Rathbone Brothers has now acquired all of Cornish IFA firm Vision Independent Financial Planning, buying the 80.1% stake in the business which it didn’t own.
Back in October 2012 it acquired a 19.9% stake in the group for a reported £2m. The Vision Group is a made up of Vision Independent Financial Planning and Castle Investment Solutions.
Discretionary fund manager Rathbones is paying £5m for the stake plus, when the deal completes, the net asset value of the business. From then until 2020, a further £13m could be paid out if Vision meets certain agreed growth targets.
Vision focusses on wealthy private clients and has 78 advisers throughout the UK with around £925m assets under advice.
In a statement Rathbones said that the acquisition of the remaining stake in the Vision Group is part of their strategy of broadening its distribution and accessing a greater share of new business intermediated by financial advisers.
Chief Executive of Rathbones Philip Howell said: “Our decision to acquire the Vision Group is a reflection of its proven ability to grow and the strong relationship we have built up in the last five years. We very much look forward to sharing in its continued success.”
Executive in charge of distribution Mike Webb said: “The acquisition of this high quality financial advice network reinforces our on-going commitment to intermediary distribution. Vision’s independent status will remain intact, securing an unequivocal focus on clients’ interests and suitability.”
Founders of the Vision Group Roger Edwards and Paul Sweaton said “We are delighted to have secured the further backing of such a prestigious company as Rathbones, and one with which we share so many values. It was vitally important to us that any future partner understood the unique Vision culture and ethos that exists within our business, and we look forward to continued growth under new ownership.”
