Spear’s Review

Rob May, an executive director at SPF Private Clients (part of the Howden group) and a qualified trust and estate practitioner, advises on high-value life insurance, with a particular focus on policies tailored to clients’ inheritance tax and wealth planning needs.

The adviser, who tells Spear’s that the firm is equipped to place coverage in excess of £100 million, mostly works with international HNW individuals, businesses and trustees. ‘One of the unique features of the Howden life insurance proposition is that we operate in so many different jurisdictions,’ he says. ‘I can lean on colleagues in other markets to get additional cover while coordinating that process under the same roof.’

The government’s changes to inheritance tax have meant a ‘sheer increase in demand’: ‘The changes have forced people to look at life insurance in a way that they wouldn’t have needed to before,’ he explains. While life insurance has often been overlooked, he adds, ‘it makes a lot of sense, because it’s relatively cost-effective and it gives clients the liquidity that an estate would need if something happens’.

Adviser Profile

Rob is a leading international life insurance adviser with 15 years’ experience and has placed over £3 billion of life insurance sums for high-net-worth individuals, trustees and businesses.

A qualified trust and estate practitioner and holder of the Chartered Insurance Institute’s diploma in financial planning, he combines specialist knowledge of UK and international life insurance markets with expertise in wealth and estate planning. This enables him to provide holistic solutions for clients, including those with cross-border tax considerations.

He is widely recognised for his ability to structure and place substantial life insurance policies for clients, whilst securing the best possible underwriting terms.