CSM

What CSM does

CSM Expat Financial Planning is an independent financial advisory firm founded in 1985 and operated by founder and principal advisor Paul Rowe (CertPFS, 30+ years experience). The firm serves expatriate individuals, retirees, digital nomads, international travellers, and small-to-medium business clients with employee benefits and shareholder protection needs, primarily across the UK, APAC, the Middle East, Africa, and other global markets served remotely via video consultations. Its product suite spans five pillars: financial protection (medical insurance from multiple international carriers, critical illness cover, income/disability protection, life assurance), investments (discretionary fund management via TAM International and Momentum Harmony portfolios, offshore portfolio bonds, structured products, trend-following strategies, and an AI-themed Sanlam fund), pensions and savings (expat pensions, offshore savings plans, education fee planning), travel insurance (single trip, multi-trip, and specialized variants for seniors, students, golfers, scuba divers, cyclists, and motorcyclists), and estate planning (UK will drafting, expat mortgages).

CSM does not develop proprietary technology platforms; rather, it curates and arranges third-party insurance and investment products for its clients. Its core operating model is a manual, relationship-intensive advisory practice with structured advice processes covering planning, execution, review, and adjustment phases. Marketing and distribution are driven by content marketing (blog articles and the Market Indicator newsletter), display of industry awards from Acquisition International, APAC Insider, and MEA Markets, client testimonials, and referral-style acquisition.

The firm's revenue is generated through fee-based or commission-based compensation on financial planning services and product placement, with no public pricing disclosure. The firm is privately held, wholly founder-controlled, has no external institutional investors or parent company, and operates with 1-10 employees. There are no funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed revenue figures in the available source material.

Name

CSM

Legal name

CSM Expat Financial Planning

Website

https://csmltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CSM Expat Financial Planning is an independent, founder-led advisory firm founded in 1985 that arranges financial protection, investment, pension, and estate planning solutions for expatriates globally via video consultations. It distributes third-party insurance and discretionary fund management products through Paul Rowe and a small team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning Advisory Services: Revenue generated through fee-based or commission-based compensation models for financial planning services. Clients are offered a choice of either fee or commission based models. Services include protection planning, investment management, pension planning, and estate planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CSM Expat Financial Planning is an independent advisory firm that arranges and advises on financial products for expatriates worldwide. Core offerings include protection insurance (medical, critical illness, income/disability, life assurance), investment management through discretionary fund managers, pension and offshore savings plans, travel insurance, estate planning (UK wills and expat mortgages), and business covers (employee benefits and shareholder/keyman protection). Services are delivered via fee-based or commission-based compensation through direct video advisory engagements led by founder Paul Rowe.

Product overview

CSM Expat Financial Planning is an independent financial advisory firm founded in 1985, offering a comprehensive suite of financial planning products and services for expatriates worldwide. The core offering comprises financial protection products (medical insurance, critical illness insurance, income/disability protection, and life assurance) alongside investment solutions (discretionary fund management through TAM and Momentum Harmony portfolios, offshore portfolio bonds, structured products, and trend following investing). The firm also provides pension and savings planning, travel insurance with specialized adventure variants, business covers for employee benefits and shareholder/keyman protection, and estate planning including UK will drafting and expat mortgages. Services are delivered digitally through video meetings with global reach, supported by a client review and risk analysis methodology, with the founder Paul Rowe providing personalized advisory services for over 30 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expat Financial Planning Advisory Comprehensive, independent financial planning advisory service for expatriates covering protection, investments, pensions, and estate planning, delivered directly by founder Paul Rowe via video meetings under fee-based or commission-based compensation.
• Expat Medical Insurance Comprehensive international health insurance for expatriates living overseas, providing coverage for hospital treatments, cancer care, emergency evacuation, and medical emergencies, arranged through providers including William Russell, HCI Group NIMBL, Morgan Price International, Expatriate Group, and IMG.
• Critical Illness Insurance Financial protection providing a tax-free cash lump sum upon diagnosis of critical illnesses including cancer, heart attack, stroke, and other specified conditions, with coverage available from USD 50,000 up to USD 2,000,000.
• Income/Disability Protection Insurance Long-term disability income protection insurance that replaces up to 70% of pre-disability income when illness or accident prevents working, with benefits continuing until age 65 typically.
• Life Assurance Financial protection for families providing a tax-free cash lump sum to surviving dependents upon death, covering mortgages, debts, and future expenses.
• Discretionary Fund Management (DFM) Professional active fund management through discretionary fund managers (TAM International and Momentum Harmony) providing risk-adjusted investment portfolios for lump-sum investments.
• Offshore Portfolio Bonds Tax-efficient offshore investment platform allowing access to diversified portfolios of funds, ETFs, stocks, shares, and other investment vehicles.
• Expat Pensions Pension planning solutions for expatriates addressing retirement income needs with offshore savings plans and expat-specific pension arrangements.
• Offshore Savings Plans Cost-effective and flexible savings plans designed for expats to build funds for specific savings goals or retirement.
• Travel Insurance Travel medical insurance products covering single trips (5 days to 1 year), annual multi-trips, and specialized coverage for seniors, students, golfers, cyclists, scuba divers, and motorcyclists.
• Employee Benefits Corporate protection packages for businesses including medical cover, critical illness, income protection, pension planning, and shareholder protection for employee recruitment and retention.
• Shareholder & Keyman Protection Business protection insurance for sole proprietors, partnerships, and limited companies covering shareholder death or critical illness with cross-option agreements and buy-sell arrangements.
• UK Will Drafting Online UK will drafting service for expatriates, including UK intestacy rules guidance and estate planning solutions.
• Expat Mortgages Mortgage planning and re-mortgage services for expatriates seeking property financing.

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• William RussellcoreOthersWilliam Russell provides fully featured international health insurance plans for expats. Policies cover COVID-19 as any other viral infection. Available plans include Silver Lite, Silver, and Gold with various benefit levels including outpatient costs, testing, and vaccination coverage.
• HCI Group (Healthcare International)coreOthersHCI Group provides NIMBL Asia medical insurance plans for expats in Southeast Asia. They have been providing private healthcare services to expats for over 20 years. All policies backed by an A+ rated insurer with global provider network and 24/7 coverage.
• Morgan Price InternationalcoreOthersMorgan Price International offers Flexible Choices Asia medical insurance plans with modular options including core inpatient/day-patient treatment, cancer cover, chronic conditions, and optional outpatient, dental, enhanced network, and maternity modules. Covers Asia regions with worldwide options.
• IMG (International Medical Group)coreOthersIMG provides global medical insurance and short-term expatriate travel medical insurance plans. Offers Patriot Platinum plans and cost-effective coverage options for short-term stays up to 3 years.
• Expatriate HealthcareminorOthersExpatriate Healthcare provides 4 plan options for expats. Policies include coverage for pandemics including COVID-19, subject to terms and conditions of the level of cover purchased.
• TAM InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationTAM International is a discretionary fund manager providing risk-adjusted portfolios that have consistently stood the test of time. CSM offers TAM DFM Portfolios including ESG, Income, and Liquidity Plus options.
• Momentum HarmonycoreTechnology or IntegrationMomentum Harmony provides portfolio management services including Harmony Core Portfolios, Global Sustainable Fund, and ESG portfolios. Risk-adjusted investment solutions for expat clients.
• Redev PlazasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedev Plazas is referenced as a passive income investment opportunity within CSM's investment offerings for clients seeking diversified income streams.
• Tax SamaritanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRandall Brody is the owner and CEO of Tax Samaritan, a boutique firm of Enrolled Agents and CPAs providing tax preparation and resolution services for U.S. taxpayers abroad. Specializes in expat tax issues including foreign earned income exclusion, FBAR, and tax treaties.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AES International: AES International is an expat-focused financial advisory firm offering investment, pension, mortgage, and insurance advice to expatriates globally. Its product breadth, fee-only model, and global video-delivery service directly mirror CSM's expat proposition.
• Blevins Franks: Blevins Franks provides specialist financial advice to British expatriates living in Europe and beyond, with services spanning investment management, tax planning, pensions, and estate planning. Directly comparable to CSM's expat-focused independent advisory model.
• Guardian Wealth Management: Guardian Wealth Management provides financial planning and wealth management services to expatriates and international clients across multiple regions. Comparable to CSM in targeting globally mobile individuals with integrated investment, pension, and protection solutions.
• Spectrum IFA: Spectrum IFA is an international financial advisory firm providing fee-based advice to expatriates on pensions, investments, tax, and estate planning. Directly comparable to CSM's model of serving expats across borders with independent product access.
• Blacktower Financial Management: Blacktower is an independent expat-focused wealth management and financial advisory firm serving clients across Europe and beyond. It offers a comparable product suite to CSM (pensions, investments, protection, estate planning) targeted at expatriate retirees and professionals.
• deVere Group: deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent financial advisory firms specializing in expatriates and high-net-worth individuals globally. Like CSM, it offers holistic financial planning spanning protection, investments, pensions, and estate planning across multiple jurisdictions with multi-carrier product access.
• The Fry Group: The Fry Group specializes in wealth management and financial planning for British expatriates, with services across investments, pensions, tax, and estate planning. Similar to CSM, it emphasizes long-term advisor relationships and independent product selection for overseas clients.
• Hoxton Wealth: Hoxton Wealth is a global financial advisory firm serving expatriates and internationally mobile clients with investment, pension, and protection planning. Comparable to CSM in its expat focus, multi-jurisdictional coverage, and emphasis on independent advice.

Others

• TAM International (DFM): TAM International is a discretionary fund manager that CSM distributes investment portfolios through. While not a peer competitor, it represents the asset management ecosystem layer that boutique expat advisors depend on, and a potential vertical integration threat if it moves toward direct client distribution.
• William Russell (Insurance Provider): William Russell is a core insurance product partner to CSM, providing international health insurance plans to expats globally. While not a competitor (it is a supplier), it represents the type of direct-to-consumer expat insurance platform that could partially disintermediate advisory firms like CSM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSMLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csm-expat-financial-planning

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 CSM