Golden Charter

[Biccylova]

I am considering making a funeral plan and will with Golden Charter, does anyone know if this company is as good as it sounds? and is it a good idea to put my house in trust for my family? has anyone had any problems with this company? I am a bit nervous about it all.

[andy-hughes]

I'd speak to your solicitor for some unbiased advice on making a will and putting your house in trust.

Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch, that website, and no doubt expensive offices and staff all paid from somewhere, that will be their fees to you, which you may not need to pay.

[woofgang]

If I needed will advice rather than just writing my own, I would go to a “proper” solicitor who is regulated rather than to a will writer who is not. You don’t have to name them, or their company as executors, in fact the bloke (solicitor) who did my will advised me not to! If you want a funeral plan then most of the national funeral director type companies will sell you one. You say what you want, they give you a price, you pay for it, end of story, nothing more for the family to pay unless they want to add anything. As for putting the house in trust, well that wants thinking about very seriously....and not advice taken from a firm with a vested interest in doing it for you!

[andy-hughes]

This can be bracketed under the PPI situation - there are hundreds of companies who will advertise that they can do something for you, and then charge you for it, when the reality is, you can either do it yourself for free, or get a professional in the appropriate area to advise you for a fraction of the costs in involved by these organisations.

The pitch and adverts are very slick - but they would be, wouldn't they?

[woofgang]

I am always dubious when the price of anything is quoted as “from only” so much a week or month instead of telling you what the actual total cost is up front before listing how payment can be made.

[malana3]

I made contact with this company but realised that they were not for me. I was then subject to continuous marketing calls and I finally had to be rather rude to them before the calls stopped. Beware.

[Barmaid]

As has been said above a funeral plan is one thing - I'd shop around and see what is on offer.

In terms of putting your house into trust, take some sensible advice.

My great aunt and uncle got into the clutches of an unscrupulous firm who advised various trusts and tax saving mallarky and also advised them that their Wills were invalid (not Golden Charter I hasten to add). It took me about 15 mins to sort it out and explain to them that a) their Wills were perfectly OK and b) they did NOT need to spend £2k setting up a trust that was completely unnecessary.

I SO wanted to talk to the "Will advisor" at that firm but my mother stopped me (spoil sport!!!).

[Peter Pedant]

Listen to the wise words of Barmaid as she is One who Knows

a lot of my frenz have taken out Co op funeral plans
£7 a month I think.

most funerals costs exceed £4000 unless you burn them out the back whilst sipping pomagne

and as the lady says - you need to take proper advice about the tax advantages of putting the house in trust to the kidz.
You may find that setting up a trust in 2017 has no real tax advantages

wills trusts have had their day - I cant recommend who said that - one of the law lords I thought.

o and thx Barmaid for the Jemma trust case
very edifying reading ....

[Peter Pedant]

recollect not recommend
sozza

[Biccylova]

Thanks for all your replies, I will talk to someone.