Financial & Advisory Firms
Finance for Financial Advisers & Advisory Firms
Buy the book.
Keep the firm liquid.
Advisory firms grow by acquiring client books and firms, often with deferred consideration. We arrange the funding that makes those deals work.
- Confidential, no-obligation discussion
- Whole of market access
- We are a broker, not a lender
For IFAs, wealth managers, mortgage and insurance brokers, consultancies and other advisory firms.
“I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
- Lender searchWhole of marketNot tied to any one lender
- Instant QuotesNo credit searchSee indicative quotes first
- Who we helpFinancial & advisory firmsSole traders, partnerships, LLPs and companies
- Our roleSpecialist brokerWe approach suitable lenders for you
Quick answer
What finance is available for financial advisers?
IFAs, wealth managers and advisory firms can fund client book and firm acquisitions, deferred consideration, partner buy-outs, technology, working capital and tax. Lenders value recurring advice and ongoing fee income. We structure the funding and search the whole market for lenders who understand advisory firms.
The pressures we see
What makes financial & advisory firms different.
- Acquisitions priced on recurring income, usually with deferred consideration.
- Retiring principals and partners needing to be bought out.
- Rising investment in platforms, compliance technology and people.
What we can finance
Funding for financial & advisory firms.
“A super responsive broker who quickly diagnoses the needs of the client.”
- 01 Acquisitions Client books and whole firms.
- 02 Deferred Consideration Fund or refinance later instalments.
- 03 Partner Buy-outs Retirements and exits, funded cleanly.
- 04 Technology Platforms, CRM and compliance systems.
- 05 Working Capital Fund growth and integration.
- 06 Tax Corporation tax and VAT peaks.
We aren't tied to one lender or product. For every need above, we search the market for lenders who understand financial & advisory firms.
We also arrange finance for
Advice firm funding questions answered
Can a financial advice firm get finance to pay the FSCS levy?
Yes. The FCA sends a single invoice for a firm's regulatory costs, covering its own fees, the FSCS levy, the Financial Ombudsman Service levy where it applies and the financial guidance levies, and the invoice is due 30 days from its date. The FCA does not offer payment by instalments, and paying late adds a £250 charge plus interest at 5% above the Bank of England base rate. A funding facility can pay the invoice on time and spread the cost over the months that follow. Professional Practice Loans, a specialist whole-of-market broker, approaches lenders that fund regulatory costs for advice firms.
- Leave headroom. The FCA notes that additional levies may be charged during the financial year, outside the main invoice.
- Know your class. The FSCS splits its levy into funding classes, and investment advice firms usually pay towards the Life Distribution and Investment Intermediation class, whose compensation costs depend on claims against failed firms in that class.
- What lenders look at. Recurring fee income, the size of the invoice against turnover, and how past invoices were met.
The FCA explains how to pay your annual fee, and our page on regulatory fee funding covers spreading renewals. You can get instant quotes for the invoice.
Can a financial adviser spread the cost of professional indemnity insurance?
Yes. PII premium finance pays the insurer at renewal and spreads the premium over the policy year, so a sharp rise at renewal does not compete with payroll or the FCA invoice. Lenders look at the premium, the firm's accounts and recurring income, and the renewal terms.
Personal investment firms must hold PII under the FCA's prudential rules in IPRU-INV 13.1, at or above minimum limits of indemnity that rise with relevant income, with full retroactive cover for past business, unless a bank, building society or insurer gives a comparable guarantee. Where the excess on any claim is more than £5,000, or the policy excludes certain business or liabilities, the firm may have to hold additional capital, so a cheaper policy can cost more in capital. Our PII premium finance guide explains how the funding works, or you can get instant quotes for the renewal.
FCA invoice or PII renewal due? Get instant quotes, or talk the timing through with a specialist.
Acquisitions & ownership
Buying a client book?
Book acquisitions are priced on recurring income and often paid partly over time. We help structure the completion payment and any deferred consideration so the firm stays liquid through integration.
How finance works here
Growth by acquisition, paid for over time.
Advisory firms, from IFAs and wealth managers to mortgage and insurance brokers, often grow by buying client books and whole firms. Those deals are usually priced on recurring income and paid partly on completion and partly over time, with the deferred element linked to how much of the income is retained.
Lenders look closely at the quality of that income: how much is recurring, how concentrated it is, how dependent it is on the seller personally, and whether the acquiring firm has the capacity and compliance framework to absorb it. A clear integration plan carries real weight.
Succession is the other side of the same market. Retiring principals need to be bought out, and the next generation needs funding to do it. Our guides to buying a client book and funding retirement and succession cover both.
Preparing the case
What lenders will look at.
- Recent accounts and a breakdown of recurring and non-recurring income
- For acquisitions, the target’s income, client numbers and the deal terms
- Deferred consideration and any retention or clawback terms
- The firm’s regulatory standing and compliance arrangements
- Existing borrowing and the owners’ contribution
We are a broker, not a lender. We help you pull this together, search the market for lenders whose criteria suit your practice and manage the process to completion. How it works →
Success stories
Funding arranged in this profession.
In our clients’ words
“Spoke with Simon, who managed to get me the loan I needed promptly. The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
Specialist understanding
Finance for Financial Advisers & Advisory Firms
Financial advisers and advisory firms grow by buying client books and firms. IFA finance for those acquisitions, and for the deferred consideration that usually comes with them, is a specialist area. Lenders offering loans for financial advisers look at recurring income, client retention, the age profile of the book and the firm's regulatory record. Advisory firm finance can also fund partner and principal buy-outs, platforms and compliance technology, working capital through integration and tax peaks. Whether you are an IFA, wealth manager, mortgage or insurance broker, we search the market for lenders who understand recurring-income businesses and structure the deal so the firm stays liquid. Many advisory firms borrow on an unsecured basis, assessed on recurring income rather than property.
Get Instant Quotes- Whole of market accessHigh street banks, specialist and private lenders.
- Specialist understandingLenders who understand how practices earn and grow.
- Your case, properly presentedStructured and put to lenders suited to it.
- With you to completionFrom the first conversation to funds arriving.
Questions
What financial & advisory firms usually ask.
Can I get a loan to buy an IFA client book?
Yes. Client book acquisitions are commonly funded, with lenders looking at the recurring income being acquired, typically ongoing adviser charges, along with client retention, the demographics of the book and your firm's compliance record. We help structure the completion payment and any deferred consideration, then approach lenders who understand recurring-income advisory businesses.
How do lenders value a financial adviser's client book?
Lenders tend to focus on the reliability of recurring income rather than initial fees, looking at retention, the age profile of clients, assets under advice and how concentrated income is across clients. The price agreed with the vendor and the amount a lender will support can differ, so it helps to talk before terms are agreed.
Can finance cover deferred consideration on an advisory firm acquisition?
Often, yes. Many advice firm deals are paid partly at completion and partly over time, sometimes linked to retention. Finance can fund the upfront payment, and some lenders will refinance later instalments into a single facility. We review the agreed terms and search the market for a structure that keeps the firm liquid through integration.
Does buying an advice firm need FCA approval, and does it affect the funding?
Buying a regulated firm can require FCA approval for a change in control, and lenders will usually want to understand the regulatory position, the target's complaints history and any past advice liabilities, such as defined benefit transfers. Your compliance adviser or solicitor should confirm the regulatory steps; we make sure the funding timetable allows for them.
Can a financial planning firm fund a retiring partner's exit?
Yes. Partner or principal buy-outs can be funded so the remaining owners acquire the retiring partner's share, usually assessed on the firm's recurring income and profitability. Lenders will want to see the shareholder or partnership agreement and the agreed valuation. We explain the likely structure before approaching lenders.
Do brokers arrange finance for IFA firms?
Yes. As a whole-of-market broker we arrange finance for IFAs, wealth managers and other advisory firms, most often for client book and firm acquisitions, deferred consideration and partner exits. See practice acquisition finance and you can get instant quotes to compare options.
Can an IFA buy a firm rather than a client book?
Yes. Buying a whole firm brings its staff, systems and regulatory history as well as its clients, so lenders look at the firm’s compliance record and integration plan as well as the recurring income. We help structure the completion payment and any deferred consideration.
Can a financial advice firm get finance to pay the FSCS levy?
Yes. The FSCS levy comes on the FCA's single invoice for regulatory costs, due 30 days from the invoice date, and the FCA does not offer instalments. A funding facility can pay it on time and spread the cost. Professional Practice Loans, a specialist whole-of-market broker, approaches lenders that fund regulatory costs. You can get instant quotes.
When do advice firms have to pay FCA fees and the FSCS levy?
The FCA sends one invoice for all regulatory costs, including the FSCS levy, and it is due 30 days from the invoice date. Paying late adds a £250 charge plus interest at 5% above the Bank of England base rate, and additional levies may be charged during the year.
Can a financial adviser spread the cost of professional indemnity insurance?
Yes. PII premium finance pays the insurer at renewal and spreads the premium over the policy year. Lenders look at the premium, the accounts and recurring income.
Do financial advisers have to hold professional indemnity insurance?
Personal investment firms must hold PII under the FCA's rules in IPRU-INV 13, at or above minimum limits that rise with income and with full retroactive cover, unless a bank, building society or insurer gives a comparable guarantee. An excess above £5,000 on any claim may mean holding additional capital.
Knowledge Hub
Read the guides.
Fee Block Finance: How Accountancy and Advisory Practices Fund Buying a Client Book
A practical guide to financing a fee block purchase: how deals are priced and structured, what lenders look at, and how to protect cash flow while the clients bed in.
Read the guide →Funding Your PII Renewal: Professional Indemnity Premium Finance Explained
How premium finance spreads the cost of professional indemnity insurance, what to check before signing, the regulatory context for solicitors, and the alternatives.
Read the guide →By location
Financial & advisory firms in London.
Let's talk
Talk it through
with a specialist.
Before you approach a lender, speak to someone who understands the transaction. Confidential, no-obligation initial discussion.
