Welcome

We've dedicated this page to provide you with more information about who we are and about the transfer of the Halifax Child Trust Funds (CTFs) to Forester Life.

We look after over 1.5 million children's savings Plans

Our customers rate us 4.7 out of 5 stars

Taking care of family finances for over 145 years

Choose how you do business with us

COVID-19 and your child's CTF

Financial markets have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic this year as concerns have risen of a global recession. As a result, you may have noticed an impact on the value of your child’s CTF.

The fund that your child’s CTF is invested in, the Halifax UK FTSE Tracking Fund, dropped 33% to its lowest point on 23^rd March 2020. However, helped by unprecedented supportive action from both global central banks and governments, markets have stabilised a little and recovered some of these losses.

By the time we took over your child’s CTF on 10^th April, the underlying fund had recovered from the low levels in March, by 15%. More recently, at the end of June, the value has risen a little higher from the transfer date (+8.6%), and so the drop in value of the CTF is not linked to the transfer from Halifax to us.

Events like this do not often occur, but history has shown that when volatility increases in financial markets they have usually recovered in the long term.

Our general advice is to think about the medium to long-term investment and ride out the uncertainty. Previous underlying economic conditions were strong, and whilst markets are currently feeling the effect of COVID-19, there is no underlying reason why markets should not return to their previous state.

In the past the markets have experienced bigger drops and have recovered. Volatility is one of the main reasons why investors sell at the wrong time and often fail to benefit from any potential recovery over the long-term. For more information about investing in a volatile market, read our article >

If you do have any questions our Customer Services teams are here to help and can be contacted on 0333 600 0333 lines are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. If you are looking to take advantage of our face-to-face service, at this present time our Financial Advisers are not visiting customers' homes.

Driven to share not shareholder driven

Forester Life is a mutual financial services company with over £4.5bn funds under management, as of 31^st December 2019. Our UK based operations look after around 3 million members and customers helping them achieve their financial goals. We are part of an international membership organisation, Foresters Financial, operating in the UK, Canada and the US. We exist for the benefit of our members, customers and their communities.

Our unique history began in 1874 when we set out to provide access to life insurance for working families. More than 145 years later we provide life and critical illness insurance, income protection, together with a range of savings and investment products to meet your family's needs at various stages of life.

As the UK’s largest CTF provider – we look after more funds under management than any other provider, which is why more than 1.5 million customers choose to save for their child's future with us.

More about the transfer

Your child's CTF has now been transferred from Halifax to us. Your child's CTF continues to invest in the same fund as before, the Halifax UK FTSE 100 Tracking Fund. The total annual charge for looking after the CTF will remain at only 1% per annum. This is the only charge and covers everything from investment management charges to administration.

As part of the transfer, the Registered Contact would have received a transfer closing statement showing the final value of the CTF with Halifax, together with the new Forester Life personalised Plan Document. This details the amount transferred, any regular monthly payments, and the Plan's Terms and Conditions.

In addition, we also provided you with details about how to create your online MyPlans account, which you are now able to activate.

More about the CTF

Important payment information

Any Direct Debits set up will continue to collect as normal, this includes any made by family and friends. The only change you will see is Forester Life instead of Halifax on your bank statement. You can continue to save from as little as £10 and you can choose any collection date to suit your payment needs.

Please note, although we planned to move any standing order payments set up with Halifax, this has not been possible. We kindly ask that you cancel any current standing order payments as the bank account has been closed and therefore any gift contributions will be returned. Both Halifax and ourselves apologise for any inconvenience caused, however, you can set up a new gift contribution using our bank account details below.

Doing business in a way that suits you

We offer a comprehensive choice of services, whether this is online, email, telephone or face-to-face.

The Registered Contact can view and manage the child’s CTF online 24/7 by creating a MyPlans account. With MyPlans you can view the Plan value, fund performance, access your document library and make contributions.

Family and friends can create their own MyPlans gifter account where they can make payments online too.

Create a MyPlans account

Making the most of your child's CTF with Forester Life

The information below details just some of the benefits of having your child's CTF with us and the service we will provide.

Take a look at our Child Trust Fund Extra page for more information about the product, how it is invested, payments and important documents.

The Child Trust Fund Extra

Online account management

You have access to an online account, MyPlans. By creating a MyPlans account you will be able to make single and monthly contributions to the child’s Plan, view the Plan value, fund performance, fund information and access your document library online 24/7.

Family and friends can also create their own MyPlans gifter account. They can see their payments, past performance of the fund, access personal correspondence and make further contributions. If you are currently contributing to a CTF by Direct Debit, you can create your MyPlans account.

If you are making a new payment into the CTF you can set up your MyPlans gifter account at the end of your contribution application.

Create your MyPlans account

Make a gift payment

Payment flexibility
We offer flexibility with your contributions, from the type of payment to how you can make them. You can make payments in five easy ways.

Online
Debit card, direct credit and monthly Direct Debits can be set up online. For Direct Debits, you can choose any collection date to suit your payment needs. You can also make online payments by creating your MyPlans account.

Phone
You can set up a Direct Debit and make debit card payments by calling Customer Services on 0333 600 0333. Lines are open from 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Post
You can send us a cheque, payable to Forester Life to Freepost RSKL-ATSJ-JHYS, Forester Life, Foresters House, 2 Cromwell Avenue, Bromley, BR2 9BF. Please write the child’s name and Plan number on the back of the cheque.

Direct from your bank
You can make a payment by direct credit with your bank or building society using the details below. Please ensure you quote the Plan number as the reference. Account name: Forester Life Account Number: 00761060 Account Sort Code: 60-00-01 For overseas customers – IBAN: GB16NWBK6000 0100 7610 60

Face-to-face
Direct Debits, cheques and direct credits can be made face-to-face with one of our Financial Advisers. Our Advisers are paid directly, and therefore they will not charge for any advice given.

When your child reaches 18
Just before your child's 18^th birthday we will provide details about the options available at maturity and the value of the CTF.

On their 18^th birthday the CTF will mature and automatically be transferred to an ISA in their name. The ISA will continue to invest in the same fund as before, with the same charges and tax-free status, although regulations do not allow us to accept any further contributions into the Plan.

From age 18 onwards the Planholder will have a variety of options. The money can be left in the Plan before deciding whether to withdraw the money, or reinvest all or some of the money in an Adult ISA. They will be able to do this online, over the phone, or get face-to-face advice should they wish.

For more information visit our Child Trust Fund Information Hub >

Reducing investment risk
We offer an optional benefit called Lifestyling which changes the way that the Plan is invested from the child’s 15th birthday up until maturity, reducing investment risk. Lifestyling continues to provide potential for growth, whilst progressively reducing investment risk, by moving a proportion of any contributions and the fund value from the existing fund into a lower risk managed fund, with less exposure to equities. We will provide more information before your child's 15th birthday to enable you to choose to opt into this benefit. For more information, please read the Child Trust Fund Extra brochure.

Keeping pace with inflation
An additional benefit of the Plan is that we will provide an easy way to keep your contributions in line with inflation. Each year we will increase your monthly contribution by the Retail Price Index (subject to a minimum of 2.5% and maximum contribution limit). This is one less thing to think about whilst you save for their future. We will write to you each year before this happens and you have the option to opt out of this at any time.

Covered by the FSCS
The CTF is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This means if in the unlikely event that we cannot meet our obligations, your child will be entitled to 100% of the value of their CTF.

A unit-linked life plan
The CTF invests into a unit-linked plan which will continue to invest directly into the same fund as before, the Halifax UK FTSE 100 Tracking Fund. The unit price changes directly in line with the investment performance of the fund.

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. As with all stock market investments, the value of your child's Child Trust Fund can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than has been paid in.

Take a look at the Child Trust Fund Extra product page

What is a CTF?

Read our article to find out all of the information you need to know about Child Trust Funds, from when the money can be accessed to maximising contributions.

Learn more about CTFs

Stakeholder explained

Your child’s Child Trust Fund is a stakeholder product, but what does this really mean? Take a look at the differences between a stakeholder and a non-stakeholder Child Trust Fund.

Find out what Stakeholder means

CTFs and Junior ISAs

The aim of both products is to save for a child's future. Want to know what the differences and similarities are between a Child Trust Fund and a Junior ISA? Read our article to find out more.

Read about CTFs and Junior ISAs

What happens to CTFs when the child reaches age 18?

We look after over 1.5 million child savings Plans so we understand the importance of making sure we keep our customers up to date. If you’d like to know more about how the Planholders will be able to access their money when they reach 18, or would like to know more details, we have created a hub with the information.

Child Trust Fund Hub