Wealth managers and IFAs to acquire in the UK
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire a wealth manager or IFA in the UK? Firmbase ranks 3,337 wealth managers and IFAs using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.
The median firm has 8 staff and has been in business for 14 years; 46 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector.
Wealth managers may make investment decisions under a client's mandate, while financial advisers can charge separately for initial and ongoing advice. When acquiring an IFA business, distinguish fees for continuing advice from charges for the initial recommendation and any investment management service. Check what ongoing client agreements promise, including investment reviews, because recurring advice fees carry service commitments that continue beyond the initial recommendation.
Keep advice relationships strong as your group grows
If you plan to add a wealth management firm, adviser continuity matters as much as the client book. Firmbase covers 3,337 UK limited-company and LLP wealth managers and IFAs with five or more staff. The first shortlist should reflect the places where qualified advisers can serve clients well.
Independent ownership can shape how you build an initial regional pipeline. Within this list, 25% of firms have one person holding 75% or more. Wealth management and IFA firms here have a median business age of 14 years. Company records cannot reveal whether an owner is interested in a conversation. Compare the public facts behind each Approach Score with the kind of client service you intend to provide.
Choose towns where advisers could stay close to clients and still share central support. Ask which advisers lead each client relationship and how their work is supervised. Check whether the services you could deliver match the expectations already set with clients. Put the service model ahead of any assumption that recurring income will continue unchanged.
You can use the ranking to identify independent firms, prioritise research and prepare informed outreach. For wealth advice acquisitions, use Firmbase as a sourcing tool, not a list of businesses for sale. Qualify each business directly, including client agreements, regulatory status, permissions and any appointed representative relationship. An acquisition of control in an authorised firm may also need prior FCA approval.
3,337
Firms
25%
Every director 55+
25%
Held 75%+ by one person
14
Median years in business
8
Median headcount
£250k to £500k
Median turnover band
includes our estimates
46 firms owned by 10 groups that have bought several firms in this sector. That is 1% of this list. Groups that own firms on this list include Fairstone, Perspective Financial Group, Titan Wealth and Pivotal Growth. To have a group's name removed, email dave@firmbase.co.
Key facts
The Financial Services Register records firms authorised for regulated financial activities and identifies appointed representatives. FCA
An appointed representative acts on behalf of a principal firm, which is responsible for that business. FCA
A proposed acquisition of control in an FCA regulated firm may need approval before the change takes place. FCA
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Financial Centre Gravesend, Kent | Approach Score 95/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05363987 · Companies House |
| 2 | Sandle Nash Exeter | Approach Score 92/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07498168 · Companies House |
| 3 | Elite-Wealth Management Penzance | Approach Score 91/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06804590 · Companies House |
| 4 | Gillespie Inverarity Blairgowrie, Perthshire A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. SC409601 · Companies House |
| 5 | Capital Tower Norfolk | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03411161 · Companies House |
| 6 | Breslins Chartered Accountants Birmingham A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03624094 · Companies House |
| 7 | K.G. Associates Epsom | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03185598 · Companies House |
| 8 | Bateman Financial Management Liskeard, Cornwall | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03569193 · Companies House |
| 9 | Wellway Accountants Morpeth, Northumberland | Approach Score 90/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04612777 · Companies House |
| 10 | Rock Limited Edinburgh | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. SC340899 · Companies House |
| 11 | Angell Mallinder Loughborough, Leicestershire | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06818411 · Companies House |
| 12 | Sarah Quirk Associates Southampton, Hants | Approach Score 89/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07580572 · Companies House |
| 13 | Buchler Phillips London A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 88/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08815499 · Companies House |
| 14 | Eastmills Kidderminster, Worcestershire | Approach Score 88/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04642182 · Companies House |
| 15 | Asset Finance Limited London | Approach Score 88/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 06980556 · Companies House |
| 16 | Globe IFA Twickenham, Middlesex | Approach Score 88/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03503096 · Companies House |
| 17 | Dobson and Hodge South Yorkshire | Approach Score 88/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 00975536 · Companies House |
| 18 | Hughes Price Walker Bristol | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04944533 · Companies House |
| 19 | Maher Brownsword Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04460050 · Companies House |
| 20 | Hamish Leng London | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05960871 · Companies House |
| 21 | Calver Groom Financial Management Surrey | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 05876107 · Companies House |
| 22 | Anstee Warwick | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07921408 · Companies House |
| 23 | Europa Partners London A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08661088 · Companies House |
| 24 | Mayfair Independent Stratford-Upon-Avon | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 03889260 · Companies House |
| 25 | Medical & General Financial Solutions CO. Antrim | Approach Score 87/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. NI046082 · Companies House |
3,312 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 3,337 for £3,136 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 3,337 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.
What's in the file
One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.
The score and the firm
Directors and shareholders
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
Frequently asked questions
How can I approach the owner of an IFA business?
Which permissions should I check for a wealth manager?
How does the Approach Score help with IFA research?
How should I assess continuing advice income?
How this list is filtered
- Active on Companies House. Companies in liquidation, administration, receivership or a voluntary arrangement, or with a proposal to strike off, are left out.
- Dormant companies are left out.
- Firms whose owners asked to be removed are left out.
- Private limited companies, public limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies only. Sole traders and partnerships are not covered.
- Firmbase industry tag: Wealth Management or Financial Advisory.
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the UK.
How this list is built
The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.
Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.
Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.
What it does not mean
No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.
At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.
What we do not cover
We cover limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on Companies House, so they are not here. Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Check FCA status and permissions for advice or investment management on the Financial Services Register, including any appointed representative relationship. Acquiring control of an authorised firm usually needs prior FCA approval.
Why age bands but no people's names
Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.
Is this your firm?
You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.
To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.
Other areas
Related sectors
The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 3,337 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.