The Spectrum IFA Group
The Spectrum IFA Group is an independent, employee-owned financial advisory firm founded in 2003, delivering cross-border financial planning to English-speaking expatriates across 7 European countries through 12 offices and 50+ advisers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Spectrum IFA Group does
The Spectrum IFA Group is a privately held, independent financial advisory firm founded in 2003 by Michael Lodhi, providing personalised cross-border financial planning for English-speaking expatriates living across Europe. Its primary corporate entity is TSG Insurance Services SARL (France), with a registered office in Malta held through The Spectrum IFA Group Limited. The firm operates 12 regional offices staffed by 50+ advisers across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, and Switzerland, and is regulated in multiple jurisdictions (ORIAS, ANACOFI-CIF/AMF, FINMA, MFSA). Service offerings centre on tax-efficient investing, pensions and retirement planning (including QROPS for UK pensions), estate and succession planning, mortgages, life assurance, and currency transfer referrals.
The business model is a fee-based professional services practice. The client journey begins with a free initial discovery meeting and complimentary financial review, after which the firm charges an initial fee on lump sums invested and an ongoing advisory charge for continuous service; specific fee amounts are not publicly disclosed and are agreed during consultation. Distribution is primarily direct-to-client via locally-based expatriate advisers who provide face-to-face consultations, supplemented by an active content-marketing engine (SEO-optimised country-specific tax guides, blog posts by named advisers, email newsletters, and seminars such as Le Tour de Finance). Revenue is generated purely from advisory fees and related referral commissions, with no proprietary software or technology platform.
The firm holds a 50% shareholding in Geneva-based Blackden Financial (acquired May 2020), extending its Swiss footprint into the HNW segment, and operates a referral partnership with FCA-authorised Smart Currency Exchange. In October 2025 the firm transitioned to an Employee Ownership model, with advisers becoming shareholders receiving dividends from group profits — a structural shift aimed at retention and long-term sustainability rather than external scaling. Co-founder Michael Lodhi serves as CEO and is also a co-founder of FEIFA (Federation of European Independent Financial Advisers), giving the firm industry influence beyond its own headcount.
The Spectrum IFA Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Spectrum IFA Group
- Legal name
- TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L.
- Website
- https://spectrum-ifa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Spectrum IFA Group is an independent, employee-owned financial advisory firm founded in 2003, delivering cross-border financial planning to English-speaking expatriates across 7 European countries through 12 offices and 50+ advisers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Spectrum IFA Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Expatriate Financial Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Broker-Dealers (Retail Network) (FSAAAAAC)
Keywords
Where The Spectrum IFA Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
The Spectrum IFA Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Financial Advisory Fees: Charges typically include an initial charge on any lump sum invested, commensurate with the amount of work involved in the financial and tax plan, and an ongoing charge to access continuous services. All charges are presented during the discussion phase and agreed before implementation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time | Free initial discovery meeting |
| Subscription | Annual | Ongoing advisory services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Spectrum IFA Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Spectrum IFA Group is a financial advisory firm that provides personalised, face-to-face financial planning services to English-speaking expatriates across Europe. Its core offering spans tax-efficient investing, pensions and retirement planning (including QROPS transfers), estate and succession planning, mortgages, currency transfers, and life assurance, delivered by regionally based advisers through 12 offices in 7 European countries. Advisory engagements are typically initiated through a free initial financial review and structured around an initial implementation fee plus ongoing continuous-service fees.
Product overview
The Spectrum IFA Group operates as a financial advisory practice rather than a software product company. Their core offering is personalised financial planning and advisory services delivered through regionally-based human advisers across Europe. The service portfolio consists of advisory consultations (Free Financial Review as entry point), followed by ongoing financial planning engagements covering tax-efficient investing, pension planning (including QROPS), estate planning, and currency management. These human-delivered services are complemented by educational resources including country-specific tax guides (for France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Luxembourg, Switzerland), investment risk guides, ESG/responsible investing guides, and moving guides. The company also provides referrals to Smart Currency Exchange for currency transfer services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Financial Planning & Advisory Services Personalised financial planning and advisory engagements covering tax-efficient investing, pensions and retirement planning (including QROPS), estate and succession planning, mortgages, currency transfers and life assurance for English-speaking expatriates across Europe.
- QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes) Advisory Specialist advice and structuring for transferring UK pensions into Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes for expatriates living in Europe.
- Inheritance Tax Planning Cross-jurisdiction succession and inheritance tax planning strategy to help clients pass assets to heirs with maximum tax efficiency across multiple countries.
- Smart Currency Exchange Referral Service Referral to Smart Currency Exchange for overseas money transfers and currency exchange, available to Spectrum clients since 2020; over 100 clients have used the service.
Companies that use The Spectrum IFA Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Spectrum IFA Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Spectrum IFA Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Blackden FinancialcoreSpectrum acquired 50% shareholding in Geneva-based Blackden Financial in May 2020. Blackden provides investment, pension and savings solutions to a predominantly high net worth expatriate client base in Switzerland. The partnership expands Spectrum's Swiss operation and gives Blackden access to locally compliant solutions in EU markets including France, Italy, and Spain. Blackden's name, office and personnel were retained.
- Smart Currency ExchangecorePartnership since 2020 for providing currency exchange services to clients. Smart Currency Exchange offers overseas money transfer services, helping clients save money when transferring funds abroad. Over 100 Spectrum clients have used the service to save on transfers. Smart Currency Exchange is authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority under Payment Services Regulations 2025 and regulated by HM Revenue and Customs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Spectrum IFA Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AES International: Expat-focused financial advice firm providing cross-border investment and pension planning to UK expatriates primarily in the Middle East and Asia, with overlapping offerings such as QROPS and SIPP transfers.
- deVere Group: Large independent global financial advisory firm specializing in expat wealth management. Targets the same English-speaking expatriate client base with cross-border investment and retirement planning.
- Blevins Franks: Independent financial advisers focused on tax, investment, and estate planning for British expatriates across Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Malta). The closest direct competitor to Spectrum in the cross-border expat advisory space.
- Hoxton Wealth: Multi-jurisdictional wealth manager serving expatriates and international investors across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Comparable in targeting expat clients with cross-border investment and tax planning needs.
- SJB International: Independent expat wealth advisory firm focused on British expatriates seeking pension transfer and investment advice. Comparable product mix including QROPS and cross-border tax planning.
- The Fry Group (Kingswood): Long-established expatriate financial advisory firm in Europe that became part of Kingswood Group. Directly competes in the cross-border UK-Europe pension, tax, and investment planning market targeted by Spectrum.
- Chase Buchanan: UK-headquartered expat financial advice firm serving British expatriates across Europe with cross-border pension, tax, and investment planning. Operates in similar regulatory frameworks and targets the same expatriate persona.
- Blackden Financial: Geneva-based financial planning firm 50%-owned by Spectrum that provides investment, pension, and savings solutions to HNW expatriate clients in Switzerland. Closely linked through the JV relationship.
Broad incumbents
- Fisher Investments: Large global investment manager serving high-net-worth and institutional clients including expatriates. A broad incumbent offering portfolio management services that overlap with Spectrum's investment advisory but at greater scale and without local-regulator specialization in each European market.
- HUB International: Large North American insurance brokerage with growing international footprint serving expatriate and globally mobile clients. A broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in expat risk and wealth management.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Spectrum IFA Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Spectrum IFA Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Spectrum IFA Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Spectrum IFA Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The Spectrum IFA Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Spectrum IFA Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Spectrum IFA Group
What does The Spectrum IFA Group do?
The Spectrum IFA Group is a financial advisory firm that provides personalised, face-to-face financial planning services to English-speaking expatriates across Europe. Its core offering spans tax-efficient investing, pensions and retirement planning (including QROPS transfers), estate and succession planning, mortgages, currency transfers, and life assurance, delivered by regionally based advisers through 12 offices in 7 European countries. Advisory engagements are typically initiated through a free initial financial review and structured around an initial implementation fee plus ongoing continuous-service fees.
Is The Spectrum IFA Group a public or private company?
The Spectrum IFA Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was The Spectrum IFA Group founded?
The Spectrum IFA Group was founded in 2003. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Spectrum IFA Group based?
The Spectrum IFA Group is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does The Spectrum IFA Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: financial Advisory Fees.
Who are The Spectrum IFA Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AES International, deVere Group, Blevins Franks, Hoxton Wealth, SJB International, The Fry Group (Kingswood), Chase Buchanan and Blackden Financial. Broad incumbents are Fisher Investments and HUB International.
Does The Spectrum IFA Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Spectrum IFA Group.
What industry is The Spectrum IFA Group in?
The Spectrum IFA Group's product category is Expatriate Financial Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAAAAC, Independent Broker-Dealers (Retail Network). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.