust Case - Plus Life Business - Plus Referrals

2010-07-07T03:27:00.001-07:00

Look what Lea Bragagnini, director of Bragagnini Associates Financial Solutions said one week after attending the latest asset protection training workshop...

"I have always promoted the need to have a Will to my clients and often provided them with a basic Will free of charge. I now realise that whilst I have been helping them I have only been doing a small percentage of the job. Having attended The Asset Protection Strategy training course I feel very equipped to now provide some real estate planning advice to my clients. Within a week of attending the course I have broached the subject with 7 clients and every one has said YES. At an average profit of £1,000 per case, plus life business, plus referrals I think it's fair to say The Asset Protection Strategy will be a key part of my business going forward."

A Must For Advisers Who Need To Find New Ways Of Generating Business

2010-07-02T03:33:00.001-07:00

Having just completed his training for The Asset Protection Strategy, this is what Gregg Taylor, founder and ex CEO of Thinc Group, now CEO of What Group, said...

"I have been going on and on about using Wills and Trusts as a major part of the financial planning process with Advisers for the past 10 years. At long last someone has created an easy to understand training course, learning modules, case studies and most importantly a process that Advisers can follow to add significant value to their clients. This coupled with strong marketing material and a very user friendly website I believe sets The Asset Protection Strategy apart from the rest and is a must for Advisers who need to find new ways of generating business in this difficult market."

Save thousands for those you care about

2010-07-01T02:20:00.000-07:00

Whether one is a chipper young thing still living with a belief in their immortality, or a more mature individual looking to the winter of their years, considering what will happen once we've gone is never a pleasant thing. Most of us will leave any planning that's needed right until the very last moment, simple so that we don't have to think about the whole business of death.

Unfortunately when it comes to some things such as tax, not planning can waste a lot of money that could have been saved. In the UK we are subject to many different taxes, some attached to our working lives, some to our shopping trips and one in particular attached to our deaths.

Inheritance Tax comes into play when someone dies and their 'estate' is valued as being worth over the threshold set by the Chancellor (for 2010-11 this was £325,000). Someone's 'estate' comprises of any cash in bank accounts, investments, property and businesses, and so even a moderately well-off business owner's estate could be effected. When your estate is valued over the threshold set, Inheritance Tax is payable at forty per cent on the amount over the threshold.

Gifts and trusts made during a person's lifetime are also subject to the tax, unless made at least seven years before they die, and so it is not possible to avoid the tax by simply giving everything away prior to death (unless of course you are happy to live without your cash for at least seven years in order to benefit your heirs!). There are ways however that gifting can lower your Inheritance Tax bill, if it is done within HMRC's rules, so it is worth sitting down with an adviser from The Asset Protection Strategy to see what is possible.

Even if an estate is valued over the threshold, there are situations when Inheritance Tax does not have to be paid. For instance, when an estate goes to a spouse and/or civil partner it is usually exempt from Inheritance Tax, as are wedding gifts to others, although it is important to note that any wedding gift given must be genuine and not for profit.

The tax is also not usually payable on gifts bequeathed to UK registered charities, and if the deceased owned woodland or National Heritage property there is usually some tax relief available.

It is obviously important that you make a will, to prevent things happening to your estate that you had not intended, but before you do, it is important to get some good professional tax advice. If your estate is likely to exceed the threshold set by the Chancellor, sit down with your adviser and discuss your options, there are ways to lower potential Inheritance Tax bills after you've gone that stay within the rules, but you really do need a professional to explore these for you.

Once your adviser has given you the options and you have made your decisions, it's time to sort out appropriate Wills and Trusts. Forcing yourself to face the subject of your estate after your death, could save your relatives and other beneficiaries thousands of wasted pounds.

Inheritance Tax Planning - Shop around before writing a Will

2010-07-01T02:00:00.001-07:00

The process of inheritance tax planning can turn out to be costly for many who are unaware of the various elements involved, the Office of Fair Trading warned consumers this week.

While solicitors generally charge up to £200 to write a Will, consumers who then appoint their solicitor as the executor of their estate are often unaware that this carries additional and higher costs.

For the average person, appointing an executor to administer their estate will cost, on average, between £3,000 and £9,000, says the OFT, and of the 43% of people who do appoint their Will Writer as their executor, a quarter claimed they had not been made aware of the likely charges.*

The OFT estimated that by failing to shop around for Will Writing and Executor services costs consumers some £40m per year.

Benefits of a Will

A recent poll for Barnardo's calculated that 58% of UK adults have no Will in place, and this rises to 74% of UK couples.

Writing a Will is a keystone of efficient inheritance planning, and can help you avoid a hefty Inheritance Tax bill for your children, demanding 40% of the value of parts of your wealth and estate. With some basic Inheritance Tax advice from a qualified financial planner, it is often possible to drastically minimise or avoid Inheritance Tax altogether.

Dying with no Will in place is known as 'dying intestate' and leaves the duty of administering your estate, not to your family, but to the State, under the 'rules of intestacy'.

Many people are surprised to hear that their wife or husband may not be entitled to receive everything. Furthermore, an unmarried partner has no automatic right of inheritance whatsoever, unless specific inheritance planning is in place through a Will. In other words, the notion of a 'common law' partner is nothing more than wishful thinking.

With good Inheritance Tax advice and proactive inheritance planning, a Will can not only guarantee that your assets pass to those for whom you intend them, but can also be used for other purposes, e.g. to nominate guardians for your children, should you die before they reach adulthood.

Keeping your Will current

Once you have done your inheritance planning, and have a Will in place, it is crucial to keep it up to date. Barnardo's research found that 80% of those with Wills had not updated them in 10 years. An out of date Will can be as bad as no Will at all.

For instance, if you make a Will but then marry, that Will is no longer valid. If you make a Will leaving your wealth to your spouse, but then divorce or separate, they will still benefit from the Will when you die. If you then remarry, but forget to update your Will, your first spouse will inherit your wealth, leaving your second spouse penniless and possibly homeless as well.

Another interesting point is to use percentages, not finite numbers, when doing your Inheritance planning. If you had a house valued at £200,000 and stated that your family should get £175,000 and the remainder go to your local church, that may be all well and good at that time. If however, by the time you die, the value of your home has risen to £300,000, your family now get 'only' the same £175,000, and the vicar is laughing all the way to the bank.

*OFT survey of 2000 UK adults, February 2010

With thanks to Roisin McDaid

Is this the worst Will joke in the world?

2010-06-22T04:05:00.001-07:00

A man went to his lawyer and said, "I would like to make a Will but I don't know exactly how to go about it."

The lawyer said, "No problem, leave it all to me."

The man looked somewhat upset and said, "Well, I knew you were going to take the biggest slice, but I would like to leave a little to my children too!"

If you have a Will joke that's worse than this, please contact us at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk/contact.html

Wimbledon win for Roger Federer could net Oxfam 100,000 pounds

2010-06-21T01:12:00.001-07:00

A bet placed seven years ago by a man who left his estate to Oxfam will raise more than £100,000 for the charity - if Roger Federer wins Wimbledon for a record breaking seventh time.

In 2003, Nicholas Newlife from Kidlington in Oxfordshire staked £1,520 with at odds of 66/1 for Federer to win seven Wimbledons before the year 2020. The Swiss player has won six Wimbledon singles titles, and a seventh will see the bet produce a payout of £101,840.

Newlife left his entire estate to Oxfam when he died in February 2009, aged 69, which included the outcomes of the series of outstanding bets he had placed with William Hill between 2000 and 2005.

One, worth £16,750, has already been claimed by Oxfam, after Newlife bet £250 that Federer would win at least 14 grand slam titles before 2020, at 66/1. The bookmakers paid out in March. Other bets are pinned on the future successes of another tennis player, Andy Roddick, and West Indian cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan.

One bet placed £1,000 on Roddick to win at least seven grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1, which would win £34,000 for Oxfam. Another placed £250 on Sarwan to make more than 9,000 test match runs by the end of 2019 at 250/1. This would win £62,750.

Cathy Ferrier, fundraising and supporter marketing director at Oxfam, said: "We're enormously grateful to Mr Newlife for his generous gift, and will be keeping a close eye on Wimbledon as a result.

"Legacies amount to 10% of our total income from individuals, so they're essential, and as this case proves, they can come in all shapes and sizes. It is easy to make a will and including Oxfam could leave a lasting legacy for those most in need."

Oxfam benefits from about 600 legacies a year, receiving around £10-11m. So when you're having your Will drafted, don't forget to leave a little something for a good cause you care about.

Doghouse Estate

2010-06-18T01:23:00.001-07:00

"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

One of today's Wall Street Journal front page headlines reads, "Little Dog Caught In Big Estate Feud". The little dog, "Conchita" is a dolled-up chihuahua who was the favourite of Gail Posner, a well-known Miami heiress who died this past March. Conchita and her canine friends inherited the $8.3 million Miami Beach mansion as well as a $3 million trust fund and the paid care of several housekeepers and personal aids. The doggy in that window is worth millions!

Ok, so she was a bit eccentric. So what? Well, the will and trust are being challenged by Mrs Posner's son, on the basis that attorneys and household employees used undue influence in estate planning decisions. Perhaps he's onto something. The courts will decide. And while most of us don't have a Miami Beach estate, this story does remind us of the importance of good estate planning.

One of the largest issues facing us is just making the determination that we are going to invest a little time and money to plan for the legacy we will build and leave through our estate. We procrastinate, thinking that we don't need to do this now. We can always do it later.

Maybe it's no wonder dogs think we're nuts!

Nigella sparks debate over charitable legacies

2010-06-15T02:11:00.001-07:00

Domestic goddess Nigella Lawson recently hit the headlines with her declaration that she intends to leave her entire to various charities rather than bequeath any of it to her children. Her 64-year old partner, Charles Saatchi, takes the polar opposite view and believes that his and Nigella's combined three offspring from previous marriages should inherit the lot, currently estimated at Â£10million.

Whatever resolution the two finally agree to their disagreement, it has brought into focus the fact that charities benefit greatly from the proceeds of many people's estates. Whether or not you agree with Ms. Lawson's philosophy of letting the kids "do it for themselves" leaving a legacy to charity is definitely a very noble action.

One of the most notable charitable legacies in the UK is the Wellcome Foundation, formed using the fortune of Sir Henry Wellcome after his death in 1936. However, many modern billionaires are not waiting until they die, but instead have decided to distribute their fortunes to charities whilst still alive, prompted by the decision of Bill Gates. The Microsoft chairman has set up a $7billion foundation which aims to close the considerable health and education gaps between Western and third world countries.

But, whilst billionaires can set up their own charitable foundations there are scores of existing worthwhile charities that constantly need funding. Charities derive a significant amount of their income from bequests and it's not just multi-millionaires or billionaires that provide charitable legacies; many ordinary folk like to leave a portion of their accumulated wealth to charity following their death. Indeed, many smaller contributions soon add up and it is those donations that can often mean the difference between charities carrying on their good work or being forced to give up.

Bequeathing money in this way is straightforward and all it takes is the addition of a few words to your will. Most charities will furnish you with examples of legacy wording and, of course, advisers' operating The Asset Protection Strategy are familiar with the process. Sadly, one in five people die without making a will and their estates pass into probate, causing considerable financial and logistical problems at a time of grief for their family.

By sitting down and sorting out a will, you have the security of knowing that your wishes will be respected after your death. Not only will you be able to document the distribution of your assets between family, friends and charitable causes, but you can include instructions on how you wish your funeral to be conducted.

So, whether or not you want to go the Nigella route and leave all your worldly goods to charity, make a will and make sure everyone knows your wishes.

Last Will and Testament ? The Perils of Dying ?Intestate

2010-06-07T01:09:00.001-07:00

This article appeared online by Douglas on his blog on 6 June 2010. It shows that making a Will is something that members of the general public consider as very important. Here's the article...

Not the most enlightening of subjects is it? And not one you'll probably discuss often, with either friends or family.

What's that I hear you say?

Dying.

The good news is that I'm not going to take up the next few minutes of your life talking about how we might all eventually leave planet earth. Instead, I want to spend the time talking about the financial impact upon your family and loved ones you leave behind.

What if you don't have a Last Will and Testament? (and depending on which stats you believe, apparently 70% + of the UK adult population don't have one).

Law of Intestacy

This law dates back to 1925. If you die without having made a Will, your assets are distributed in accordance with this law and statutory legacies, which specify the amounts that are distributed to certain parties. The last time the amounts were reviewed was 1993.

The basic rule is that:

The spouse or civil partner will receive personal chattels and the first £250,000 if there are children, plus a life interest on half the residue.

The children receive a life interest on the remaining half AND the surviving spouse's half (capital) when they eventually die the spouse or civil partner will receive personal chattels and the first £450,000 if there are no children, plus half the balance.

Parents/brothers and sisters receive the remaining half (in that order if they are alive, or the money goes to other relatives).

These amounts were actually increased on 1 February 2009 from £125,000 and £200,000 respectively. This followed a review by the Government that commenced in 2005.

Last Will and Testament

Now, assuming you don't want to leave things to chance your best option is to organise a Will. There are a few reasons for this:

YOU can decide how your assets should be distributed and to whom they should go to.

If you have children you can appoint guardians to look after them if neither you or your spouse/partner are alive.

You can appoint trustees to look after your assets until the children are old enough to take responsibility for themselves.

If you don't have a Will, why not?

There may be a few reasons:

It's a bit of a depressing topic. Fair enough, it is. But we're all going to die someday and actually making the Will won't kill you!

You think you're too young. If you can vote or ask for a drink (legally!) in a pub then you can make a Will.

It'll take too much time. How can you know if it does unless you've been though the process yourself? It's quite straightforward to set one up so this excuse does not really wash.

It'll cost a fortune. Not quite. Depending on which solicitor you use you shouldn't have to pay more than £100-200. If you are setting up 2 wills a discount may apply.

One option is to set up a DIY Will. This will be cheaper than going to a solicitor but if you get it wrong you'll only have yourself to blame.

The most sensible option is to use a qualified solicitor or a specialist Will writer.

Yes you'll have to pay a fee but at least you'll have the peace of mind that it's been set up correctly and in line with your wishes.

The Bottom Line

If you die without having made a Will you may end up leaving behind a mess for your loved ones to clear up long after you've gone. If you see yourself as a responsible person (and don't have a Will yet) maybe it's time to get one set up.

Contact your solicitor or specialist Will writer and ask them to begin the process of organising a Will(s) for you.

So there you have it. Get a Will. Of course we agree with this, but it's nice to hear the public agrees with us too.

Free report

2010-06-04T04:00:00.001-07:00

Since I first came across Wills and Trusts around 18 months ago, it never ceases to amaze me how lucrative this business is.

In the Free Report you can download from the website at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk you'll see I earned £36,000 in 2009. Last month, May 2010, once again was my best month. I banked a legal fees referral income of £7,896. Next month is looking even better. My projected referral income for 2010 is likely to be 300% up on last year.

The more I do this, the easier it becomes. I'm now following the simplest of sales processes, which makes my life really easy. And my clients love it, as I remove the mystery of Wills and Trusts and help them protect their hard earned assets.

Dan Bloomfield: Founder of The Asset Protection Strategy, 4 June 2010

Mortgage Introducer: Generating Extra Income

2010-06-02T05:31:00.001-07:00

Wills and asset protection are often overlooked but with over two thirds of people without a will this could be a lucrative growth area.

It was 2007, and the property boom was at its height, and like many mortgage brokers, Toby Clement couldn't process the mortgage applications fast enough. The phone was ringing non-stop, money was rolling in and business couldn't have been better.

Then everything changed. At the start of 2008 the economy faltered, the housing market crashed and the banks started shutting their doors. By the middle of 2008, the mortgage market had effectively ground to a halt and Toby's phone had stopped ringing. As with all other brokers, the sudden and sharp cut in Bank rate was the final straw.

Almost two years on and nothing much has changed. Despite a few green shoots, the mortgage market is still a shadow of its former self and who knows whether the current rise in activity will last? But something has changed. Toby is now making more money than he was back in 2007 when the mortgage market was at its height...

To read more, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100601MortgageIntroducer.pdf

Has your cashflow turned into a cashdrip?

2010-05-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

It seems like it takes ages to get paid these days. 8 weeks for life assurance. 16 weeks for a mortgage. And that's only if you're really lucky.

Many life assurance policies are being rated or declined, as providers seek to protect their competitively low priced products for only those healthy, fit folk who pose absolutely no risk whatsoever. And there aren't many of them around in 'Obesity Britain'. Mortgages are falling through too, at all stages of the process, as the market is still in turmoil.

The good news is that you don't have to put up with the drought. In less than 30 days, you can turn on an income stream that pays you in full, within 10 days of doing business. What's more, the income is generated with no underwriting, no clawback risk and no liability.

It's a service every one of your clients will love. After all, they work hard for their money, so anything that'll help them protect it is worth hearing about.

What can you use to turn on your cashflow?

TAPS of course!

The Asset Protection Strategy. It's so simple, when you know.

To find out how easy it is to turn on your income, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk or give us a call on 0800 634 7051.

Thanks guys - keep it going!

2010-05-18T06:49:00.001-07:00

Five simple words of appreciation from Nick Goldberg, one of the recent attendees to successfully become licensed to create a new risk-free income stream from Will and Trust referrals. He was moved to respond on receipt of his second marketing campaign, which dropped into his email inbox a month after getting going.

It's all part of the continual support provided by The Asset Protection Strategy team, who are all dedicated to helping all types of financial adviser build a robust, recession-proof business which generates a constant supply of new qualified people to talk to through its unique Guaranteed Referral Generator.

For further information, visit us online at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk

The 7 Magic Words Really Work!

2010-05-14T05:26:00.001-07:00

It couldn’t be simpler. The Asset Protection Strategy is introduced by just 7 Magic Words. They are “Mr Client, do you have a Will?” It doesn’t matter whether the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the discussion begins.

Having recently completed his training, Patrick Reeve put the words to the test. Here’s his feedback in an email to Dan on 14 May 2010…

Hi Dan

Thanks for coming over to see us yesterday – you will be glad to hear that before I left the office last night, I called one of my clients to ask ‘the question’. They have, but only mirrors and said that they were “only talking about updating their wills the other night. Good job you rang!”

I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m seeing them Tuesday evening.

Thanks Dan.

Regards
Patrick

The Scotsman - Lianne Lodge: Home truths about inheritance

2010-05-13T04:17:00.001-07:00

In the recent leaders' debates, there was much commentary in Scotland that a lot of the issues related only to England and did not afffect us here north of the Border.

This has highlighted the significant differences in public control and law between different parts of the UK. However, many people may not realise that where they live can have a significant impact on what happens to their assets on death.

This is significant, because more than half of UK adults have yet to write a will, according to a recent poll for charity Barnardo's, including three quarters of cohabiting couples. Yet few appreciate what will happen should they die prematurely, and how different laws apply throughout the UK. This is particularly relevant for those with family connections throughout Britain.

In Scotland, if you die without leaving a will, your spose or civil partner would be entitled to the matrimonial home up to a value of £300,000, plus furniture of up to £24,000 and cash up to £75,000 if you have no children. If there are children, this figure is reduced to £42,000.

In simple terms, the spouse would inherit a third of the moveable estate, which basically means everything other than any land or buildings. The children would inherit any other land or buildings plus the rest of the matrimonial home if the deceased's share is over £300,000 and two thirds of everything else. If there are no children, this amount would be transferred to parents and siblings rather than the spouse inheriting the full estate. If there are no parents or siblings, then nieces and nephews would inherit the balance. Only if there are no children, parents, siblings, nieces or nephews would the spouse inherit the full estate.

If there is no surviving spouse then the children would inherit the full estate, or the parents and siblings if there are no children or a spouse.

If there is no will, a cohabitee (live-in partner) could apply to court for an award from the estate. The court could then award the partner an amount up to that which a spouse would have been entitled to. However, there are no guarantees, and as this is a recent change to the law there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding how inclined the courts would be to make such an award. The application must be made by the cohabitee within six months of the death.

In Scotland, even if you have a will, your children can still claim against your estate regardless of the terms of the will. If there is a surviving spouse, the children would be entitled to a third of the moveable estate between them, and if there is no spouse this would increase to a half share between them.

The law in England differs greatly to that in Scotland. For example, where there is no will and the deceased leaves a spouse or civil partner and children, the spouse or civil partner is entitled to the first £250,000 of a person's estate plus a life interest in half the estate over £250,000 plus all personal items. The children will then inherit half of the estate over £250,000 immediately and the other half when the spouse dies.

If there are no children, the spouse inherits the first £450,000 and the rest is divided between the parents if they are still alive, and if not it goes to the siblings.

As in Scotland, if there is no spouse but children then the children would inherit the full estate.

It is important to note that the law in Scotland in relation to succession after death differs greatly from that in England. That said, the tax position is the same throughout the UK and therefore inheritance tax would still be chargeable on the usual terms.

The answer is not always straightforward and I urge people not to be panicked into a hop across the Border. When it comes to deciding which law would apply, it is based on your domicile. This is more than simply your residency and will take on board factors such as where you were born, your parents' nationality, where you own property, where you consider home and your plans for the future.

The process of winding up someone's estate is also different depending on which country you are domiciled in.

Probate is a term a lot of people will be familiar with; however, this is an English term. Strictly speaking, a grant of confirmation is required in Scotland to begin to finalise someone's estate, and the procedure is very different in each country.

Confusion can be avoided if you have a will and it gives clarity as to who you want to inherit what.

Be careful, however, as the signing requirements differ in the two countries and if there is any question over where your estate would be administered it is always worth ensuring your will is signed in a way that is acceptable to both countries.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100509Scotsman.pdf

YouGov: Where there's a will...

2010-05-11T07:09:00.001-07:00

Most of us understand the importance of making a will but have not yet done so, a survey for children's charity Barnado's suggests.

Only 42% of the public have made a will before, compared to the 74% of all under-55 year olds who have not yet made a will. This comes despite 23% stating that making a will was part of their 'financial planning', and 22% of the general population having been encouraged to make one after having children.

For some, it seems there is just not much point to making a will: 19% said they have not made a will because they have nothing to leave, while 16% have not done so because they plan to pass on all their belongings to their family anyway. Only two percent declare that they have decided not to make a will because they do not care what happens to others after they die. Not all are ambivalent, however - 35% say that, other than to their family, they would consider leaving a gift in their will to a charity.

Of the reasons cited for the lack of will making, though, 32% claim they have always meant to draw one up, but have just 'never got around to it'.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100505YouGov.pdf

Positive Feedback

2010-05-10T01:11:00.001-07:00

6 May 2010

Hi Dan,

Hope you are well!

It took me a while to get my first case booked in and submitted, but the support from The Asset Protection Strategy team, both before, during and after the submission of the case was superb. It made the whole process very easy to do and very easy to understand. As a result, my confidence has risen significantly and more appointments are now in the diary. Thanks!"

Best Regards,

Mike
Mike Brown, IFA

Mortgage Strategy: Wills and Trusts will open doors to clients

2010-05-06T03:53:00.001-07:00

We've looked at how wills and trusts, or asset protection, can be a lucrative revenue channel for brokers, and one they can introduce to clients during the fact-find or remortgage review.

Brokers don't need to be experts in this area and are not expected to become will writers - the creation of the wills and trusts is done by an expert third party, that protects any advice given through its own professional indemnity cover.

Neither do brokers need formal qualifications, as wills and trusts aren't regulated. The broker's role is to introduce the concept of asset protection to clients, which, with some training, is easily done.

Once you have explained to clients in simple terms how they may be exposed through an absence of straightforward estate planning, many will take immediate steps to put the correct cover in place.

Around two-thirds of the population don't have a will, and more life insurance policies are not written in trust. This means that many family assets are not only being left open to unnecessary taxation but may also fall into the wrong hands.

A benefit of introducing asset protection to clients is the in-built referral mechanism it offers. Anyone creating wills and trusts must appoint guardians, executors and trustees, who are usually wealthier family and friends.

You will need to speak to all of them to ensure they understand their responsibilities. When you do, you will find most of them have no arrangements in place. So another new client is only an asset protection presentation away.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100503MortgageStrategy.pdf

Don't let them down

2010-05-05T01:05:00.001-07:00

Financial advisers should write pensions and insurance in trust. Sadly, around 80% of policies written in the UK are not written in trust, according to Financial Adviser (29 April 2010). It can give rise to some horrendous consequences, including delays in the payment of the proceeds, loss of control of the money and unnecessarily last amounts of penal Inheritance Tax being suffered.

Proper asset protection involves considering both life policies and pension arrangements, along with everything else owned by clients. Don’t let your clients down. Do something amazing and give your clients proper asset protection.

£3,455 and I didn't have to prospect for it

2010-04-29T06:02:00.001-07:00

Founder of The Asset Protection Strategy Dan Bloomfield is constantly surprised by the huge income generation potential of his business. Look what he reported this week:

"An existing client called me and said he'd been offered a First Direct mortgage and could I beat the deal. I said I'll come and see you and let you know. I wanted to talk about asset protection. We met. Within one hour, he'd signed up to Wills and Trusts and life cover of £120 per month. That's £3,455 in income. Oh, the mortgage - I told him to do it with First Direct."

Why most adults don't have a Will and why they're wrong

2010-04-28T04:17:00.001-07:00

According to a report on the BBC website, Barnados have found that most adults don't have a Will. 74% of them in fact!

Laziness was cited by one third of those who had not written a Will, saying they had meant to but had 'never got around to it'.

One quarter of those over 55 wrongly thought 'the money will go to my family anyway'.

The full article is here - http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100428-BBCBarnados.pdf

People want this form of reassurance. It's a massive opportunity for every adviser, not just for Will planning, but for proper asset protection too.

The Asset Protection Strategy enables you to help your clients without involving yourself in the advice process, or the liability if things go wrong. It's a neat way of doing right by your clients whilst earning a decent risk-free referral income in the process. And you're pretty much guaranteed to sell more of your own products and services in the process. Visit http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk to learn more.

Professional Adviser: The Domino Effect

2010-04-23T07:40:00.001-07:00

Jeff Smith, commercial director of The Asset Protection Strategy, says by adding an asset protection element to their services, advisers can broaden their product offering, giving them the opportunity to revisit existing clients and attract new ones.

One of the key lessons IFAs and brokers have been dealt by the recession is the more varied their product offering, the more consistent their incomes will be. Put simply, in this day and age it is best not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Mortgage brokers – heavily geared to the whims of lenders and fluctuations in the base rate – are a case in point. Their bottom lines have been decimated over the past 18 months and many have gone out of business because they had no contingency plan.

In response to the recession, many IFA and broker firms that have survived have taken, or are currently taking, decisive action. They have been broadening their services they provide to be able to generate revenue through multiple channels, rather than, as has been the case for too long, relying on just one or two.

The holistic approach to planning, where advisers cover all bases, internally or by outsourcing to partner firms, is widely accepted as the new paradigm for financial advice; the framework for a better business moving forward.

Increasingly, modern professional advisers are positioning themselves at the centre of a circle, surrounded by a full range of products, from investments, personal protection and pensions through to business protection, property finance and asset protection via wills and trusts.

Whatever curve balls the economy throws at them, and whatever solutions their clients are looking for, the diversification at the heart of their services will ensure they can react positively and monetise opportunities they may previously have missed.

Protecting their assets

One financial planning solution that a growing number of IFAs and brokers, from Lansdown Place to Coreco Group, are introducing, to diversify their offering and unlock new revenue from their existing client bases, is asset protection.

Asset protection is the process of protecting an individual or family’s wealth across generations, not only legally but from HM Revenue & Customs, using wills and trusts.

It certainly makes sense for advisers and wealth managers to offer a product that focuses on wealth protection, because it perfectly complements the flip side of their business that focuses on wealth creation.

So why does asset protection offer such an opportunity for IFAs? Simple. According to various independent surveys, just less than 70% of people in the UK – your clients – do not have a will at present, and a large proportion of those who do have an out-of-date or incorrectly drafted will. The result of this can be disastrous, both financially and personally.

For instance, are you aware that if both parents die without a valid will in place that outlines their preferred childcare wishes, under UK law the courts will decide on the future care of their children, irrespective of what the parents might have really wanted? On a number of occasions in the past this has resulted in children going into care because relatives have not been considered suitable.

Likewise, a large percentage of the life insurance policies your clients hold will not be written in trust, which can not only result in assets falling into the wrong hands but may mean unnecessary inheritance taxation.

Of course, a large number of your clients have no life insurance policies in place at all, which can leave family members severely exposed upon death.

And do you think your clients are aware that if they have more than £23,000 in assets in the current tax year (2009/10), their home may have to be sold to pay for long-term care should they need it? Careful trust planning would remove this threat altogether.

There are many more examples of how people have fallen, or can fall foul of poor, or absent, estate planning. What is clear, though, is that there is a huge potential market for advisers to move into. Best of all, it is a soft sell, because most people are highly amenable to a product that protects their assets and, more important still, their families. Also, because wills and trusts are not regulated by the FSA, advisers need have no formal qualifications in this area.

Opening new doors

Putting in place a comprehensive will and trust package for your clients is not only a differentiator for your business and a door-opener to revisit your existing clients, it is also a highly effective way to acquire new clients.

The reason for this is that creating wills requires the appointment of trustees, executors and guardians, who become involved in the process and will then often realise they also need better estate planning themselves.

And because those individuals will generally be more successful or professional friends or family members, it leads to better-quality clients. In this sense, it is one of the most viral products an adviser can offer, often triggering a domino effect of new business. When people learn how vulnerable they are due to absent or improper wills and trusts planning, news travels fast.

Overall, by adding an asset protection element to their range of services, IFAs are not just casting their own net wider and affording themselves new income opportunities but, most important, are offering a service most of their clients will need. A wealth protection product that sits alongside a wealth creation proposition is surely the missing piece of the puzzle?

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/ProfessionalAdviser.pdf

Introducer Today: Finding new clients broker's biggest fear: NatWest

2010-04-19T01:21:00.001-07:00

Friday 16th April 2010

Over 50 per cent of brokers said their biggest problem is attracting new clients with regulation stated as their next biggest worry, according to research from NatWest Intermediary Solutions.

Retaining existing clients was broker's next biggest concern followed by marketing their businesses more effectively and diversifying into non-mortgage markets.

When it comes to regulation, the biggest concern for more than a third of brokers is the potential increase in costs that regulation will bring. The survey showed one in five said that their main concern was a potential increase in paperwork, with 14.4 per cent saying that they were worried about the potential increase in time it will require to sell mortgages.

One in ten felt that they did not understand what the potential new regulation will mean for their business whereas just under a fifth were confident that any new regulation would have little effect on their business.

With brokers concerned about attracting and retaining clients and improving their marketing, the survey sought to find out what they currently did to promote their businesses. The majority said that they send regular communications to their clients via email or post, with 42 per cent saying they ran an up-to-date web site. Just under a fifth advertised in the local press and 12 per cent have an enhanced listing on Yell.com. Less than one in 10 contributed editorial regularly to the local press.

To see the full article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100416IntroducerToday.pdf

Guaranteed Referrals from The Asset Protection Strategy

2010-04-16T03:01:00.001-07:00

15 April 2010

We've received the following email from Toby today on the subject of referrals.

Hi Brian

I have to tell you this works really well.

We have Dan Mason going to see 4 different families today to get them to sign as Trustees for a case Fiona did and he is presenting The Asset Protection Strategy to all of them. It proves it works and a great way to help Dan Mason build a new business for himself and Fiona gets all of the financial services leads.

Kind Regards,

Toby

To see the testimonial, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100415GuaranteedReferrals.pdf

Cherry: We're Changing Business Fortunes - Here's some of our feedback from March...

2010-04-15T02:25:00.001-07:00

Adviser who's been using the strategy for four months
This week, I've submitted three new cases. Two of these were relatively small, but the third client was charged £2,144, giving me a profit of £1,329. The client thought that was cheap compared to what his lawyer wanted to charge. Also, I signed a big one last night and charged £2,763 (profit £1,876) and have another one on Saturday charging £1,433 (profit £800). Plus others in pipeline. Thank goodness for the Wills and Trusts.
Barry Marcus

Adviser within 30 days of attending the Training Workshop Day
I am beginning to get in the swing of this now! Got 2 appointments going in for sign up and another one last week that will go to sign up! I have taken your advice in terms of reducing the cost on the first few just to get the experience of it, but once I get these 3 put to bed, I will be well on my way! Thanks for the email, and I will be pushing them out in the next 2 months! Absolutely certain of it!
Mike Brown

Legal and General Business Manager who attended the Training Workshop Day
A quick note to say thank you both for your hospitality at the meeting yesterday. As mentioned, I was expecting a very technical session with some sales ideas bolted on but in fact it was the reverse. The video then role-plays worked very well, if I can pick it up and role-play a credible presentation I'm sure the other delegates can do the same if not better as they do it every day, the process is very simple so my view is that its down to the advisers motivation / desire. I think the strategy is a genuine additional income stream for advisers / firms who are up for it.
Ben Packham

Hear it first hand from the Founders
Call 0800 634 7051 or contact us from the website http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk and speak to Matthew Mitchell or Dan Bloomfield.

They'll explain how they've added a risk-free income stream to their financial services business and how you can do the same.

Call by the 20th April 2010 and quote 'cherry bonus'.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100413CherryBroadcast.pdf

Cherry: £797.39 per client...

2010-04-14T04:12:00.001-07:00

That's what advisers have banked in 2010 referring wills and trusts.

Hot off the press are the 2010 statistics:

£797.39 per client
From risk-free Wills and Trusts referrals

83% of clients buy life cover
Boosting earnings per client to over £2,000

2.2 referrals per client
To Guardians, Executors, Trustees and Witnesses

In 2009, Matthew and Dan recession-proofed their business - read their free report at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk to see how they did it.

In 2010, they've shared their knowledge with advisers across the country. These advisers are seeing similar results.

Call us now to discover how you can increase your income in under 30 days

To boost your business, please call Jeff Smith on 0800 634 7051 or contact us at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100325CherryBroadcast.pdf

Mortgage Strategy: Advising on asset protection is easy

2010-04-13T02:15:00.001-07:00

In my last column I explained that you don't have to be a lawyer to make money out of wills and trusts.

Any broker can start doing this quickly if they take the time to swot up on the fundamentals of asset protection and estate planning.

And the fundamentals are all that's needed - for brokers this is purely a concept sell. The creation of wills and trusts can be passed on to a third party legal services firm which will also provide indemnity cover.

Introducing asset protection to your clients couldn't be easier. As part of the standard fact-finding process you always ask your clients if they have wills in place.

You simply need to ask them what they believe will happen to their assets after their death, explain what will happen in light of their existing arrangements and highlight what needs to be done to ensure their assets are dealt with as they wish.

So the wills question can be the start of a new advisory journey for brokers and clients.

Also, when a mortgage review comes up most brokers correctly advise their clients to stay on their SVR. This is good advice but no income is generated.

But by simply asking them about their will arrangements there is a new, worthwhile and income-generating discussion to be had.

What's more, it keeps advisers in pole position to deal with the remortgage when the market allows.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100322MortgageStrategy.pdf

Testimonial: Look what they're saying on Linked-In

2010-04-12T01:09:00.001-07:00

Early in 2010, Mike Brown attended one of our training workshop day. On 6 April 2010, Mike sent Dan Bloomfield, co-founder of The Asset Protection Strategy this message via Linked-In.

Mike Brown has sent you a message.
Date: 4/06/2010
Subject: The Asset Protection Strategy

Hi Dan,

Hope you had a good weekend!

I am beginning to get in the swing of this now!

Got 2 appointments going in for sign up and another one last week that will go to sign up!

I have taken your advice in terms of reducing the cost on the first few just to get the experience of it, but once I get these 3 put to bed, I will be well on my way!

Thanks for the email, and I will be pushing them out in the next 2 months!

Absolutely certain of it!

Best Regards,

Mike

Join us at Linked-In by going to this address http://uk.linkedin.com/in/assetprotectionstrategy

To see the testimonial, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100406LinkedIn.pdf

Positive feedback from Legal and General

2010-04-09T03:27:00.001-07:00

On 23 March 2010, Ben Packham, a Business Partnerships Manager from Legal and General was invited along to observe one of our Training Workshop Days. The following email arrived first thing the very next morning...

From: Packham, Ben
Sent: 24 March 2010
To: matthew@theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk; dan@theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk
CC: jeff@theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk
Subject: Workshop - Borehamwood 23 Mar

Hi Matt / Dan

A quick note to say thank you both for your hospitality at the meeting yesterday. As mentioned I was expecting a very technical session with some sales ideas bolted on but in fact it was the reverse. The video then role-plays worked very well, if I can pick it up and role-play a credible presentation I'm sure the other delegates can do the same if not better as they do it every day, the process is very simple so my view is that its down to the advisers motivation / desire. I think the strategy is a genuine additional income stream for advisers / firms who are up for it.

I will speak to the principles of the firms I work with and try to set up some meetings for Jeff.

Speak to you soon

Ben

If you're responsible for the business development of a network, a firm or even a group of advisers, we'd love to welcome you to one of our forthcoming Training Workshop Days.

Please call us on 0800 634 7051 or contact us via our website using this form - http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk/corporatecontact.html

To see the testimonial in full, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/100324LegalandGeneral.pdf

Testimonial: Barry puts his Trust in Asset Protection

2010-04-08T02:23:00.001-07:00

Having attended the Training Workshop Day in January, Barry Marcus immediately saw the massive benefit of adding The Asset Protection Strategy to his financial services business.

Barry's gone the extra mile and commissioned a bespoke website for the purpose which you can see here - http://trustalliance.co.uk/. It's delivering new enquiries and encouraging his existing clients to discuss the subject in more detail. During March, he ran his first webinar, which was well attended.

All this activity is really paying dividends. This is what Barry sent to Dan Bloomfield, our co-founder...

"This week, I've submitted three new cases. Two of these were relatively small, but the third client was charged £2,144, giving me a profit of £1,329. The client thought that was cheap compared to what his lawyer wanted to charge.

Also, I signed a big one last night and charged £2,763 (profit £1,876) and have another one on Saturday charging £1,433 (profit £800). Plus others in pipeline.

Thank f--k for the Wills and Trusts.

Doing a big push with Doctors and going to have stand at one of their seminars on 16th March and hope to do this every 2-4 weeks.

Further information about The Asset Protection Strategy can be found at our website at http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.co.uk/

To see the testimonial in full, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100320Barry.pdf

Mortgage Strategy: You don't have to be a lawyer to sell wills

2010-04-07T01:10:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I looked at why wills and trusts represent a new revenue opportunity for brokers. One of the main reasons is that around two-thirds of your clients are likely to have no will.

But what level of technical expertise do you need before you can start offering this kind of advice?

Well, you don't need to retrain as a lawyer, nor do you need formal qualifications. And wills and trusts are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Your role is purely to sell the concept to your clients and relay the basics of asset protection including marriage after death, bloodline protection, long-term care and life assurance including death-in-service benefits, plus potential Inheritance Tax savings.

You need to do a bit of work to obtain a sufficient understanding of these areas but this can be done in a day or two, not a year. Many of you will have a reasonable understanding of these areas already, which will make it easier still.

Once you have discussed your clients' circumstances with them and explained the ways they may be exposed through incorrect or absent estate planning and asset protection, the creation of wills and trusts can be passed onto a third party legal services company.

And any advice you give will be protected by the legal partner's professional idemnity cover.

To unlock this opportunity you simply need to understand the subject and the best way to introduce it to your clients. I'll explain that in my next article.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100312MortgageStrategy.pdf

Cherry: Discover how an Adviser achieved a nine-fold increase in Protection income during the Credit Crunch...

2010-04-06T01:22:00.001-07:00

If you're involved in financial services as an IFA, a mortgage adviser or general insurance broker, this free report reveals three significant ways you could boost your business...

INCREASE THE VALUE OF EACH SALE
Your clients will want a full review of all their policies when you explain the strategy

GUARANTEED REFERRAL GENERATOR
Your clients will automatically introduce you to their trusted friends and family

EARN A BRAND NEW REVENUE SOURCE
You'll enjoy a valuable immediate and long-term income without a liability or claw back risk

Discover how you can increase your income in under 30 days. You'll also receive a free calculator to show how much this could be worth to you.

To see the full article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100303CherryBroadcast.pdf

Mortgage Strategy: Where there's no will there's a way

2010-04-01T04:08:00.001-07:00

Unbelievably, around 75% of individuals don't have a will, and a significant percentage of those who do have an out-of-date or incorrectly drafted one.

The consequences of this can be catastrophic, both personally and financially.

For example, if both parents die without a valid will that indicates their childcare wishes, under UK law the courts will decide on the destiny of their children regardless of what they might have wanted.

In some cases this has resulted in children being taken into the social care system because relatives have not been considered suitable to do the job. If you didn't know this, the chance are your clients don't either.

Also, it is likely that most of the life insurance policies held by your customers are not written in trust. This can not only result in assets falling into the wrong hands but might also mean unnecessarily punitive Inheritance Tax payments.

Meanwhile, a high proportion of your customers are likely to have no life insurance in place, thus exposing their family to potential financial stress in the event of their death.

And your clients may not be aware that if they have more than £23,000 in assets in the tax year in 2009/10 their home might have to be sold to pay for their long-term care. This could be avoided by the use of trusts and other legitimate measures.

There is a huge potential market for mortgage advisers to move into and it is still largely untapped.

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100222MortgageStrategy.pdf

Mortgage Strategy: Mortgage Advice Bureau signs up with TAPS

2010-03-31T03:22:00.001-07:00

The Asset Protection Strategy has signed agreements to work with Mortgage Advice Bureau and IFA firm Lansdown Place.

The recently launched company has earmarked asset protection, the process of protecting an individual or family's wealth legally and from HM Revenue and Customs, as a growth area in the financial services.

Peter Brodnicki, chief executive at Mortgage Advice Bureau, says: "Being a mortgage broker these days is about more than advising on mortgages.

"It's about finding ways to reignite your client base and finding markets to move into, ideally those that tie in with your existing business.

"We believe The Asset Protection Strategy is one such market and we are excited about offering it to our clients."

Simon Harris, chief executive at Lansdown Place, says: "The Asset Protection Strategy is a logical addition to any IFA or wealth manager's proposition and represents a powerful revenue channel.

"We expect it to be a significant market for us in the months and years ahead."

Jeff Smith, commercial director at The Asset Protection Strategy, says: "We're thrilled to have signed such well-recognised and respected brands as Lansdown Place and Mortgage Advice Bureau.

"Our proposition is proving to be of great interest in both the mortgage and IFA worlds, as it fits so well with the services offered by professional client advisers."

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100215MortgageStrategy.pdf

Financial Times Adviser - APS offers asset protection workshop

2010-03-30T01:35:00.001-07:00

Advisers are being offered the chance to add asset protection to their proposition through a workshop created by the Asset Protection Strategy.

The asset protection and estate planning provider, which launched last month, has created a study programme designed to build adviser's knowledge of the product.

The course includes a training workshop day comprising of 10 hours of continuing professional development accreditation at a cost of £495, VAT not included.

The workshop will primarily focus on building the necessary sales skills onto the basic principles and rules of asset protection, from wills and trust creation through to inheritance tax planning and bloodline protection.

However, advisers will not write the wills or trusts themselves. Instead, a third party legal provider will be responsible for all will and trust creation.

Daniel Bloomfield, director of The Asset Protection Strategy, said: "Fewer deals, falling procuration fees and smaller case sizes are making it a very difficult environment for advisers.

"As a result, they need to look for new ways to boost revenues. Adding an asset protection service to their businesses instantly provides them with a new reason to talk to their existing clients and a way to start conversations with new clients."

Andrew Montlake, director of London-based mortgage broker and wealth manager, Coreco Group, said: "We took a decision to embrace the change in the market and redevelop our entire business model.

"We felt that it was necessary to convert our proposition into a more holistic planning package rather than focus purely on mortgages, and asset protection, which we are finding our clients are very open to, is at the centre of this."

To see the original article, go to http://ping.fm/X1FW7

Mortgage Strategy - Asset protection business launches for brokers

2010-03-29T01:55:00.001-07:00

A company aiming to bring asset protection to brokers and IFAs has launched today providing asset protection training and promising average case earnings of £2,000.

The Asset Protection Strategy is looking to build asset protection, the process of protecting an individual or family's wealth legally and from HM Revenue and Customs, into a major growth area in the financial services sector.

Currently, more than two thirds of people do not have a will, while a significant percentage of those that do will have an out-of-date or incorrectly drafted will.

The company says this is a huge market for brokers to tap into, particularly as many life insurance policies are not written into trust or clients don't have any life assurance in place at all.

Advisers wanting to get into this area of financial services have to first complete a remote study programme followed by a training workshop.

The training package costs £495 plus VAT.

Brokers do not write the wills or trusts themselves, and third party legal providers will be responsible in drawing up wills and setting up trusts.

Professional indemnity cover protects all advice given, and as wills and trusts are not regulated by the FSA, no formal qualifications are needed.

The management team at the firm include directors Daniel Bloomfield and Matthew Mitchell, and Jeff Smith, commercial director.

Bloomfield specialised in pensions and investments with Legal and General for 10 years before spending 10 years in investment and residential finance.

Mitchell also worked at Legal and General for 15 years and has experience working with commercial and private banks, while Smith's experience spans Legal and General, Charcol and Chase De Vere.

Daniel Bloomfield, director of The Asset Protection Strategy, says: "Adding an asset protection service to brokers' businesses instantly provides them with a new reason to talk to their existing clients and a way to start conversations with new clients.

"Crucially, the vast majority of clients will be in need of and therefore highly amenable to, these services."

London brokerage Coreco Group has already signed up with The Asset Protection Strategy.

Andrew Montlake, director of Coreco, says: "We felt that it was necessary to convert our proposition into a more holistic planning package rather than focus purely on mortgages - and asset protection, which we're finding our clients are very open to, is at the centre of this.

"Now we're helping them not just to buy properties but also to protect those properties along with all their other assets. It's a piece of the puzzle that was previously missing."

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100127MortgageStrategy.pdf

Money Marketing: New firm targets mortgage brokers with estate planning service.

2010-03-26T03:42:00.001-07:00

A new firm is targeting mortgage brokers with a supervised estate planning service that they can use with their clients.

The Asset Protection Strategy offers training on will writing, trust creation and inheritence tax planning, although business will be put through a legal firm, meaning liability does not rest with advisers and it does not affect their professional indemnity cover.

APS says advisers can begin advising clients immediately after taking the firm’s course due to the fact these activities are unregulated by the FSA.

Advisers must complete a distance learning programme to learn the product basics before attending a training workshop to gain continuing professional development accreditation.

London-based mortgage broker and wealth manager Coreco Group are one of the first companies to sign up to the scheme.

Director Andrew Montlake says participating in the scheme allows Coreco to offer a more complete package.

He says: “We took a decision to embrace the change in the market and redevelop our entire business model. We felt that it was necessary to convert our proposition into a more holistic planning package rather than focus purely on mortgages - and asset protection, which we are finding our clients very open to, is at the centre of this.

Asset Protection Strategy director Daniel Bloomfield says the scheme adds another revenue stream for brokers at a time of difficult conditons in the mortgage market.

He says: “The mortgage market is virtually unrecognisable from two years ago. Fewer deals, falling proc fees and smaller case sizes are making it a very difficult environment for brokers.

“As a result, they need to look for new ways to boost revenues. Adding an asset protection service to their business instantly provides them with a new reason to talk to their existing clients and a way to start conversations with new clients. And crucially, the vast majority of clients will be in need of, and therefore highly amenable to, these services.”

To see the original article, go to http://www.theassetprotectionstrategy.com/pr/100127MoneyMarketing.pdf