• 56% growth for International Bond sales in 2024
  • Budget announcement drives demand as International Bond offers solution to investor IHT concerns  conducting a data cleanse exercise
  • 58% of advisers reevaluating role of Offshore Bonds

Standard Life continues to grow its Offshore Bond business securing three new platform panel positions for its International Bond. 

With a 56% increase in sales1 for its International Bond in 2024, helping secure one of the top three positions in the market, Standard Life is set to further cement its growth ambitions through new panel partnerships with 7IM, Nucleus and Parmenion, while additionally building on its long-standing arrangement with the Elevate platform.

This comes in the aftermath of the proposed IHT reforms announced in the Autumn Statement, that has seen advisers increasingly looking to incorporate offshore bond solutions into client portfolios as an efficient way of passing on assets. Standard Life research2 found that 58% of IFAs have reevaluated the role that offshore bonds could play in client plans following the autumn announcement.
 

International Bond as part of Platform General Investment Accounts
Available across the four platforms as part of a General Investment Account, (GIA), these panel position widen the reach of Standard Life’s International Bond and increase its accessibility to advisers and their clients. Investing in International Bond using a platform GIA provides access to additional investment opportunities while investors enjoy platform and product benefits, accompanied by the adviser support and technical expertise of both companies.
 

Warren Bright, Head of Retail Intermediary and Private Client Distribution at Standard Life, said: “With significant IHT changes anticipated in coming years, the opportunities to further protect clients and provide tax efficient returns has put offshore investing front and centre with advisers and their UK clients. 

“We have been steadily building our presence in the offshore market with our International Bond spearheading our approach. Securing panel positions with key platform providers is central to our strategy and opens up the benefits of offshore investing to a wider audience of retail investors. A significant plus for advisers using the 7IM, Nucleus and Parmenion Platforms to access International Bond is the ability to seamless align a client’s existing investment strategies with a single account.” 

Standard Life is actively pursuing further platform opportunities as it builds out its offshore business with UK advisers and their clients.

 

Notes to editors 

  1. Source:  Standard Life 
  2. Source:  Research by Opinium on behalf of Standard Life. 200 IFA’s were surveyed between 6th February – 12th February 2025.

 

Media enquiries

For further information, photos, video content or interviews, contact:

Darragh Leeson/James Merrick 
Senior PR Manager/PR Manager


Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group
07707 270001/ 07974 063067
darragh_leeson@standardlife.com/ james_merrick@standardlife.com

 

 

 

About Standard Life

  • Standard Life is a brand that has been trusted to look after peoples’ life savings for nearly 200 years 
  • Today it proudly serves millions of customers who come to Standard Life directly, through advisers and through their employers’ pension schemes.
  • Standard Life is part of Phoenix Group, the largest long-term savings and retirement business in the UK. We’re proud to be building on nearly 200 years of Standard Life heritage together.
  • Our products include a variety of Pensions, Bonds and Retirement options to suit people’s needs, helping our customers to invest and save for their future. We’re proud to offer a leading range of sustainable and responsible investment options.
  • We support our customers on their journey to and through retirement with comprehensive, easy-to-understand guidance so they can invest in the right way for their needs and plan a future they feel confident about.
  • Standard Life is the proud headline sponsor of Race for Life, Cancer Research UK’s flagship fundraising event series.

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