What Smart Advice Financial Solutions does

Smart Advice Financial Solutions LTD is an independent mortgage and financial advice firm founded in 2011 by Robert Loaring and Marc Mylum, headquartered in Marshfield, South Gloucestershire, with additional offices in Bath (Monmouth Street, Northgate House) and a registered office in Chippenham. The firm operates as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau Limited and Mortgage Advice Bureau (Derby) Limited (FCA-authorised), granting it access to a network of 90 mortgage lenders and over 12,000 mortgage and protection products.

The firm delivers three core product lines: residential, buy-to-let, commercial, and specialist mortgages (including self-employed, contractor, and adverse credit cases) via CeMAP-qualified advisers; protection products (life, critical illness, income protection, family income benefit, business protection, and buildings and contents) from a panel of insurers including Aviva, Legal & General, LV=, Royal London, and Vitality; and referral-based services for equity release, wealth management, wills and estate planning, and conveyancing. Service is delivered via face-to-face appointments, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and telephone with evening and weekend availability.

The revenue model combines customer-paid mortgage advice fees (up to 1% of the amount borrowed, typically 0.3%) with lender commission and insurer commission on protection products. The firm employs 51-100 staff, serves the Bristol and Bath region in the UK, and has been recognised as Best National Mortgage Advisor at ESTAS in 2022 and Gold winner in 2023. No external funding, M&A activity, or material leadership changes are disclosed.

Name

Smart Advice Financial Solutions

Legal name

Smart Advice Financial Solutions LTD

Website

https://smartadvicefs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smart Advice Financial Solutions is an independent UK mortgage brokerage operating as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau, serving individual consumers across the Bristol and Bath region with mortgage, protection, and referral-based financial planning services delivered through multi-channel advisory channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hybrid Advice (Advisor + Digital) Platforms (FSAAAAAE)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage
• Residential mortgages
• Protection insurance
• Financial advisory
• Buy-to-let mortgages

Headquarters

HQ city

Bath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Advice Fees: Customers pay a fee for mortgage advice, recommendation, research and application. The fee is up to 1% of the amount borrowed, with a typical fee of 0.3%. Fees are agreed with customers before any chargeable work is undertaken.
2. Lender Commission: The company receives commission from mortgage lenders in addition to fees paid by customers. Commission rates vary by lender and are detailed in the Mortgage Illustration provided to customers.
3. Protection Product Commission: Commission received from insurance providers, calculated as a percentage of the total annual premium for protection products including life insurance, critical illness, income protection, and buildings and contents insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smart Advice Financial Solutions is an independent mortgage broker and financial advisory firm operating as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB). The firm provides mortgage advice across residential, buy-to-let, commercial, and specialist mortgage categories (first-time buyer, self-employed, contractor, bad credit, new build), protection insurance products (life, critical illness, income protection, family income benefit, business protection, buildings and contents), and referral-based financial planning, wealth management, will writing, equity release, and conveyancing services. Advice is delivered through MAB's network of 90 lenders and over 12,000 mortgage products.

Product overview

Smart Advice Financial Solutions is an independent mortgage broker and financial advisory firm operating as an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB). The firm offers a comprehensive suite of financial services structured around three pillars: (1) Mortgage products including residential, buy-to-let, commercial, and specialist mortgages (first-time buyer, self-employed, contractor, bad credit, new build); (2) Protection products including life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, family income benefit, business protection, and buildings & contents insurance sourced from a panel of leading UK insurers; and (3) Advisory services covering financial planning, wealth management, wills & estate planning, equity release/later life lending, and property solicitors. The firm also provides digital tools including mortgage, risk, and BMI calculators. Advice is delivered through Mortgage Advice Bureau's network of 90+ lenders and 12,000+ exclusive mortgage products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Mortgages Mortgage advice and brokerage covering purchase, remortgage, and specialist residential mortgage products including first-time buyer, home mover, new build, self-employed, contractor, and bad credit mortgages.
• Buy-to-Let Mortgages Specialist mortgage products for landlords purchasing or remortgaging rental properties, including portfolio lending and holiday-let mortgages.
• Commercial Mortgages Mortgage advice for businesses and commercial property purchases, available to sole traders, contractors, and limited companies.
• Life Insurance Mortgage life insurance that pays a lump sum on death to repay the outstanding mortgage, available through a panel of leading UK insurers including Aviva, Legal & General, LV=, Payment Shield, Royal London, Uinsure, and Vitality.
• Critical Illness Cover Insurance that pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a serious illness covered under the policy, which can be used to service or repay a mortgage.
• Income Protection Insurance designed to replace part of income if the policyholder cannot work due to illness or injury, paying regular tax-free instalments until they can work again.
• Business Protection Business continuity insurance covering Key Person cover, Shareholder cover, Business loan protection, and relevant life cover for business owners and employees.
• Buildings and Contents Insurance Home insurance products covering buildings (permanent fixtures and fittings) and contents (furniture and personal possessions).
• Equity Release / Later Life Lending Equity release products including lifetime mortgages allowing homeowners aged 55+ to access cash locked in their property value without moving, offered through referral to specialist advisers at Mortgage Advice Bureau and Key Retirement Solutions.
• Financial Planning Financial planning services including pensions, retirement planning, savings, and investments, provided through referral to business partners.
• Wealth Management Wealth management services including investment planning, retirement planning, education planning, estate planning, and risk management, offered through referral to Thames Valley Financial Planning.
• Wills and Estate Planning Will writing and estate planning services including choosing beneficiaries, appointing executors, mitigating inheritance tax, and leaving legally binding gifts, provided through referral to National Will Writers or Kinherit.
• Property Solicitors Conveyancing and property legal services including property conveyancing, valuation and survey reports, lease extensions, transfer of equity, and energy performance certificates, offered through Smart Refer.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded Best National Mortgage Advisor at ESTAS 2023 (Gold)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmart Advice Financial Solutions is an appointed representative of Mortgage Advice Bureau Limited and Mortgage Advice Bureau (Derby) Limited. MAB is the UK's leading mortgage intermediary brand, providing access to 90 lenders and over 12,000 products. Smart Advice is the largest Regional Network Partner of MAB in the South of England. FCA registration numbers: 455545 for MAB, 569199 for Smart Advice.
• National Will Writers LimitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for wills and estate planning services. Smart Advice refers clients to National Will Writers for assistance with estate planning, executor appointments, inheritance tax mitigation, and legally binding gifts.
• Kinherit LimitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for wills and estate planning services. Clients are referred to Kinherit for estate planning assistance.
• Thames Valley Financial PlanningsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for wealth management services including investment planning, retirement planning, education planning, estate planning, and risk management.
• Smart RefersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for property solicitors and conveyancing services including property conveyancing, valuation and survey reports, lease extensions, transfer of equity, and EPCs.
• Sage Equity Release / Key Retirement SolutionssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for equity release and later life lending services. Sage Equity Release advisers work with Key Retirement Solutions to provide lifetime mortgages and equity release plans for homeowners aged 55+.
• 90 Mortgage LenderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccess to 90 mortgage lenders through Mortgage Advice Bureau partnership, including NatWest, HSBC, Barclays, Santander, Halifax, Metro Bank, Clydesdale, Virgin Money, and others. This provides access to over 12,000 mortgage products.
• Protection Product InsurerssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPanel of leading insurers for protection products including Aviva, Legal & General, LV=, Payment Shield, Royal London, Uinsure, and Vitality. These providers offer life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, and buildings and contents insurance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Habito: UK digital-first mortgage broker offering whole-of-market advice online and via telephone, including specialist products. Competes for the same mortgage customers as Smart Advice with a more technology-led delivery model, and now owned by Lloyds Banking Group.
• SPF Private Clients: UK whole-of-market mortgage broker (formerly Self-employed People's Freehold) specializing in complex income cases including self-employed, contractor, and adverse credit borrowers. Directly comparable to Smart Advice's specialist self-employed and bad-credit proposition.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau: The UK's leading mortgage intermediary network and Smart Advice's host network. MAB provides the lender panel (90 lenders, 12,000+ products), regulatory hosting, and brand association; Smart Advice is its largest Regional Network Partner in the South of England.
• Alexander Hall: Independent London mortgage broker offering fee-free advice across a wide panel of lenders, including residential, buy-to-let, and first-time buyer mortgages. Comparable independent broker model to Smart Advice with strong regional (London) concentration.
• John Charcol: Long-established London-based independent mortgage broker serving complex and high-net-worth borrowers across the UK. Comparable to Smart Advice in providing whole-of-market advice and specialist cases, though concentrated in London/southern affluent segments.
• Trussle: Online UK mortgage broker providing whole-of-market advice via a digital platform with adviser support. Targets the same first-time buyer and home-mover segments as Smart Advice but with a more automated, lower-fee customer experience.
• London & Country Mortgages: One of the UK's largest independent mortgage brokers, offering whole-of-market advice across residential, buy-to-let, and remortgage products via phone and online. Directly comparable independent broker model to Smart Advice, though at significantly larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• HSBC UK: Major UK mortgage lender offering residential and buy-to-let products direct and via intermediaries. Smart Advice explicitly lists HSBC among its lender panel, making it both a partner and a competing direct-to-consumer channel.
• Santander UK: Top-five UK mortgage lender distributing direct and via intermediaries. Like HSBC, Santander is both a panel lender for Smart Advice (commission source) and a competing direct distribution channel.
• Nationwide Building Society: One of the UK's largest mortgage lenders and a direct competitor to mortgage brokers for straightforward residential lending. Represents the incumbent channel against which Smart Advice's intermediary value proposition must justify its fee.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mab_smartadvice
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartadvicemortgages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-advice-financial-solutions-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Smart Advice Financial Solutions