Hours of operation over Christmas and New Year Period 2026/27
The following are applicable on all on ex-Quilter IOM, Ireland and Guernsey, and ex-Axa books
Isle of Man office opening hours (GMT time)
| Wednesday, 23 December | 08:30 – 17:00 |
| Thursday, 24 December | 08:30 – 12:30 |
| Friday, 25 December | Closed |
| Monday, 28 December | Closed |
| Tuesday, 29 December | 08:30 – 17:00 |
| Wednesday, 30 December | 08:30 – 17:00 |
| Thursday, 31 December | 08:30 – 12:30 |
| Friday, 1 January | Closed |
| Monday, 4 January | Offices re-open and usual business hours apply henceforth |
Singapore and Hong Kong office opening hours (HKT time)
| Wednesday, 23 December | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Thursday, 24 December | 09:00 – 13:00 |
| Friday, 25 December | Closed |
| Monday, 28 December | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Tuesday, 29 December | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Wednesday, 30 December | 09:00 – 13:00 |
| Thursday, 31 December | 09:00 – 13:00 |
| Friday, 1 January | Closed |
| Monday, 4 January | Offices re-open and usual business hours apply henceforth |
We will certainly endeavour to process any requests received after these dates prior to 31 December; however, we cannot guarantee completion within this timeframe, in particular where the transaction is subject to a third parties’ action outside of our control.
New Business and Single Premium Top-ups
ApApproved ONLINE Applications/Top Ups up to 17:00 (GMT) Friday, 11 December for Portfolio Bonds will be processed prior to year-end. All subject to the following being received:
- Adequate anti money laundering and client due diligence information including any documentation/evidence
- Premium from the applicant’s bank as detailed within the online application
- Supporting Documentation uploaded meets requirement
- Tax self-certification documentation – individual or entity version
PAPER Applications up to 17:00 (GMT) Monday, 7 December for Unit Linked and Portfolio Bonds will be processed prior to year-end. All subject to the following being received:
- Original application (clean)
- Premium from the applicant’s bank as detailed on the application form
- Adequate anti money laundering and client due diligence information including any documentation/evidence requested at trigger for Top Ups
- Investment Instructions (clear)
- Any other supporting documentation required
- Renewal Premium method (U/L only)
- Tax self-certification documentation – individual or entity version
Incoming outstanding requirements including the premium for pended cases must be received by 17:00 (GMT) Monday, 7 December to enable the Bond to be issued prior to year-end.
All the above is subject to the incoming requirements and premiums, including clear source of funds and client due diligence meeting our requirements.
Claim requests – partial and full surrender
Approved Payment requests up to 17:00 (GMT) Friday, 11 December for Portfolio and Unit Linked Bonds will be processed prior to year-end.
Any instructions received after this date will be completed on a best endeavors basis.
The payment of withdrawals is dependent on there being available cash or settlement of any asset sales together with no outstanding client due diligence information or evidence in accordance with our AML regulatory requirements.
Where paying to an account not previously paid, we may also complete a security call where we deem it necessary.
Anti-Money Laundering requirements
Isle of Man and Irish financial institutions have a regulatory obligation to constantly review information and documentation we hold for our policyholders.
For payments, a full file review may be required, and any deficiencies in our customer due diligence files must be satisfied before payment can be released. To avoid the possibility of delay, we recommend submitting updated identification documents in accordance with our guidance: AML Guide – https://www.utmostwealthdocs.com/mb/B5xcaW
We reserve the right to delay payment where settlement of any required sale is not received or where dealing criteria such as market value adjusters, weekly or monthly dealing timings or notice periods apply. This also applies to the switching of weekly valued funds (Unit Linked only).
The quickest way for an adviser/customer to get their New Business, Top Up, Dealing, One-off withdrawal and full surrender instructions to us is by submitting online via Wealth Interactive wherever possible. The time savings are considerable and our recommendation for the rest of this year is to submit online where possible to avoid queues of paperwork.
Switch Requests (Unit Linked)
Switches for daily dealing funds received on Thursday, 24 December and Thursday, 31 December prior to 12:30 will be processed as normal.
Commission payments (Unit Linked and Portfolio Bond)
Commission/Fees will continue to be paid as normal in accordance with individual Adviser requirements. However, if the payment due date falls on a day when Utmost International is closed, then the commission/fees will be paid on the next working day.
The last available date for any advance commission requests before the holidays will be 10:00 (GMT) Thursday, 24 December. Any commission/fees generated after this point cannot be advanced and paid until Tuesday, 29 December.
Dealing
Although we will endeavour to execute trades within SLA, it will not be guaranteed over the holidays and submitting requests early is encouraged.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in 2026 and wish you all a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.