Financial Planning
Francis Clark Financial Planning is a UK Chartered financial planning firm serving approximately 2,000 High Net Worth and mid-market individuals and business owners across nine South West and South East England offices, delivering lifetime financial planning, investment management, retirement, and inheritance tax advice as a subsidiary of PKF Francis Clark.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersExeter, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Financial Planning does
Francis Clark Financial Planning Ltd is a UK Chartered financial planning firm founded in 2002 in Newton Abbot and now headquartered in Torquay, operating as a subsidiary of Francis Clark LLP within the PKF International accountancy network. The firm employs a 65-strong Chartered financial planning team across nine offices in the South West and South East of England, serving approximately 2,000 individuals and business owners with a focus on High Net Worth and mid-market clients. Core services include lifetime financial planning with cashflow forecasting, retirement planning, investment management, wealth management, inheritance tax planning, personal and business protection insurance, divorce financial planning, and care fees planning.
The technology stack is centred on financial planning software with cashflow forecasting, supplemented by an in-house Investment Management Committee that conducts daily monitoring and quarterly reviews of fund managers, and integrations with abrdn, Parmenion, and 7IM investment platforms. A new client portal with bank-level encryption is in development, and an AI notetaker is deployed to automate meeting documentation and suitability report generation. The firm is FCA-authorised (No. 433591), holds Chartered status placing it among the top 14% of UK financial planning firms, and is B Corp certified.
The business model is predominantly fee-based, with recurring advisory fees for financial planning and investment management, and transaction-based commissions on insurance products. Initial pricing is set during consultation with disclosed cost breakdowns but no public fee schedule. Distribution is sales-led through local offices, supplemented by professional referral networks with solicitors and accountants, long-tenure client relationships averaging many years, and content marketing via the firm's Insights blog and social channels. The firm has achieved an NPS of 59 (25% above industry average) and 86% client satisfaction, with 42.8% women in senior leadership and 35.3% in financial planner roles.
Financial Planning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Financial Planning
- Legal name
- Francis Clark Financial Planning Ltd
- Website
- https://fcfp.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Francis Clark Financial Planning is a UK Chartered financial planning firm serving approximately 2,000 High Net Worth and mid-market individuals and business owners across nine South West and South East England offices, delivering lifetime financial planning, investment management, retirement, and inheritance tax advice as a subsidiary of PKF Francis Clark.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Financial Planning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Financial Advisory and Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD), Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)
Keywords
Where Financial Planning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Exeter
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Financial Planning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Financial Planning and Advisory Fees: Fees for comprehensive lifetime financial planning services, retirement planning, investment planning, and wealth management advisory services.
- Investment Management Services: Investment management fees for portfolio management, diversified portfolios, and ethical/sustainable investment options.
- Insurance Products: Commission from personal protection insurance, life insurance, income protection, critical illness cover, and business protection insurance products.
- Wealth Management Services: Comprehensive wealth management for high net worth individuals with significant assets, including access to specialist tax advice and corporate finance through PKF Francis Clark.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consultation-based pricing with transparent cost breakdown |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Financial Planning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Francis Clark Financial Planning is a Chartered financial planning firm offering lifetime financial planning, retirement planning, investment planning, wealth management, inheritance tax planning, personal and business protection insurance, care fees planning, and divorce financial planning. Services are delivered by Chartered Financial Planners across nine regional offices in the South West of England, with integrated access to PKF Francis Clark accountants and tax specialists. The firm serves approximately 2,000 individuals and businesses through advice-led, fee-based engagements, supported by a developing secure client portal.
Product overview
Francis Clark Financial Planning is a Chartered financial planning firm offering a unified suite of advisory services centered on lifetime financial planning. The core offering combines lifetime cashflow forecasting with integrated advice across retirement planning, investment management, wealth management, inheritance tax planning, and protection insurance. The firm operates across nine regional offices and provides a digital client portal for secure document sharing and communication. Services are delivered by Chartered Financial Planners working alongside in-house tax and accounting specialists from PKF Francis Clark, enabling holistic financial advice in one place.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lifetime Financial Planning Cashflow forecasting and long-term financial planning service that maps clients' future financial trajectories and progress toward life goals through scenario modeling, delivered by Chartered Financial Planners.
- Retirement Planning Advice Pension and retirement planning guidance including reviewing existing pension plans, contribution strategies, and retirement income modeling for individuals planning for or in retirement.
- Investment Planning Independent investment advice covering portfolio construction, diversified investing, tax-efficient investments, and alignment with lifetime financial plans.
- Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management service for clients with significant assets, providing specialist risk strategies, investment solutions, and coordination with tax and corporate finance specialists.
- Inheritance Tax Planning Advice Estate planning and inheritance tax mitigation strategies including trusts, gifts, business relief, and will planning.
- Personal Protection Insurance Life insurance, income protection, critical illness cover, and whole life insurance products to protect clients' families and financial plans.
- Financial Planning for Care Fees Later life care cost planning including care home fees, social care funding, and integration with NHS and local authority funding sources.
- Business Protection Insurance Key person insurance, shareholder protection, and business loan insurance to protect businesses from losing essential personnel.
- Divorce Financial Planning Financial advice during separation and divorce, including asset division, pension splitting, and post-divorce financial security planning.
- Professional Relationships Service Referral and collaboration service for solicitors and professional advisors to offer their clients integrated financial planning alongside legal and accounting services.
- Client Portal Secure online platform for clients to access their financial plans, documents, portfolio values, and communicate with their financial planner, featuring bank-level encryption and WhatsApp-style secure messaging.
Quantifiable outcome
- NPS score of 59, 25% higher than industry average for finance
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Financial Planning
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Financial Planning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Financial Planning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- PKF Francis ClarkcoreParent company Francis Clark LLP, part of PKF International (world's 15th largest accountancy group). Provides integrated accounting, tax, and financial planning services. Francis Clark Financial Planning is a subsidiary company founded in 2002 to provide joined-up financial planning alongside accounting services.
- Insight6supportingIndependent client experience consultant partnered with for unbiased surveys and interviews as part of the A.C.T. (Ask, Collaborate, Transform) client listening programme.
- Client Portal ProviderssupportingThird-party technology providers for new client portal development with bank-level encryption standards.
- abrdnsupportingInvestment platform partner providing wrap adviser services for client portfolio management.
- ParmenionsupportingInvestment platform partner for portfolio administration and management services.
- Seven Investment Management (7IM)supportingInvestment platform partner for portfolio management services.
- Penderlaw SolicitorssupportingLegal firm referring clients for financial planning services. Positive feedback received on collaborative advisory approach.
- MND AssociationsupportingCharity partner for fundraising activities. Managing Director Chris Reah completed three charity marathons raising approximately £180,000 over three years for motor neurone disease research and support.
- Cedar Capital PartnerssupportingPhil's business partner in charity marathon fundraising for MND Association. Combined team effort in charity events.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Financial Planning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Coutts: UK private bank and wealth manager offering investment management, financial planning, and banking services to HNW individuals. Comparable HNW/mass-affluent client base and planning-led offering.
- St. James's Place: The UK's largest advice-led wealth manager, operating a national partnership model of Chartered-quality financial planners. Most directly comparable in target client (HNW/affluent) and lifetime advisory approach, though materially larger and listed.
Direct peers
- Killik & Co: UK-focused independent financial planning and investment management firm with a regional office network. Closely comparable in lifetime planning focus, Chartered advisor credentials, and HNW clientele.
- Sanlam UK: UK wealth platform combining financial planning, investment management, and estate planning for HNW clients. Comparable in lifetime planning philosophy and IFA partnership model.
- Brewin Dolphin: UK wealth manager with discretionary investment management and financial planning services for private clients, charities, and intermediaries. Comparable in combining advice, investment management, and regional office network.
- Brown Shipley: UK private bank and wealth manager offering investment management, financial planning, and lending to HNW clients. Comparable in combining advice with discretionary investment management.
- Evelyn Partners: UK-based chartered wealth management and professional services firm offering integrated financial planning, investment management, and tax advice. Closely comparable integrated model and HNW/business-owner client focus.
- Rathbones Group: UK-listed wealth manager providing investment management, financial planning, and tax planning to HNW individuals, families, and charities. Comparable breadth of advisory services and client demographic.
- Quilter: UK wealth manager with a national adviser network offering financial planning, investment, and retirement solutions to mass-affluent and HNW clients. Comparable in advice-led model and Chartered planner emphasis.
Emerging players
- Progeny: UK-based financial planning and wealth management firm offering integrated advice across investments, tax, and legal. Comparable integrated advice model and HNW target client.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Financial Planning social profiles
Digital presenceFinancial Planning compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Financial Planning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Financial Planning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Financial Planning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Financial Planning 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 Financial Planning
What does Financial Planning do?
Francis Clark Financial Planning is a Chartered financial planning firm offering lifetime financial planning, retirement planning, investment planning, wealth management, inheritance tax planning, personal and business protection insurance, care fees planning, and divorce financial planning. Services are delivered by Chartered Financial Planners across nine regional offices in the South West of England, with integrated access to PKF Francis Clark accountants and tax specialists. The firm serves approximately 2,000 individuals and businesses through advice-led, fee-based engagements, supported by a developing secure client portal.
Is Financial Planning a public or private company?
Financial Planning is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Financial Planning founded?
Financial Planning was founded in 2002. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Financial Planning based?
Financial Planning is headquartered in Exeter, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Financial Planning make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Financial Planning and Advisory Fees are the primary driver. The others are investment Management Services, insurance Products and wealth Management Services.
Who are Financial Planning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Coutts and St. James's Place. Direct peers are Killik & Co, Sanlam UK, Brewin Dolphin, Brown Shipley, Evelyn Partners, Rathbones Group and Quilter. Progeny is listed as an emerging player.
Does Financial Planning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Financial Planning.
What industry is Financial Planning in?
Financial Planning's product category is Financial Advisory and Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAA, Comprehensive Financial Planning, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAD, Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.