What Hoyl Independent Advisers does

Hoyl Independent Advisers is a privately held, FCA-regulated (FRN 433927) independent financial advisory firm headquartered in Cromer, Norfolk, founded in 2005 (originally as Phoenix Independent Advisers Ltd). It provides whole-of-market advice to individual clients and business employers across the UK, spanning mortgages (residential and buy-to-let), protection (life, critical illness, income protection, family income benefit), investments and pensions (retirement planning, ISA/CGT, pension consolidation, sustainable options), and corporate financial & pension solutions (workplace pensions, auto-enrolment compliance, employee financial wellbeing programmes). The firm operates a multi-region distribution model: from its Cromer headquarters, via the Derby-based Create Financial Management (Create FM Ltd) sub-brand covering the East Midlands and surrounding counties, and via MacRobins Limited as appointed representatives — enabling face-to-face service across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire, with remote advice available across the UK. Customer-acquisition leverage comes from VouchedFor (1,000+ verified reviews; Top Rated 2026 distributed by The Times and The Telegraph), client referrals built over twenty years, content (Smartmoney/Esmartmoney magazines, quarterly newsletters, downloadable guides), and a website-driven enquiry funnel.

The underlying technology stack is Intelliflo's Intelligent Office back-office system hosted on UK servers for client data and administration, supplemented by third-party electronic ID verification, e-signature, and secure transcription services. There is no proprietary technology platform; investment outcomes are delivered via long-standing relationships with multi-award-winning external investment managers (Invesco, PortfolioMetrix, Sarasin & Partners). The revenue model is a hybrid of (a) initial advice fees up to 4% of investment/transfer value (minimum £1,495), (b) ongoing annual advice fees of approximately 1% of portfolio value, (c) fixed fees for transactional pieces (£750 for a basic single-plan suitability report up to £1,500+ for a four-plan review), and (d) corporate retainers or fixed/time-based fees for workplace pension and wellbeing work — in each case preceded by a free, no-obligation initial consultation of approximately one hour. The firm employs 101-250 staff, including 20+ qualified Independent Financial Advisers, Mortgage & Protection Advisers, a customer support team, and a management layer led by Managing Director Mick Ramage, Directors Paul Wreford and Dawn Colbrook (COO), and functional heads across advisory growth, operations, training & competence, and compliance. Growth has been pursued through client referrals, sub-brand appointments (Create FM, MacRobins), and an explicit acquisition-integration mandate under the COO.

Name

Hoyl Independent Advisers

Legal name

Hoyl Independent Advisers Limited

Website

https://hoyl.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hoyl Independent Advisers is a UK-based, FCA-regulated independent financial advisory firm offering whole-of-market advice on mortgages, protection, investments, pensions, and corporate workplace pension schemes to individual and business clients nationwide, operating through 20+ advisers since 2005.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA), Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE), Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)

Keywords

• Independent financial advice
• Pension planning services
• Mortgage advisory services
• Investment management solutions
• Protection insurance products

Headquarters

HQ city

Cromer

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Fees: Percentage-based fees on investment/transfer amounts with a maximum of 4% (minimum £1,495) plus ongoing advice fees of approximately 1% per year of portfolio value. Fixed fees for specific services such as basic reviews (£750 for one plan) and detailed reviews (£1,500+ for four plans).
2. Corporate Pension Services: Flexible fee options for businesses including time-based, fixed-fee, or retainer arrangements for workplace pension management and employee financial wellbeing programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hoyl Independent Advisers provides whole-of-market independent financial advice to individuals and businesses across the UK. Core offerings span investments and pensions (portfolio management, retirement planning), mortgages (residential and buy-to-let), protection insurance (life cover, critical illness, income protection), and corporate workplace pension/employee financial wellbeing programmes. The firm operates through a network of 20+ qualified advisers from its Cromer headquarters and a regional office in Derby via the Create Financial Management trading style.

Product overview

Hoyl Independent Advisers offers a comprehensive suite of financial advisory services through a unified platform approach. The core offerings include Mortgages & Protection (covering residential mortgages, buy-to-let mortgages, life cover, critical illness cover, and income protection), Investments & Pensions (managed portfolios through partner investment managers including Invesco, PortfolioMetrix, and Sarasin & Partners), and Corporate Financial & Pension Solutions (workplace pensions and employee wellbeing programmes). The firm operates through sub-brands including Create Financial Management and offers fee-structured advisory services ranging from transactional to full financial review. Supporting resources include Smartmoney Magazine, Esmartmoney Magazine, Hoyl Newsletters, and the Hoyl Guides library, while Create Financial Management extends services to clients in Derbyshire and surrounding counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 verified client reviews on VouchedFor platform
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IntelliflocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing the Intelligent Office back-office administration system. Client data is securely stored on Intelliflo's UK-based servers ensuring compliance with data protection standards.
• Create FM Limited (Create Financial Management)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppointed representative of Hoyl Independent Advisers Limited, operating as a trading style from Wyvern Business Park in Derby. Provides independent financial advice across the East Midlands and surrounding regions.
• MacRobins LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppointed representative of Hoyl Independent Advisers Limited, providing the same products and services as the main firm.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smith & Pinching: Long-established East-Anglia-based independent financial adviser offering investment, pension, mortgage and protection advice to individuals and businesses — highly comparable regional IFA with similar service mix, target client profile and adviser-led distribution model.
• LEBC Group: UK independent employee benefits and financial advisory group of similar headcount providing workplace pensions, auto-enrolment and individual financial planning to corporate and personal clients — comparable in size, multi-product breadth and corporate client segment.
• Killik & Co: Privately held UK chartered financial adviser with comparable headcount offering holistic investment, retirement and tax planning to mass-affluent and high-net-worth clients — similar face-to-face adviser model and whole-of-market proposition.
• Forrester Sylvester Mackett: Independent UK IFA providing financial planning, investment, pension, mortgage and protection advice with a multi-office regional footprint — closely comparable in size, scope and traditional adviser-led GTM.

Broad incumbents

• St. James's Place: UK's largest wealth manager with a national adviser network offering investment, pension, mortgage and protection solutions — overlaps Hoyl on every product line but operates at vastly greater scale with a tied/restricted advice model.
• Quilter: UK wealth management business combining a national adviser network with a platform and investment solutions — comparable multi-product offering at much greater scale and with proprietary platform technology.
• Rathbones: UK-listed wealth manager providing discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, charities and intermediaries — overlaps Hoyl on investment management and advice at materially larger AUM scale.
• Brewin Dolphin: UK wealth manager (now part of Royal Bank of Canada) offering bespoke investment management and financial planning via a national adviser network — comparable investment and financial-planning proposition at significantly larger scale.
• Tilney (Evelyn Partners): Large UK wealth management and professional services group offering financial planning, investment management, tax and advisory services — comparable multi-product proposition serving similar HNW and mass-affluent segments.
• Hargreaves Lansdown: UK's largest direct-to-consumer investment platform with selective advice services — competing for the same retail investment, pension and savings flows but via a digital, low-fee self-directed model rather than adviser-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Hoyl Independent Advisers