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Will Services ROI: Data-Driven Analysis for Client Base Expansion

· 18 min

Executive Summary

Financial adviser practices face a structural retention crisis: ongoing advice revenue now constitutes 80% of total adviser income, yet research indicates 81% of inheritors intend to switch advisory firms within two years of receiving an inheritance. With an estimated GBP 5.5 to 7 trillion set to transfer between UK generations over the coming decades, and only 9% of adults receiving regulated financial advice, practices that fail to engage beneficiaries before inheritance events risk compound revenue erosion. This article constructs a data-driven ROI framework for will service integration, modelling three implementation pathways against FCA retail intermediary data, HMRC inheritance tax statistics, and ONS mortality projections. The residence-based IHT regime enacted from April 2025, combined with pension death benefit taxation from April 2027, materially expands the addressable market for estate planning advisory services.

1. The Retention Crisis in Numbers

The economic structure of the UK financial advice market has shifted decisively toward recurring revenue. FCA Retail Intermediary Market Data for 2024 records that ongoing advice revenue now represents 80% of all adviser income, a marked increase from 60% in 2016.1 Total reported revenue from retail investment intermediation reached GBP 5.3 billion in 2023, with 37,441 retail investment adviser posts recorded in 2024, a marginal decline from 37,618 the previous year.2 This concentration of revenue in ongoing relationships means that client attrition carries disproportionate economic consequences for practices of all sizes.

The scale of that attrition risk is quantified by intergenerational wealth transfer research. The Capgemini World Wealth Report 2025 found that 81% of inheritors plan to switch advisory firms within one to two years of receiving their inheritance.3 Separately, industry estimates suggest 87% of beneficiaries would not retain their parents' adviser, with the primary driver being the absence of a pre-existing relationship with the next generation.4 Conference data from the FTRC/EATT event in January 2026 suggested that existing advisers may capture as little as 10% of transferred assets -- a figure that, while derived from conference presentation rather than formal peer-reviewed research, has gained significant traction in industry discussions and warrants serious consideration by practice leaders.5

The FCA's Financial Lives 2024 survey, based on fieldwork with 17,950 respondents between February and June 2024, found that only 9% of UK adults had received financial advice about pensions or investments in the preceding twelve months.6 Approximately 7 million adults hold GBP 10,000 or more in cash savings but do not invest, representing a substantial advice gap that intersects directly with estate planning demand. The Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR) evaluation published in December 2020 had found the market improving "albeit slowly," with approximately 8% (4.1 million) of UK adults having received financial advice, up from 6% (3.1 million) at the time of FAMR's original publication in 2016.7 The modest improvement from 8% to 9% over the subsequent four years underscores the persistent structural challenge in expanding the advised population.

The combination of a shrinking adviser population, concentrated ongoing revenue, and systemic failure to engage the next generation creates a measurable threat to practice sustainability. For a practice generating GBP 375,000 in annual ongoing advice revenue from a 200-client book (at average AUM of GBP 250,000 and a 0.75% fee), losing even 5% of clients annually to intergenerational attrition without replacement erodes the revenue base by approximately 23% over five years. Against this backdrop, will services represent a mechanism for early beneficiary engagement. By facilitating estate planning conversations that include beneficiaries, adviser practices can establish advisory relationships before inheritance events trigger the switching behaviour documented in the research. The economic logic is straightforward: practices investing in intergenerational engagement protect their single largest revenue stream.

2. The Demand Catalyst: Inheritance Tax Regime Changes

The Finance Act 2025 enacted a fundamental restructuring of the UK's approach to inheritance tax for individuals with international connections. The residence-based IHT regime, effective from 6 April 2025, replaced the long-standing domicile-based system with a long-term UK residence test.8 Under the new framework (IHTA 1984 s.6A), foreign assets fall within the scope of IHT when an individual has been UK resident for at least 10 out of the last 20 tax years. Tail provisions of 3 to 10 years apply upon departure from the UK, creating an extended advisory requirement for internationally mobile clients.9 Technical amendments published by HMRC provide further operational detail on the transition from the domicile-based system, including the treatment of existing excluded property trusts and the interaction with double taxation agreements.10

This regime change materially expands the population requiring specialist estate planning advice. Individuals who previously relied on non-domicile status to shelter overseas assets now face IHT exposure based on residence duration alone. For IFA practices with internationally diverse client bases, this creates both a retention imperative and an acquisition opportunity: clients require updated estate planning, and will services provide the entry point for that conversation. The advisory need extends beyond the internationally mobile: the regime change has prompted broader media and professional coverage of IHT planning, raising awareness among domestic clients who may not previously have considered their estate planning requirements.

The broader IHT landscape reinforces the demand trajectory. HMRC statistics show IHT liabilities reached GBP 6.70 billion in tax year 2022-23, representing a 12% (GBP 710 million) increase over the prior year and surpassing the previous peak of GBP 5.99 billion.11 The nil-rate band remains frozen at GBP 325,000, with the residence nil-rate band at GBP 175,000, both now confirmed frozen until 2029-30 under the Finance Act 2025.12 While more than 90% of estates are forecast to have no IHT liability in each of the next five years, the number of taxable estates continues to rise due to threshold freezing and asset price inflation. This fiscal drag draws an expanding cohort of clients into advisory need, particularly in London and the South East where property values most frequently breach the nil-rate band thresholds.

From April 2027, unused pension funds and death benefits will be brought within the scope of IHT, adding a further layer of advisory complexity.13 For practices already managing pension drawdown strategies, this development creates a natural bridge into estate planning and will services. The pension death benefit change is particularly significant because it affects clients who may not previously have considered their pension pot as part of their estate planning requirements. Practitioners managing client portfolios with substantial defined contribution pension pots will need to integrate IHT projections into retirement income planning, fundamentally altering the scope of ongoing advice conversations. HMRC implementation guidance remains pending as of February 2026, but the legislative framework is confirmed, and practices that begin positioning estate planning services now will be better placed when detailed guidance emerges.

From April 2026, agricultural property relief and business property relief will be reformed with a GBP 2.5 million per-estate allowance for 100% relief on qualifying assets; above that threshold, 50% relief applies, resulting in an effective IHT rate of 20% rather than the standard 40%.14 Any unused allowance is transferable between spouses and civil partners, giving an effective combined allowance of up to GBP 5 million for couples. While this primarily affects a narrower client segment, it illustrates the cumulative regulatory pressure expanding the estate planning advisory market and the increasing need for cross-disciplinary advisory relationships that encompass will services alongside investment and tax planning.

3. Building the ROI Model

Constructing a meaningful ROI framework for will service integration requires transparent assumptions and multiple scenario modelling. The following analysis uses a hypothetical 200-client IFA practice as the base case, drawing on publicly available data to model expected returns against implementation costs. All figures are illustrative and practices should adapt the framework to their own client demographics and fee structures.

Base Case Assumptions

Kings Court Trust research models that each client in a 200-client practice will statistically have 1.2 living parents and 3.66 beneficiaries per estate, creating potential to gain 16 new clients and approximately GBP 3 million in additional funds under management per annum through proactive intergenerational engagement.15 FCA data indicates average ongoing advice fees in the range of 0.5% to 1% of assets under management.16 For modelling purposes, the analysis assumes average AUM per client of GBP 250,000 and an ongoing fee of 0.75%, yielding annual ongoing revenue of GBP 1,875 per client relationship. Total practice ongoing revenue under these assumptions is GBP 375,000 per annum.

With 37,441 adviser posts serving a market where only 9% of adults receive advice, average caseloads and revenue per adviser provide a stable foundation for projection. The critical variable is the retention rate: a practice losing 5% of clients annually to natural attrition (death, relocation, dissatisfaction) faces compound revenue erosion of approximately 23% over five years without replacement. The FCA's multi-firm review noted that 90% of new clients are placed into ongoing advice arrangements, confirming that the economic model of advisory practices is structurally dependent on client continuity.17

Model A: Referral Partnership

The lowest-cost integration pathway involves establishing referral relationships with will writing firms or solicitor practices. Implementation costs are minimal: staff training on estate planning triage (approximately GBP 500-1,000 per adviser), relationship establishment with a suitable will writing partner, and referral protocol documentation. The practice acts as a connector rather than a provider, facilitating access to estate planning services without taking on the compliance burden of will preparation.

Estimated annual cost: GBP 2,000-5,000 (staff time, training, relationship management).

Revenue impact: Referral partnerships primarily deliver retention benefits rather than direct revenue. By introducing clients to estate planning services and facilitating beneficiary introductions, practices create touchpoints that reduce intergenerational switching risk. If referral engagement reduces the 81% switching rate by even 15 percentage points -- from 81% to 66% -- the retained revenue over a five-year cycle across a 200-client book is substantial.

Illustrative calculation: Assuming 10 client deaths per annum (consistent with a mature client base where the median client age is 60-65), with average AUM of GBP 250,000, the revenue at risk from each switching beneficiary is GBP 1,875 per annum. If referral engagement retains 3 additional beneficiary relationships per annum that would otherwise be lost, incremental retained revenue is GBP 5,625 per annum, compounding over time as retained beneficiaries become ongoing clients. Against an annual cost of GBP 2,000-5,000, the payback period is less than twelve months, with cumulative benefit accelerating in subsequent years.

Model B: Technology-Facilitated Will Services

A mid-tier approach involves adopting technology platforms that enable practices to facilitate will preparation as part of their client service proposition. Several platforms offer white-labelled or co-branded will preparation tools designed for IFA integration, enabling clients to initiate will preparation within the adviser relationship while the legal document is completed by qualified professionals. Implementation costs are higher but so is client engagement depth and the resulting data capture on beneficiary relationships.

Estimated annual cost: GBP 10,000-25,000 (platform licensing, staff training, compliance review, marketing materials, ongoing support).

Revenue impact: Technology-facilitated models generate both retention benefits and direct ancillary revenue. Practices may charge a facilitation fee (typically GBP 100-300 per will) or absorb the cost as a value-add that strengthens the ongoing advice proposition. The Consumer Duty value proposition is strengthened materially: annual review meetings gain a documented, tangible service outcome that addresses the FCA's concern about demonstrating ongoing advice value.18

Illustrative calculation: If 40% of a 200-client base (80 clients) engage with will services at an average facilitation fee of GBP 150, direct revenue is GBP 12,000 per annum. Combined with retention benefits modelled in Model A (GBP 5,625), total incremental value reaches GBP 17,625 against costs of GBP 10,000-25,000, yielding a positive ROI within the first year at the lower cost bound and within 18 months at the upper bound. The additional benefit of capturing beneficiary contact information and estate structure data provides a foundation for proactive intergenerational engagement that cannot easily be replicated through other service channels.

Model C: Comprehensive Estate Planning Service

The most capital-intensive approach involves building or acquiring in-house estate planning capability, potentially including hiring or contracting specialist estate planners, STEP-qualified advisers, or establishing formal partnerships with solicitor firms for complex cases. This model positions the practice as a holistic wealth and estate planning provider rather than an investment-focused advisory firm with estate planning as an adjunct.

Estimated annual cost: GBP 40,000-80,000 (specialist staffing or contracting, professional indemnity insurance uplift, compliance infrastructure, marketing, continuing professional development).

Revenue impact: Comprehensive models generate the highest per-client revenue and the strongest retention effects. Estate planning fees for complex cases typically range from GBP 1,500 to GBP 5,000, and clients receiving holistic estate planning demonstrate significantly lower propensity to transfer assets upon intergenerational transition. The depth of the advisory relationship creates multiple touchpoints with beneficiaries, embedding the practice into the family's financial architecture rather than relying on a single-generational relationship.

Illustrative calculation: If 15% of the client base (30 clients) engage with comprehensive estate planning at an average fee of GBP 2,500, direct revenue is GBP 75,000 per annum. Retention effects compound this: practices demonstrating estate planning capability report higher client satisfaction scores and lower attrition rates. Against implementation costs of GBP 40,000-80,000, the model achieves positive ROI within 12 months at the lower cost bound, with significant margin at scale. For practices with above-average AUM per client, the retention benefit alone may justify the investment before direct revenue is considered.

Sensitivity Analysis

The ROI framework is sensitive to three primary variables: client base size, average AUM, and the assumed reduction in switching behaviour. For practices with fewer than 100 clients, Model A (referral partnership) delivers the most favourable risk-adjusted return, as the fixed costs of Models B and C are spread across a smaller revenue base. For practices exceeding 300 clients with above-average AUM, Model C becomes economically compelling, particularly where the client demographic skews toward the 55-70 age band where estate planning demand is highest. The pension death benefit changes from April 2027 are likely to increase client engagement with estate planning across all models, improving utilisation rates and accelerating payback periods.19 Practices should also factor in the competitive dynamics of their local market: early movers in will service integration establish referral networks and client expectations that create barriers to competitor entry.

4. Consumer Duty Alignment and Regulatory Considerations

The FCA's Consumer Duty, in force since July 2023, requires firms to deliver good outcomes across four dimensions: products and services, price and value, consumer understanding, and consumer support. The FCA's multi-firm review of ongoing financial advice services, published in February 2025, found no systemic issue but raised concerns about practices where clients were charged for services not received -- notably that 90% of new clients are placed into ongoing advice arrangements, raising questions about whether the ongoing service proposition consistently delivers proportionate value.20

Will services offer a tangible, documented value-add that strengthens the Consumer Duty compliance position. For practices conducting annual reviews, the ability to demonstrate estate planning triage, will referral facilitation, or technology-enabled will preparation provides concrete evidence of service delivery. This is particularly relevant given the FCA's stated focus on whether ongoing advice fees deliver proportionate value relative to the services provided. The FCA's supervisory strategy for the financial advice sector has emphasised the importance of demonstrating that ongoing advice services justify their cost, and practices that evidence holistic advisory relationships stand on firmer ground during supervisory reviews.21

A critical compliance consideration is the FCA regulatory perimeter. Will writing is not a regulated activity under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Practices facilitating will services must ensure that referral arrangements, fee structures, and client communications clearly delineate between regulated financial advice and unregulated will preparation services. The distinction is particularly important where practices charge facilitation fees or receive referral commissions, as these arrangements must not create conflicts of interest that compromise client outcomes under the Consumer Duty framework. Practices should document their will service governance arrangements, including partner due diligence, complaint handling protocols, and fee transparency, to demonstrate that the integration serves client interests rather than commercial convenience.

The FCA's Consumer Duty focus areas documentation provides additional guidance on the regulator's expectations for firms offering bundled or adjacent services.22 Practices integrating will services should ensure that their Consumer Duty annual assessment explicitly addresses the estate planning element of their proposition, including evidence of client outcomes, service utilisation rates, and any referral-related conflicts of interest.

5. Practice Valuation and Strategic Positioning

The consolidating UK adviser market places significant weight on client retention metrics as a valuation driver. The FCA's multi-firm review of consolidation in the financial advice and wealth management sector, published in October 2025, examined leverage levels, integration standards, and governance practices across consolidating firms, reinforcing that client outcomes and retention drive long-term enterprise value.23 Acquirers conducting due diligence on adviser practices assess client retention rates as a primary valuation metric, and practices demonstrating intergenerational client engagement command premium multiples in the current market.

Practices with documented will service provision, beneficiary contact data, and recorded estate planning conversations present acquirers with a fundamentally different risk profile than practices with ageing, single-generation client books. The economic rationale is direct: an acquirer purchasing a practice with embedded intergenerational relationships faces lower post-acquisition attrition risk, reducing the effective cost of acquisition and increasing the willingness to pay a premium multiple. In a market where consolidators are increasingly sophisticated in their due diligence -- as the FCA's review makes clear -- practices with demonstrable intergenerational engagement have a tangible competitive advantage.

The demographic trajectory amplifies this strategic consideration. ONS 2022-based national population projections indicate that deaths will exceed births in the UK for the first time by 2029, driven by the baby boomer cohort reaching older ages.24 The number of people aged over 85 is projected to nearly double to 3.3 million by 2047.25 For adviser practices, this demographic shift means that an increasing proportion of client relationships will experience intergenerational transition events within the next decade. Practices that have invested in will services and beneficiary engagement will navigate this transition with their revenue base substantially intact; those that have not will face accelerating attrition at precisely the point when the great wealth transfer reaches its peak.

The adviser workforce itself faces parallel pressure. Industry research indicates that 20% of advisers plan to retire by 2035, with 48% by 2040.26 Practices positioned as intergenerational estate planning providers are more attractive to both successor advisers and consolidating acquirers, creating a dual benefit for practice owners approaching succession. Will ownership has surpassed 40% of UK adults for the first time, while the proportion using solicitors for will writing has fallen below 50%, indicating structural market disruption and an opening for alternative professional channels including IFA-facilitated services.27

The great wealth transfer -- estimated at GBP 5.5 trillion over 30 years by Kings Court Trust, with broader estimates reaching GBP 7 trillion by 2050 -- represents the largest asset migration in UK financial history.28 Practices that recognise will services as the gateway to this transfer, rather than a peripheral add-on, will capture a disproportionate share of the opportunity while simultaneously building the retention metrics that drive practice valuation in a consolidating market.

Conclusion

The financial case for will service integration in IFA practices is supported by converging data from the FCA, HMRC, and ONS. The concentration of adviser revenue in ongoing relationships, the documented propensity of inheritors to switch firms, and the expanding IHT-liable population create conditions where estate planning engagement is not a discretionary enhancement but a structural necessity for practice sustainability. The three integration models presented -- referral partnerships, technology-facilitated services, and comprehensive estate planning -- offer scalable pathways matched to different practice sizes and investment capacities, each delivering positive ROI within the first 12 to 18 months under reasonable assumptions. The residence-based IHT regime, pension death benefit taxation from April 2027, and threshold freezes to 2029-30 ensure that advisory demand will intensify rather than diminish over the medium term. Practices that invest in will services now position themselves to retain revenue through the great wealth transfer while strengthening both Consumer Duty compliance and enterprise value in a consolidating market. The data leaves limited room for ambiguity: intergenerational engagement through estate planning services is the highest-ROI investment available for client base sustainability.


CPD Declaration

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes Technical Level: Advanced Practice Areas: Financial Planning, Estate Planning, Practice Management, Client Retention

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this article, practitioners will be able to:

  1. Calculate the revenue at risk from intergenerational client attrition using FCA retail intermediary market data and industry retention research
  2. Evaluate three will service integration models against practice-specific variables including client base size, average assets under management, and fee structure
  3. Analyse the impact of the residence-based IHT regime and pension death benefit taxation on estate planning advisory demand within their client portfolios
  4. Assess how will service integration strengthens Consumer Duty compliance for ongoing advice propositions and supports annual assessment documentation

FCA Competency Mapping

  • FCA Consumer Duty: Ongoing advice value demonstration (PRIN 2A)
  • FCA Conduct of Business: Suitability and client service standards (COBS 9A)

Reflective Questions

  1. How would the ROI framework presented in this article apply to a practice with different client demographics, and what assumptions would require adjustment for accurate modelling?
  2. What governance structures should a practice establish to ensure will service referral arrangements comply with both FCA regulatory perimeter rules and Consumer Duty requirements?
  3. How might the pension death benefit taxation changes from April 2027 alter the estate planning conversation during annual client reviews, and what preparatory steps should practices take before implementation guidance is published?

Professional Disclaimer

The information presented reflects the regulatory and legislative position as of 2026-02-04. Regulations, tax rules, and professional guidance are subject to change. Readers should independently verify all information before acting and seek advice from appropriately qualified solicitors, financial advisors, or other professionals for their specific circumstances.

Neither WUHLD nor the author accepts liability for any actions taken or decisions made based on the content of this article. Professional readers are reminded of their own regulatory obligations and duty of care to their clients.


Footnotes

Footnotes

  1. FCA Multi-Firm Review: Ongoing Financial Advice Services (February 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/multi-firm-reviews/ongoing-financial-advice-services

  2. FCA Retail Intermediary Market Data 2024 (November 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/data/retail-intermediary-market-data-2024

  3. Capgemini World Wealth Report 2025 (June 2025). https://worldwealthreport.com/

  4. IFA Magazine, "GBP 7 Trillion at Stake: How Most Advisers Are Failing to Engage with the Great Wealth Transfer" (2025). https://ifamagazine.com/7-trillion-at-stake-how-most-advisers-are-failing-to-engage-with-the-great-wealth-transfer/

  5. Money Marketing, "Existing Advisers 'Might Only See 10%' of GBP 6trn Great Wealth Transfer" (January 2026). https://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/news/existing-advisers-might-only-see-10-of-6trn-great-wealth-transfer/

  6. FCA Financial Lives 2024 Survey (November 2024). https://www.fca.org.uk/financial-lives/financial-lives-2024

  7. FCA Financial Advice Market Review Evaluation (December 2020). https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-publishes-evaluation-financial-advice-market

  8. Finance Act 2025, Schedule 13 -- Residence-Based Regime. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/8/schedule/13

  9. HMRC Inheritance Tax Manual -- Long-Term UK Residence Test (IHTM47020). https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/inheritance-tax-manual/ihtm47020

  10. HMRC Guidance -- Technical Amendments to the Residence-Based Tax Regime. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/residence-based-tax-regime-technical-amendments/technical-amendments-to-the-residence-based-tax-regime

  11. HMRC Inheritance Tax Liabilities Statistics (July 2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/inheritance-tax-liabilities-statistics

  12. HMRC Inheritance Tax Thresholds and Interest Rates. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-inheritance-tax-thresholds-and-interest-rates

  13. HMRC Trusts and Estates Newsletter (April 2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-revenue-and-customs-trusts-and-estates-newsletters/hmrc-trusts-and-estates-newsletter-april-2025

  14. HMRC Guidance -- Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief Changes (December 2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-changes

  15. Kings Court Trust, "Intergenerational Wealth Transfers: The Risk and Opportunity Upon the Death of Your Client." https://www.kctrust.co.uk/partner-blog/intergenerational-wealth-transfers-the-risk-and-opportunity-upon-the-death-of-your-client

  16. FCA Retail Intermediary Market Data 2024 (November 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/data/retail-intermediary-market-data-2024

  17. FCA Multi-Firm Review: Ongoing Financial Advice Services (February 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/multi-firm-reviews/ongoing-financial-advice-services

  18. FCA Consumer Duty -- Focus Areas. https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/corporate-documents/consumer-duty-focus-areas

  19. HMRC Trusts and Estates Newsletter (April 2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-revenue-and-customs-trusts-and-estates-newsletters/hmrc-trusts-and-estates-newsletter-april-2025

  20. FCA Multi-Firm Review: Ongoing Financial Advice Services (February 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/multi-firm-reviews/ongoing-financial-advice-services

  21. FCA Speech: "It's Good to Be Different -- New FCA Supervisory Strategy for Financial Advice Sector" (2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/news/speeches/its-good-be-different-new-fca-supervisory-strategy-financial-advice-sector

  22. FCA Consumer Duty -- Focus Areas. https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/corporate-documents/consumer-duty-focus-areas

  23. FCA Multi-Firm Review: Consolidation in the Financial Advice and Wealth Management Sector (October 2025). https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/multi-firm-reviews/consolidation-financial-advice-and-wealth-management-sector

  24. ONS National Population Projections, 2022-Based (January 2024). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2022based

  25. ONS National Population Projections, 2022-Based (January 2024). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2022based

  26. Capgemini World Wealth Report 2025 (June 2025). https://worldwealthreport.com/

  27. Kings Court Trust Wills and Probate Market Survey (2025). https://www.kctrust.co.uk/partner-resources

  28. Kings Court Trust, "Passing on the Pounds" Research. https://www.kctrust.co.uk/partner-resources

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