Cornerstone Finance

What Cornerstone Finance does

Cornerstone Finance Group is a Cardiff-headquartered UK financial services group operating across five verticals: commercial finance, commercial insurance, wealth, mortgage and protection. It serves three primary customer segments: individuals and families seeking residential mortgages, protection insurance and equity release advice; SMEs, property investors and landlords needing commercial finance, bridging and specialist lending; and self-employed mortgage and protection advisers joining The Cornerstone Network for compliance, technology, training and back-office infrastructure. The group runs a multi-brand platform comprising Cornerstone Finance (personal customers), Cornerstone Commercial Finance, Cornerstone Capital (an in-house privately funded bridging lender) and The Cornerstone Network, supported by the Cornerstone Insider online portal that unifies application processing, back-office case tracking, client data and commission/payout management for advisers.

The business is primarily a transaction-fee intermediary, earning commission on arranging mortgages (£1.75bn of mortgage lending arranged in 2025), commercial finance across a panel of 200+ lenders (£90m of commercial lending to SMEs in 2025) and protection products (3,750 clients protected in 2025). It also earns usage-based interest income from in-house bridging loans (starting from 0.75% per month, up to £1,000,000), and affiliate/referral fees from the network of 286 mortgage and protection advisers. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer advice from Cardiff and Sheffield offices, a national team of 25+ commercial managers, the adviser network and an introducer/referral partner programme, with commercial insurance delivered via partner Castlebridge Risk Solutions. FY2025 group turnover was £12.712m, up 78% from £7.161m in FY2024. The firm is FCA-regulated (No. 767202), NACFB Assured, and a member of IPFA and the Equity Release Council.

Name

Cornerstone Finance

Legal name

Cornerstone Finance Group Ltd

Website

https://cornerstonefinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Finance Group is a Cardiff-headquartered UK financial services group providing whole-of-market mortgage, protection, commercial finance and in-house bridging lending to individuals, SMEs and a 286-adviser network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage and Commercial Finance Brokerage

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163), Investment Advice (6282), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Funds — Core-Plus (FSANAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Large-Cap / Sponsor Finance Direct Lending (FSANADAJ)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage
• Commercial finance
• Bridging finance
• Protection insurance
• Adviser network

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mortgage broker commission: Commission received from lenders on arranging residential and BTL mortgage products; commission varies by lender, provider and product and is disclosed to clients before proceeding. £1.75bn in mortgage lending arranged in 2025.
2. Commercial finance broker commission: Commission on arranging commercial mortgages, bridging, asset finance, invoice finance, secured and unsecured business loans via a panel of 200+ lenders. Commercial lending to SMEs grew to £90m in 2025.
3. Protection/general insurance commission: Commission on arranging life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, mortgage protection and general insurance products from product providers. 3,750 clients protected in 2025.
4. Cornerstone Capital bridging loan interest: Interest income on privately funded bridging loans issued by Cornerstone Capital Finance Limited (registered in England & Wales No. 13044056); bridging rates starting from 0.75% per month, loans up to £1,000,000.
5. Network membership / adviser infrastructure fees: Revenue from self-employed advisers (RI), Appointed Representatives (AR) and Introducers joining The Cornerstone Network, with multiple income streams (residential, BTL, protection, commercial) and unified commission payouts through the central Cornerstone entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Finance Group is a Cardiff-headquartered UK financial services group that arranges whole-of-market residential mortgages, buy-to-let and equity release products, protection and general insurance for individuals, and commercial mortgages, bridging, asset finance, invoice finance, secured/unsecured loans, pension-led funding and international payments for UK SMEs and property investors. The group also operates an in-house specialist bridging lender (Cornerstone Capital) and a network infrastructure (The Cornerstone Network) supporting self-employed mortgage and protection advisers.

Product overview

Cornerstone Finance Group is a UK financial services group (Cardiff-headquartered) operating as a single unified brand platform-plus-modules offering rather than a single product. The personal-facing Cornerstone Finance division provides whole-of-market mortgage and protection advice for individuals and families, while the Cornerstone Commercial Finance sub-brand delivers FCA-regulated and NACFB Assured commercial finance brokerage to UK SMEs. Underpinning commercial activity is Cornerstone Capital, the group's in-house privately funded specialist bridging lender offering short-term bridging, auction and business finance up to £1m. The Cornerstone Network is the group's adviser support infrastructure for self-employed advisers, ARs and introducers, providing compliance, training, marketing, technology portal access and specialist desks; it works alongside the Cornerstone Introducer Program for referral partners. Adjacent offerings include Commercial Insurance (delivered via partner Castlebridge), International Payments, the Cornerstone Podcast Series, the Cornerstone Expo industry event and the Cornerstone Insider adviser portal. The group operates with a relationship-led, whole-of-market model and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 767202).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cornerstone Commercial Finance: Trading style of Cornerstone Finance Group Ltd offering commercial finance solutions to UK businesses (commercial mortgages, asset finance, invoice finance, secured/unsecured loans, bridging, pension-led funding, etc.). Achieved NACFB Assured status in 2026.
• The Cornerstone Network
• Cornerstone Capital

Products and services

• Personal Mortgage and Protection Brokerage (Cornerstone Finance) Whole-of-market independent mortgage and protection advice for individuals and families in the UK, covering residential mortgages, remortgaging, home improvement, second/buy-to-let properties, equity release, life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection and mortgage protection.
• Cornerstone Commercial Finance FCA-regulated and NACFB Assured commercial finance brokerage for UK SMEs, providing commercial mortgages, property development finance, property investment finance, pension-led funding (SIPP/SSAS), asset finance, invoice finance, secured loans, unsecured loans, international payments, and commercial insurance via partner Castlebridge.
• Cornerstone Capital Bridging Loans Privately funded specialist bridging loan provider within the Cornerstone Finance Group, offering short-term bridging loans (up to 12 months), auction finance and business finance up to £1,000,000 at rates starting from 0.75% per month, secured against residential, commercial or semi-commercial property, and accessed exclusively through Cornerstone Commercial Finance.
• The Cornerstone Network (Adviser Network) Network and support infrastructure for self-employed advisers (RI), Appointed Representatives (AR) and introducers, providing compliance, technology, training, marketing support, lender panel access, unified commission payouts and access to specialist desks across mortgage, protection, BTL and commercial lending.
• Cornerstone Introducer Programme Strategic referral partner programme ('Access. Build. Refer.') giving introducers access to Cornerstone's specialist desks (Commercial, Bridging, Specialist BTL, Protection) with consolidated commission payouts through a single Cornerstone entity, real-time portal visibility and dedicated marketing support.
• Equity Release Lifetime mortgage product for homeowners aged 55+ to release a tax-free lump sum from their property while retaining ownership, arranged through the Cornerstone Finance personal customer division.
• Secured Loans Second-charge mortgage / homeowner loan secured against the property, typically for borrowing above £20,000, suitable for home improvements, debt consolidation and buying additional properties.
• Unsecured Business Loans Business funding through unsecured business loans up to £100,000 with no security required, usable for working capital, marketing, expansion, VAT/tax bills, stock, training, equipment or debt restructuring.
• International Payments Tailored money-transfer solutions for UK businesses of all sizes, offered as part of the Cornerstone Commercial Finance specialist services suite.
• Commercial Insurance (via Castlebridge partner) Commercial insurance solutions covering property, trade contractor, manufacturing, retail/online, motor trade, offices/surgeries, landlord, auctions and property development, delivered through commercial insurance partner Castlebridge Risk Solutions.
• Cornerstone Insider Adviser Portal Online portal providing Cornerstone Network mortgage and protection advisers with a unified platform for application processing, back-office case tracking, client data, and commission/payout management in a single system.
• Cornerstone Podcast Series Podcast launched in 2025 offering expert insights, real conversations, and perspectives from across the financial services world.

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Habito: UK online/digital mortgage broker offering whole-of-market advice through a tech-led platform. An emerging player intersecting with Cornerstone's personal customer segment, but with a different (digital-first) delivery model.

Direct peers

• Primis Mortgage Network: UK mortgage and protection network supporting ARs, RIs and introducers. Closely comparable to The Cornerstone Network in AR/RI support, lender panel access and unified commission payouts.
• KIS Finance: UK commercial finance broker arranging commercial mortgages, bridging, asset finance and business loans for SMEs. Directly comparable to Cornerstone Commercial Finance on broker-driven SME and commercial lending.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau: AIM-listed UK mortgage broker with a large adviser network and multi-product distribution. Highly comparable to Cornerstone on the residential mortgage advisory and protection side, and a useful listed proxy for valuation benchmarking.
• LendInvest: UK specialist property finance platform providing bridging and development finance to intermediaries and borrowers. Comparable to Cornerstone Capital on bridging/development finance, with a more institutional capital base.
• Together Money: UK specialist lender offering bridging, BTL, commercial and development finance. Directly comparable to Cornerstone Capital's specialist bridging proposition and to Cornerstone Commercial Finance's specialist commercial offering.
• Stonebridge (Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions): UK appointed representative (AR) mortgage and protection network. Closely comparable to The Cornerstone Network in supporting self-employed advisers with compliance, technology and lender access.
• London & Country Mortgages: One of the UK's largest independent mortgage brokers, offering whole-of-market residential and BTL advice. Directly comparable to Cornerstone Finance's personal customer division on product breadth and intermediary model.
• Sesame Bankhall Group (Sesame): UK financial adviser network providing compliance, technology and lender-panel infrastructure to ARs and RIs. Directly comparable to The Cornerstone Network in providing back-office infrastructure to self-employed advisers.

Broad incumbents

• Openwork: Large UK financial advice and mortgage network with a significantly larger adviser base than Cornerstone. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering a multi-product platform to advisers, but at materially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cornerstonefinancegroup6540
• Facebookfacebook.com/cornerstonefinancegroup.co.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-finance-online
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstonefinancegroup
• Xx.com/Cornerstone_fin

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Cornerstone Finance