Post-budget priorities: making protection central to client advice

Since the 2024 Budget, financial advisers have seen a noticeable shift in how clients approach financial planning. Protection is no longer an afterthought – it’s becoming a core part of the conversation.

More clients are choosing whole of life assurance plans, aiming to secure funds for future tax bills and reduce the financial burden on loved ones. For some advisers, this feels like new territory, but it’s a welcome progression. Many are now collaborating more closely with specialist protection firms, recognising the value of expert knowledge and tailored solutions. 

Three key opportunities for advisers

1. Advice is more vital than ever
   Protection is the backbone of holistic financial planning—and with significant inheritance tax (IHT) changes on the horizon, timely guidance is essential.
   
   While many IHT strategies have stood the test of time, starting conversations early – before reforms take effect – can give clients confidence and control. It’s about helping them prepare, not react.
   
   Advisers are uniquely positioned to guide clients through this uncertainty. By looking ahead and tailoring advice to individual circumstances, they can turn complex tax planning into clear, actionable steps that safeguard wealth and ease future burdens.
2. Trusts
   When it comes to estate management, trusts combined with protection plans offer advisers and clients a powerful toolkit. Together, they provide control, tax efficiency, and financial security – all in one package.
   
   This approach is set to become even more important when IHT rules change. Government data published in July 2025 suggests that up to 10,500 estates could face IHT for the first time, with another 38,500 seeing increased liabilities.[2]
   
   Helping clients use trusts effectively can ease these burdens, ensuring wealth passes to the next generation smoothly and in line with their wishes. For advisers, it’s an opportunity to deliver real value, by turning complex tax challenges into clear, actionable solutions.
3. Intergenerational advice
   The next 20 years will see an unprecedented transfer of wealth from Baby Boomers to Millennials and Gen Z. For advisers, this is a unique opportunity to engage younger clients and build relationships that last across generations.
   
   By positioning protection and trusts as practical tools and not just technical solutions, advisers can help younger families manage wealth and safeguard their futures. These conversations make protection advice relevant and relatable, especially for those starting to think about long-term security and family stability.
   
   Advisers who embrace this shift now will be the ones who stay connected as wealth moves from one generation to the next.

Looking forward

Bringing the 2024 and 2025 Budget changes together into a clear, robust financial plan gives advisers the chance to lead clients confidently through uncertain times.

Placing protection at the heart of advice doesn’t just solve today’s challenges, it builds the confidence clients need for whatever the future holds.

Sources

1. Association of Mortgage Intermediaries, Protection Viewpoint: The Next Chapter- November 2025.

2. Inheritance Tax on pensions: liability, reporting and payment — Summary of responses - GOV.UK Published on 21 July 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0..