CTT at the BWAP Awards 2024!

The BWAP Awards are a highlight of the industry social calendar. It’s a night of celebration; congratulating successes and raising a glass, with the buzz of noisy networking and excited chatter in the air.

But the evening took a playfully surreal turn at this year’s event when CTT’s MD Andrew Houston took to the stage – or rather, his AI avatar did. You could have heard a pin drop as his ‘evil’ digital twin addressed the audience of stunned advisers, warning them to “Remain seated, eyes on me. No phones. No talking… your compliance will be noted,” – a tongue-in-cheek nod to the powerful impact AI is having right now, taking over the industry – and the world(!)

Under the watchful eye of the robots, all attendees had a fantastic night at Manchester’s glittering Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. This is the second year CTT has sponsored the awards, and it was a pleasure to once again be headlining this stand-out industry event.

Having so many professionals from across the sector come together to celebrate the achievements of colleagues, peers, and the advisory industry as whole was a privilege for us at CTT and an uplifting experience shared by all.

A positive industry future

Following an impactful introduction from his AI alter-ego, the real Andrew Houston opened the evening with a stirring speech, highlighting the bright future of the advisory sector.

Sharing figures that predict positive trends for Estate Planning services, he revealed that the UK is set to witness £7 trillion in intergenerational wealth transfer over the next 30 years due to an aging population, increased wealth, and longer life expectancy, fuelling demand for estate planning services.

He also pointed out that more individuals, including the younger generation, are seeking advice on wills, trusts, and probate.

“The value of estates is also increasing. We’re seeing a growing number of clients with significant wealth, driven by rising property values and investments. This surge in personal wealth means that our services are more crucial than ever, particularly as inheritance tax charges continue to climb.” he said.

The latest figures from HMRC show a record £7.1 billion collected in inheritance tax last year alone – and this figure is expected to grow with forecasts of £9.7 billion by 2028 and that’s before any expected increases are announced later this month in the budget.

Andrew concluded: “All of this means opportunity—more clients needing our guidance, more estates that can benefit from expert planning, and more ways we can help mitigate taxes and ensure legacies are preserved for future generations,” a deeply motivational and well-received summation.

CTT: Supporting a thriving sector

To support this positive industry outlook and anticipated surge in customer demand, CTT Group is focused on providing you with the Knowledge, Tools, and Growth to seize those opportunities and thrive within this sector.

As a constantly evolving field bursting with new challenges, knowledge is the foundation of everything we do in estate planning. To help you stay ahead, we focus on continuous education, offering training for advisers at all levels.

Through CTT’s Training Portal, you can access learning resources and professional training courses to boost your knowledge and expand your expertise.

You can also access the AI Client Simulator, a digital chat tool to help you practise client conversations, brush up on technical knowledge, and polish your soft skills. Build confidence in gaining client trust and master complex scenarios ahead of meetings using CTT’s interactive AI technology.

The right tools for the job

Knowledge alone isn’t enough. To keep up with increased industry demand, you need the right digital tools to apply it.

Our innovative Legacy Software streamlines the estate planning process, offering clients a seamless digital experience with personalised, interactive reports that support informed decision-making.

We’ve seen incredible results from advisers using Legacy Portal, with clients reportedly feeling more confident in their advisers and opting for more comprehensive solutions, directly boosting business returns.

As the sector continues to thrive, we’re here to help you capitalise on that growth through digitisation, client database optimisation, and referral generation, driving your business to new heights.

Here’s to another successful year!

There’s a lot to look forward to in our industry over the coming months; we anticipate 2025 will bring with it numerous challenges, which we welcome, and exciting advancements, which we’ll be eager to share with you when the time comes.

A big thank you to the British Wills and Probate Awards for a fantastically memorable event and for allowing us to be headline sponsor for another year. Huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees – here’s to the next 12 months of industry success!

Feeling inspired? If you want to make 2025 your year – and maybe even win an industry award – contact CTT’s Director of Partnerships, Jonathan Maskew, to find out how CTT’s Partnership Team can put you on the road to success.