What Equilibrium Financial Planning does

Equilibrium Financial Planning is a UK-based wealth management and financial planning firm founded in 1995 by Colin Lawson (originally as Applewood Financial) and headquartered in Handforth, Wilmslow, with a regional office in Chester. The firm serves affluent individuals and families — typically those with portfolios of around £100,000 and an average of approximately £925k — across personas including families, aspiring professionals, those approaching or in retirement, business owners, and experienced investors, with 1,500+ clients and £1.4bn in assets under management. Core offerings are holistic financial planning (retirement, tax, estate and protection advice), discretionary investment management through five core portfolio funds blending passive and active approaches, and a more recently introduced Essentials service for clients with simpler planning needs.

The firm's technology stack is centred on Equate, a proprietary in-house CRM built to streamline client data, workflows and compliance, and a client portal providing daily valuations and document access; it also operates Equilibrium Investment Management LLP as a sister company for discretionary investment management. Revenue is generated on a recurring, fee-only basis — an initial planning fee plus an ongoing percentage-of-AUM service fee, with the Equilibrium investment management fee of approximately 0.5% embedded in portfolio funds and external fund/platform costs of 0.4-0.51% charged separately by third parties. Distribution is adviser-led through a structured three-meeting prospect journey, supported by content marketing, investment insights events, masterclasses, and a dedicated acquisition programme for like-minded UK financial planning firms.

In 2025 the equity partners sold 60% of the business to Sovereign Capital Partners to fund national expansion through selective acquisitions, marking a shift from 30 years of organic growth to a capital-backed buy-and-build strategy, supported by a new M&A Director (Gary Lam) and recent portfolio manager hires from Investec Wealth & Investment.

Name

Equilibrium Financial Planning

Legal name

Equilibrium Financial Planning LLP

Website

https://equilibrium.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Equilibrium Financial Planning is a UK wealth management and financial planning firm founded in 1995, serving 1,500+ affluent individuals and families with holistic financial planning, discretionary investment management, and tax and estate advice, with £1.4bn AUM and 51-100 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Planning

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)

Keywords

• Financial planning
• Wealth management
• Discretionary investment management
• Tax and estate planning
• Retirement planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmslow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Investment Management Fees: Fees charged directly from client portfolios rather than from product providers. Consists of an initial planning fee and an ongoing service fee based on a percentage of assets under management. Equilibrium Investment Management fee of 0.5% is built directly into portfolio funds.
2. External Fund and Platform Costs: External fund management and administration costs ranging between 0.4% and 0.51%, deducted on an ongoing basis and reflected in the daily price of each fund. These are third-party charges separate from Equilibrium's own fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Equilibrium is a UK wealth management firm providing holistic financial planning, discretionary investment management, tax mitigation and estate planning for affluent individuals and families. Fees are charged as a percentage of assets under management, taken directly from client portfolios.

Product overview

Equilibrium Financial Planning offers a unified financial planning and investment management service built around three core offerings: Financial Planning (holistic advisory services), Investment Management (discretionary portfolio management using five core funds), and Essentials (accessible planning for simpler needs). The firm also operates Equate, a proprietary CRM system for internal operations, and the Equilibrium Foundation for charitable activities. The company serves individuals and families across various wealth levels with typically £100,000+ portfolios, providing ongoing financial planning relationships including retirement, tax, estate, and protection planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Holistic financial planning service that empowers clients to secure their future, protect their legacy, and achieve life goals through comprehensive planning covering retirement, tax, estate, and protection planning. For affluent individuals and families.
• Investment Management Expert discretionary investment management service managing client portfolios using five core portfolio funds, combining passive and active approaches underpinned by rigorous research and in-house investment expertise.
• Essentials Streamlined financial planning service designed for individuals at the beginning of their financial journey or with simple, less complex needs, making professional financial planning more accessible.
• Client Portal Online client portal providing daily valuations, portfolio tracking, and access to key documents for existing clients to monitor their investments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £1 million donated to good causes by The Equilibrium Foundation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Equilibrium Investment Management LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquilibrium Investment Management LLP is the firm's sister company and investment management arm. Personal data may be shared with Equilibrium Investment Management LLP if their services would be of relevance to clients. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the FCA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brooks Macdonald: UK wealth manager providing discretionary investment management and financial planning for private clients, intermediaries, and institutions. Closest publicly-comparable peer in terms of mid-market UK advisory positioning, fee structure, and holistic planning-led proposition.
• Seven Investment Management (7IM): UK-based discretionary and adviser-led wealth manager offering multi-asset investment solutions to private clients and advisers. Closely comparable in client focus, multi-asset fund construction approach, and proprietary investment process to Equilibrium's five core portfolio funds model.
• Investec Wealth & Investment UK: Private wealth management arm of Investec serving UK high-net-worth individuals with discretionary investment management and financial planning. Directly comparable to Equilibrium's affluent-client advisory model; notably the prior employer of three current Equilibrium portfolio managers, indicating meaningful talent flow between the two firms.
• JM Finn & Co: Private UK investment management firm (now owned via employee ownership trust) serving private clients, families, and charities with discretionary investment management. Direct competitor in the mid-market UK advisory space with similar long-standing client relationships and bespoke investment approach.

Broad incumbents

• St. James's Place: UK's largest wealth manager (over £100bn AUM) using a fee-based, adviser-led model serving affluent individuals and families. Direct strategic analogue to Equilibrium's holistic financial planning and discretionary investment management proposition, but at vastly greater scale with a publicly-listed Partnership distribution structure.
• Rathbones Group: Listed UK wealth manager offering discretionary investment management and integrated financial planning to private clients, trusts, and intermediaries. Comparable client focus on affluent individuals and integrated advisory + investment model, though at significantly larger AUM scale than Equilibrium.
• Evelyn Partners: Large UK wealth management and professional services firm (formed via Tilney/Smithson Williamson merger) offering financial planning, investment management, tax, and accountancy services to private clients. Comparable integrated planning-led proposition for UK affluent clients, at much larger scale.
• Quilter Financial Advisers: UK wealth manager and platform provider offering financial planning, investment management, and platform services. Direct competitor to Equilibrium for UK-affluent advice clients, though with a more platform-led distribution model and far larger AUM base.
• RBC Wealth Management UK (formerly Brewin Dolphin): Major UK wealth manager (under RBC since 2022) providing discretionary investment management, financial planning, and advice to high-net-worth individuals, families, and charities. Functionally analogous to Equilibrium's fee-based, holistic advice proposition at significantly larger scale.
• Charles Stanley (Raymond James UK): Long-established UK wealth manager (now part of Raymond James following 2021 acquisition) offering discretionary investment management and financial planning to private clients. Comparable client focus and fee-based model, with broader parent group backing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EquilibriumFP

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Equilibrium Financial Planning