Pre-paid funeral plan trust regulation – assessing your options

Most operators of trust-based pre-paid funeral plans will be reappraising their operations this summer, with the publication last week of the Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming regulatory regime. Their document, https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/policy/ps21-8.pdf, sets out the new rules that will apply from 29th July next year. Those rules are heavily based on the way the FCA regulate other financial “products” at the moment. Their key concerns cover four main areas: Fair sales process – clarity of information, appropriateness of sales Fair value and pricing of products Operational and financial robustness of the plan – fit and proper tests, administrative security, capital adequacy requirements, Backup – financial and administrative backup when things go wrong There will be a great deal of detail to understand, some of it highly technical. Plan providers will have a number of options for how they react. These are likely to include: Getting their plan up to the FCAs required standard and applying for authorisation Seeking to merge their trust with another one Winding up the trust Making the right decision will be crucial for the future profitability of the plan provider’s business and share value. These are big decisions and having expert guidance will be essential. But this is a specialised area and advice, from people who understand the technicalities, is hard to find. Guardian Professional FPT, who specialise in pre-paid funeral plan trusts, have put together an advisory team to steer you though the whole process – evaluating the alternatives, implementing the practicalities of the decision and helping you develop an ongoing strategy. Guardian’s in-house team includes an experienced funeral plan trust trustee and a lawyer with extensive experience of trusts. Their advisory team includes an experienced funeral plan trust actuary, an FCA compliance consultant with experience of getting SIPPs through the FCAs application process and a funeral plan trust auditor and tax adviser. You, the plan provider, stay in the driving seat – Guardian provide a fully tailored level of support specific to you. Having helped you to understand the options and the technicalities, Guardian can help you implement your choice. This might be steering you through your FCA application process, brokering a merger with another trust, or dealing with the winding up of your plan. If you go down the FCA approval route they can help you with your ongoing operations and compliance. An initial conversation costs nothing, and places you under no obligation. It could be well worth your while calling Richard Leigh on 07802 591986 or emailing richard.leigh@guardian-professional.com for an introductory discussion. Take a look at Guardian’s website: www.gpfpt.co.uk