Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd

What Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd does

Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd is a UK FCA-authorised independent financial advisory firm headquartered at 5 Royal Crescent, Cheltenham, serving individual retail and HNW clients across life stages — building wealth, approaching retirement, entering or enjoying retirement, and passing on wealth. Founded in February 2008 by Mark Stanley and Christian Heeley, the firm has grown to approximately 19 staff including six IFAs, paraplanners, and operations personnel, delivering face-to-face advice supplemented by remote Zoom/Teams consultations across Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and broader UK. Core services include investment management, pension consolidation and drawdown planning, Inheritance Tax and estate planning, cashflow modelling, and family protection advice, organised around a four-stage client journey framework. The firm does not operate proprietary technology; its infrastructure comprises a third-party financial planning portal for valuations, secure messaging and document sharing, Google Analytics, and Cyber Essentials compliance. Revenue is generated via an initial financial planning fee and a recurring percentage-of-AUM ongoing advice fee with a sliding scale, with most services VAT-exempt. The firm targets clients typically holding £100,000 or more in assets, and is employee-owned via an Employee Ownership Trust established in 2022, with a minority growth investment from Nordic group Söderberg & Partners in 2024. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, anchored on VouchedFor reviews (4.9/5, 492 reviews, Top Rated 2026), Google reviews (4.8/5), local SEO, a content-led blog, and a charity-linked referral programme that has raised over £6,000 for Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity.

Name

Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd

Legal name

Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd

Website

https://cheltenhamifa.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd is an FCA-authorised, employee-owned UK IFA firm serving HNW individuals across wealth-building, retirement, and estate-planning life stages from Cheltenham, using recurring AUM-based fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

Keywords

• Independent financial advice
• Retirement planning services
• Wealth management advice
• Inheritance tax planning
• Pension consolidation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ongoing Advice Fee: Ongoing advice fee is charged as a percentage of assets under management, with a sliding scale that reduces as the amount managed increases. Fees cover regular scheduled reviews and ongoing support.
2. Initial Financial Plan Fee: Initial fee for producing and implementing a financial plan. The cost depends on the type of advice and the amount of assets involved, set out in advance before any work begins.
3. Employee Ownership (Söderberg & Partners minority stake): In 2024, Söderberg & Partners took a minority stake in the firm, providing investment to support long-term growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cheltenham IFA is an FCA-authorised independent financial advisory firm providing personalised, face-to-face financial planning and investment management services to individuals and families across the UK. Core offerings include wealth building advice, pre-retirement planning, retirement income planning, pension consolidation, inheritance tax and estate planning, cashflow modelling, and family protection. Clients engage through a free initial no-obligation consultation, an initial financial plan with implementation, and an ongoing advice relationship with scheduled reviews.

Product overview

Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd is a financial advisory firm, not a technology product company. They provide independent financial advice services including wealth management, retirement planning, pension advice, investment management, estate and inheritance tax planning, protection and insurance advice, and cashflow planning. The firm does not offer distinct branded software products or modules; rather, it delivers personalized financial advisory services through a combination of adviser consultations, a client portal for valuations and secure messaging, and regular review meetings. Services are tailored to individual client needs across different life stages: building wealth, approaching retirement, entering retirement, and passing on wealth to future generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Wealth Advisory Financial planning and advisory service for individuals in early-to-mid career looking to establish financial and personal goals. Includes goal-setting support, risk profiling, savings/investments review, tax efficiency identification, and protection/insurance advice.
• Pre-Retirement Planning Advisory service for individuals approaching retirement, including cashflow planning, pension advice for retirement income, pension pot consolidation, and drawdown options analysis. Addresses anxiety about affording retirement, tax erosion of wealth, and confusion over retirement income options.
• Retirement Income Planning Retirement-focused advisory service for retirees or those entering retirement who want to make the most of accumulated wealth while ensuring long-term security and flexibility. Includes drawdown analysis, estate assessment, tax efficiency identification, and inheritance planning.
• Inheritance Tax & Estate Planning Legacy and estate planning advisory service for individuals and families focused on leaving a meaningful legacy for loved ones while minimising Inheritance Tax. Includes Inheritance Tax planning, intergenerational wealth building, Will and Power of Attorney support, downsizing assessment, and gifting strategies. Especially targeted at high-net-worth clients (specialism of co-founder Mark Stanley, 30+ years).
• Investment Management (Ongoing Advice Service) Ongoing investment management and advice service for clients who have implemented an initial financial plan. Ongoing advice fee charged as a percentage of assets under management on a sliding scale that reduces as AUM increases. Includes regular scheduled reviews and ongoing support across savings, investments, pensions, and family protection.
• Initial Financial Plan One-time initial engagement to produce and implement a personalised financial plan. Initial fee depends on the type of advice and the amount of assets involved, set out in advance before any work begins. Includes goal-setting, cashflow modelling, tax efficiency review, and plan implementation. Typically adds most value for clients with £100,000 or more in assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96.02%–97.56% of clients believe working with the firm has helped or will help them achieve their financial goals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brown Shipley: UK private bank and wealth manager offering investment management, financial planning, and tax/estate advice. Overlaps Cheltenham IFA in HNW advice-led wealth services at a larger national scale.
• Quilter: UK wealth management platform serving advisers and clients with investment, pension, and retirement planning. Comparable in the advice-led wealth space, though it operates a national adviser platform model versus Cheltenham IFA's boutique local model.
• JM Finn: UK private client investment manager and stockbroker providing discretionary and advisory services to HNW individuals. Comparable in personalised wealth management, IHT, and estate planning focus, though with a London-centric footprint.
• Charles Stanley: UK wealth manager providing discretionary investment management and financial planning services. Directly comparable in serving HNW individuals with personalised advice on pensions, investments, and estate planning.
• St. James's Place: Largest UK IFA network with thousands of partner advisers. Comparable as a UK wealth management and financial planning provider, though it operates a restricted/restricted-advice model at much greater scale than Cheltenham IFA's truly independent status.
• Evelyn Partners: Major UK wealth manager and professional services firm (formerly Tilney). Provides independent financial advice, investment management, and tax/estate planning to HNW individuals - directly overlapping Cheltenham IFA's core offering but at materially greater scale.
• Brewin Dolphin: UK wealth manager serving individuals, charities, and intermediaries with investment management and financial planning. Overlaps Cheltenham IFA in advice-led wealth management for HNW clients at a national scale.
• Rathbones Group: UK-listed wealth manager providing discretionary investment management and financial planning. Comparable target market (HNW individuals) and service overlap (investment, retirement, estate planning), though national/AUM scale is far larger.

Regional players

• Boutique IFA firms in the South West (e.g., Hargreaves Lansdown regional competitors): Smaller independent financial advisory firms serving regional UK catchment areas similar to Cheltenham IFA - comparable business model (fee-based, advice-led, AUM recurring revenue, relationship-driven). Lack a single named national proxy.

Direct peers

• Söderberg & Partners: UK and Nordic wealth advisory group that took a minority stake in Cheltenham IFA in 2024. Directly comparable as an independent financial advisory firm serving individuals with wealth management, pension, and IHT advice, and is now a strategic capital and partnership peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheltenham-independent-financial-advisers-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Cheltenham Independent Financial Advisers Ltd