SAIF Golden Charter

New rules, new handbook

As it launches the Funeral Director Agreement and Funeral Plan Handbook, Golden Charter’s Director of Sales Mark Moran encourages funeral directors to prepare for new FPA rules impacting all registered funeral plan providers.

New FPA rules for all

The Funeral Planning Authority’s (FPA) strengthened Rules and Code of Practice came into play at the start of this year to provide customers with enhanced protection and security when taking out a funeral plan. Under the new requirements, all registered funeral plan providers must now enter into formal agreements with the funeral directors who sell and carry out their plans.

Golden Charter is leading the way in this respect, determined to be the most regulation-ready provider committed to putting customers at the heart of what we do, with the introduction of our funeral director agreement and funeral plan handbook.

The agreement is a contract all funeral directors who offer our plans will need to sign to continue working with us in future. The handbook provides a range of interactive support and guidance for those involved in selling and delivering funeral plans and contains the standards we need funeral directors to adopt.

Golden Charter partner of choice

By signing up to our agreement, you’ll have access to our interactive funeral plan handbook and our unrivalled partnership support package.

You’ll also have the reassurance that you are in the best position possible to demonstrate that you meet the principal objective of the new regulated environment, by making customers’ interests the single most important aim of your business.

Your Golden Charter Business Manager will contact you over the coming weeks to arrange an appointment to go through the documents with you. Please talk to your Business Manager and review the handbook and agreement when they become available to you. If you have any questions about the changes in the meantime, please get in touch with us by email or through your Golden Charter Business Manager.

This is the first major step in our transition to a fully regulated market and I appreciate that it is a journey that we are all being compelled to take.

That said it also represents a huge opportunity for the funeral planning industry and funeral directors, to reassure and encourage customers to continue to make advance provision for their funeral, by providing them with the same level of confidence they have in the banks and pension providers who they entrust to hold their money for future use. This will ultimately provide businesses with greater certainty for the future and help build stronger relationships with families and within communities.