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Showing posts from October, 2020

New Financial Administrator at Dersingham

We are extremely pleased to announce Nadine Scoles has joined us as a Financial Administrator with 12 years insurance experience and a business management qualification. She is very keen to progress through the Chartered Insurance Institute learning programme to further her career within the Company. During her spare time she likes to spend days out with her young family. Nadine is a lover of motorsport, gardening and nature walking. We wish Nadine every success with the Company and will support her along this journey.

Remote witnessing of wills

There has been much debate since COVID and social distancing about whether wills could be executed remotely. The issue has surrounded the understanding of the word “presence” and could it encompass remote video presence as well as physical presence? When initially put to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) remote presence was rejected in England and Wales “because it was open to abuse”. However the rules have now been relaxed to allow “remote presence” and the main points are as follows: backdated to 31 January 2020 will last until 31 January 2022 or until necessary applies to both wills and codicils MoJ authorised as a last resort for emergencies only where possible arrange for witnesses to be physically present execution should be recorded and that sound and video sufficient to see and hear what is happening signatures must be wet witnesses must see testator sign and not just a pre recorded video While the government retains the power to reduce or extend the deadline for this amendment to

NS&I to pay all Premium Bonds prizes direct to customers’ bank accounts

NS&I has announced that, from the December 2020 Premium Bonds prize draw, they are stopping prize payments by warrant (like a cheque) and will be paying prizes straight into customers’ bank accounts instead. It’s quicker, easier and safer than waiting for a cheque to arrive in the post. They will be doing this in phases, and by March 2021 they will no longer send any prize cheques through the post. Premium Bonds customers can also continue to choose to have any prizes reinvested into more Premium Bonds, up to the maximum holding of £50,000. Whether you have your prizes paid to your bank accounts or reinvested, you can choose to be told the good news by email or text message. You will need to tell NS&I your bank details to carry on receiving any prizes. They will hold on to any prizes you win until they have these bank details. Visit their website for details on how you do this.

Managing Director Ben Allen achieves Fellowship

We have great pleasure in announcing Ben Allen has become a Fellow of the Personal Financial Society (FPFS) and joins co-director Michael Crisp and only c3,342 other fellows worldwide. A Fellow of is the very highest designation awarded by the Personal Finance Society, who are part of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), which is the world’s largest professional body for insurance and financial services in the world and is well known around the world, for the quality and breadth of its exams and qualifications. Fellowship confirms commitment to further self-improvement and is available only to those who demonstrate their ability. It is a major achievement in the financial industry and demonstrates the acquisition of skills and knowledge at the highest of levels.