Central Financial Services

What Central Financial Services does

Central Financial Services (UK) Ltd is a privately-held mortgage and insurance advisory firm headquartered in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, founded in 2008 by Managing Director Peter Edmonds. The firm operates as an Appointed Representative of HL Partnership Limited, an FCA-authorised principal, which provides its regulatory standing; this is the firm's sole basis for carrying out regulated mortgage and insurance activity in the UK. It delivers whole-of-market mortgage advice across first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage, new build, shared ownership, bad credit, contractor, green, buy-to-let, bridging, secured loan, retirement interest-only, and joint borrower sole proprietor products, alongside equity release (lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans) for over-55s and a broad personal/business protection insurance offering.

Service delivery is direct advisory rather than call-centre based, with qualified advisors (named: Peter Edmonds, Ian, Matthew, Lucie) accessible seven days a week by phone, email, and in-person consultation. The technology stack is light and consumer-facing: a mortgage repayment calculator, a stamp duty calculator, a contractor mortgage calculator, and a 24/7 online mortgage qualification tool that funnels leads into the advisor pipeline. Lead generation relies on content marketing (a blog authored by the Managing Director), Google Reviews (5.0 stars across 77 reviews), social channels (Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram), and city-specific SEO pages targeting major UK geographies. A refer-a-friend programme incentivises word-of-mouth with a £50 Amazon voucher for successful introductions.

The revenue model combines three streams: (i) explicit mortgage advice fees of £295-£495 per case, (ii) a fixed £1,495 fee for later-life/equity release advice, and (iii) commission-based income from arranging protection insurance where no fee is charged to the customer. The GTM is consumer/SMB-targeted, sales-led, and now nationwide despite a regional head office. The firm is unbacked by institutional capital, family/founder-owned, and operates entirely within the UK regulatory perimeter; growth is funded internally and reinvested.

Name

Central Financial Services

Legal name

Central Financial Services (UK) Ltd

Website

https://centralfinancialservices.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Financial Services is a UK-based mortgage and insurance advisory firm operating as an FCA-authorised appointed representative of HL Partnership Limited, offering whole-of-market mortgage, equity release, and protection insurance advice to individual consumers and property investors nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage and Protection Insurance Advisory

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Loan Brokers (6163), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory (FSAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Mortgage advisory services
• Equity release advice
• Protection insurance advice
• Whole-of-market brokerage
• First time buyer mortgages

Headquarters

HQ city

Sutton Coldfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Advice Fees: Fees charged for mortgage advice and arrangement services. Typical fee range for standard mortgage advice.
2. Later Life Lending Advice: Fees charged for equity release and later life lending advice services.
3. Insurance Products Commission: Commission from arranging insurance products including life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, and other protection policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Central Financial Services delivers whole-of-market mortgage, equity release, and protection insurance advisory to individuals across the United Kingdom. The firm guides consumers through first-time purchases, remortgages, new-build purchases, specialist segments (contractor, bad-credit, shared ownership, green, buy-to-let), and later-life lending, while arranging life, critical illness, income protection, and general insurance policies via referral-based and direct arrangements. Operating as an appointed representative of HL Partnership Limited, the firm charges advice fees for mortgage and equity release work and earns commission on arranged protection insurance products.

Product overview

Central Financial Services is a mortgage and insurance advisory firm providing whole-of-market advice through a panel of lenders and insurance providers. The company operates three core service divisions: Mortgages (including first-time buyer, home mover, re-mortgage, new build, shared ownership, bad credit, contractor, green, buy-to-let, bridging, secured loans, retirement interest-only, and joint borrower products), Equity Release (lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans for over-55s), and Insurance (life, critical illness, income protection, buildings and contents, relevant life cover, shareholder protection, business loan protection, key person insurance, and mortgage payment protection). The firm also offers adjacent services including wills, trusts, and lasting power of attorney via referral, alongside digital tools including an online mortgage qualification tool, mortgage calculator, and stamp duty calculator. Founded in 2008, the company is FCA-authorised through HL Partnership Limited and operates primarily from Sutton Coldfield serving clients nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First-Time Buyer Mortgage Advisory Whole-of-market mortgage advisory for first-time buyers, with guidance through the property ladder, deposit planning, and government scheme access including Help to Buy.
• Home Mover Mortgage Advisory Advisory on transferring or arranging a new mortgage when selling and buying a home, including lender switch analysis.
• Remortgage Advisory Review and switch of mortgage products at the end of fixed-rate periods with whole-of-market comparison.
• New Build Mortgage Advisory Specialist advice for newly built property purchases, including developer partnerships and deposits from 5%.
• Shared Ownership Mortgage Advisory Advice on part-buy, part-rent properties via housing associations with shares as low as 25% and deposits from 5%.
• Bad Credit Mortgage Advisory Advisory for applicants with adverse credit, connecting them with niche lenders accepting poor credit histories.
• Contractor Mortgage Advisory Specialist mortgage advice for contractors and freelancers using daily/hourly rates or contract income for affordability assessment.
• Green Mortgage Advisory Advice on energy-efficient mortgages offering better rates or cashback for properties meeting green criteria.
• First Home Scheme Advisory Advisory on the government First Homes scheme offering 30-50% discounts on new homes for first-time buyers and key workers.
• Buy-to-Let Mortgage Advisory Mortgage advisory for property investors and landlords, including limited company buy-to-let options.
• Bridging Loan Advisory Short-term funding advice bridging gaps in property transactions, with referral to third-party specialists.
• Secured Loan Advisory Secured borrowing introductions to a range of secured loan brokers for alternative funding solutions.
• Retirement Interest-Only Mortgage Advisory Interest-only mortgages for borrowers aged 55+ repaid on death, move to care, or property sale.
• Joint Borrower, Sole Proprietor Mortgage Advisory Mortgage advice where multiple borrowers share the loan but only one owns the property, helping buyers combine incomes.
• Lifetime Mortgage Advisory Equity release loans for over-55s secured against property value with lump sum or drawdown options and no lifetime repayment requirement.
• Home Reversion Plan Advisory Equity release product advisory selling part or all of property to a provider for a lump sum, with retained right to live rent-free (via referral only).
• Life Insurance Advisory Protection insurance paying a cash sum on death during the policy term, including level term, mortgage term, and family income benefit options.
• Critical Illness Cover Advisory Insurance paying a lump sum on diagnosis of qualifying critical illnesses such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke.
• Income Protection Insurance Advisory Insurance providing a monthly tax-free income during long-term illness or injury, replacing up to 50% of pre-tax earnings.
• Buildings and Contents Insurance Advisory Insurance advice for homeowners covering structural damage, theft, fire, and other unforeseen events affecting home and belongings.
• Relevant Life Cover Advisory Tax-efficient death-in-service benefit advice for employees of limited companies, paid as a tax-free lump sum through a trust.
• Shareholder Protection Advisory Insurance advice enabling directors to buy out shares of a deceased shareholder, preserving company control among remaining directors.
• Business Loan Protection Advisory Business insurance advice covering loss of profits when a key person dies or becomes critically ill, with a cash sum paid to the business.
• Key Person Insurance Advisory Business protection advice against loss of profits arising from death, critical illness, or disability of important employees.
• Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance Advisory Accident, Sickness and Unemployment (ASU) cover advice protecting mortgage payments during illness, injury, or job loss.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HL Partnership LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHL Partnership Limited is the principal firm for which Central Financial Services operates as an appointed representative. HL Partnership is authorised and regulated by the FCA. This relationship provides regulatory oversight, compliance support, and access to lending networks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Connells Group: UK's largest estate and letting agency group with a significant in-house mortgage and protection advice arm; broad incumbent that overlaps with CFS in mortgage and protection services as part of a much larger property services portfolio.
• St. James's Place: Major UK wealth management group whose advisers also arrange mortgages and protection; broader incumbent with overlapping advisory capabilities but serving primarily HNW clients rather than mass-market.
• Quilter: UK wealth management and financial advice platform with mortgage and protection offerings via its adviser network; broad incumbent competing in adjacent customer segments with a much larger product portfolio.

Direct peers

• SPF Private Clients: Specialist UK mortgage broker focused on complex and higher-value residential and buy-to-let cases; comparable advisory-led model with whole-of-market access, though skewed to more affluent clients.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau: UK's largest mortgage broker network offering whole-of-market advice via appointed representatives; structurally the closest comparable to CFS in business model, lender panel access, and customer segment.
• Openwork: UK financial advisory network offering mortgages, protection, and later-life lending through appointed representatives; closely comparable to CFS in product breadth and principal-representative structure.
• John Charcol: Long-established London-based whole-of-market mortgage broker; directly comparable advisory model with focus on complex cases and specialist lending, similar to CFS's contractor and bad-credit niches.
• Just Mortgages (Spicerhaart Group): National UK mortgage broker network operating via self-employed advisors; directly comparable to CFS in appointed-representative structure, whole-of-market access, and protection cross-sell model.

Emerging players

• Habito: UK digital-first mortgage broker and broker platform; competes for the same end customers as CFS but via a tech-led delivery model, representing both a competitive threat and a potential white-label partner.

Others

• HL Partnership Limited: CFS's FCA-principal firm and network operator; comparable as the infrastructure layer on which CFS and many similar appointed representatives sit, providing compliance, panel access, and operational support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC85bMKnDQNIzwgDENh7hd3A
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralFinancialServicesUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-financial-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/centralfinancialservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Central Financial Services