Foresight Group partner Hugi Clarke told Money Marketing that upcoming inheritance tax changes are pushing advisers to “explore the full gamut of options” for clients.
Research from the firm shows nearly two-thirds of advisers now use Business Relief (BR) to protect assets, ahead of protection products (55%). Clarke said he is “not surprised” by BR’s popularity and expects strong growth, with £1.8bn invested in 2025 and £2.2bn so far this year.
He added that BR’s two-year qualification period makes it attractive for clients who delay IHT planning. However, Clarke believes the real issue is an “action gap” — advisers are raising IHT planning with clients, but action is only taken in about a third of cases, often due to concerns about losing access to their capital.