Fairstone Group, one of the largest CII Chartered Financial Planning organisations in the UK, has acquired Devon-based South West Financial Planning.
The acquisition adds a further £50m of funds, 3,000 clients and ten advisers to the Fairstone roster, and widens its national operations within the South West. Fairstone now has £2.1bn under management, over 30,000 clients and some 240 advisers.
Fairstone says it integrates high quality financial advisory firms and IFAs throughout the UK, operating a unique Downstream Buyout Model for IFA firms. This has led to the incorporation of 35 firms since 2011.
Director at South West Financial Planning David Roberts said: “Fairstone’s DBO proposition is undoubtedly an attractive one. It doesn’t just focus on the traditional proposition of saving on compliance and regulatory workload. It’s much more than that; it’s about investing in the future and providing long term benefits for clients, advisers and principals alike.
“We note a real commitment within Fairstone to create a financial services organisation that stands out from the crowd. The firm and its employees are committed to quality, and this is clear from their investment into the Fairstone Academy, dedicated to the professional development of advisers. As an already Chartered business, this was really important to us. Their progressive commitment to technological advancement was also critical.”
CEO of Fairstone Lee Hartley (pictured) said: “We’re delighted to welcome South West Financial Planning to the Fairstone Group. The team represents a great cultural fit with us, and we’re looking forward to working together to grow our combined client base over the coming years.
“Fairstone has seen very significant growth over the past few years, both organically and through acquisition. Since 2011, 35 advisory firms have joined the business and it continues to seek high quality financial services companies to partner with and ultimately acquire.”
Fairstone is based in Newcastle upon Tyne with offices in London and Bristol.
