KNOX MORTGAGES LIMITED

What KNOX MORTGAGES LIMITED does

Knox Mortgages is a trading style of Fort Advice Bureau Limited, a private limited company registered in England & Wales (Company No. 13711964) that is FCA-authorised (FRN: 972730) to conduct mortgage and protection business in the UK. The firm operates as a whole-of-market mortgage broker and financial adviser, with offices in Colchester and Chelmsford, Essex. Its core offering spans residential mortgages (first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage), specialist mortgages (self-employed, buy-to-let, expat, visa, adverse credit), bridging and development finance, personal protection (life, critical illness, income protection, private medical, family income benefit), and business protection (relevant life, key person, executive income protection, shareholder protection, group income protection, death in service).

The business model is commission-based across both revenue streams. Mortgage advisory generates fees/commission on case completion, with no upfront fee for initial consultation and any fee explained prior to application. Protection advisory generates commission from insurance providers for placing life, critical illness, income protection, and business protection products, with commission structures disclosed on request. Go-to-market is digital-first, combining SEO-led website content with organic social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube, and direct discovery calls via phone, email, and online booking.

Customer reach is B2C across a broad long-tail of UK individual borrowers and limited company directors, with a hybrid segmentation approach. Specialist cases (self-employed, BTL, expat, business protection) are positioned as the firm's differentiator alongside whole-of-market lender access. Operational partnerships with clients' accountants and solicitors support business protection work. No public listing, external funding, or institutional ownership is disclosed; the firm appears founder/owner-operated.

Name

KNOX MORTGAGES LIMITED

Legal name

Fort Advice Bureau Limited

Website

https://knoxmortgages.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Knox Mortgages is a UK whole-of-market mortgage broker and financial adviser (trading as Fort Advice Bureau Limited, FCA FRN: 972730), offering residential, specialist, and bridging mortgages plus personal and business protection products to UK consumers, self-employed borrowers, and limited company directors from its Essex offices.

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)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Mortgage Lending (Broker Channel) (FSALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Mortgage Brokerage (FSAEAEAB)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage services
• Personal protection insurance
• Business protection insurance
• Specialist mortgage advice
• Buy to let finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Protection Advisory Commission: The company earns commission from insurance providers for placing protection products including life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, shareholder protection, relevant life insurance, key person insurance, and executive income protection. Commission is disclosed on request.
2. Mortgage Advisory: Mortgage brokerage services for various borrower types including first-time buyers, self-employed, limited company directors, and buy-to-let investors. The company notes 'There is no fee for an initial consultation and any fee payable will be explained in full prior to application.'

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Knox Mortgages provides whole-of-market mortgage brokerage and protection advisory services to UK consumers, self-employed individuals, limited company directors, buy-to-let investors, expats and visa holders. The firm arranges residential, specialist and commercial mortgage products alongside personal and business protection insurance (life, critical illness, income protection, shareholder protection, key person, relevant life). Revenue is earned primarily through commissions paid by lenders and insurers on placed business.

Product overview

KNOX MORTGAGES LIMITED is a UK mortgage brokering and financial advice firm operating as a trading style of Fort Advice Bureau Limited. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of mortgage products (including specialist products for self-employed, buy to let, and expat clients), personal protection products (life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, private medical insurance), and business protection products (relevant life insurance, executive income protection, key person insurance, shareholder protection, group income protection, death in service benefit). The company also provides specialist finance products including bridging loans, auction finance, and property development finance. The core offering is whole-of-market mortgage and protection advisory services for UK consumers and limited company directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Mortgages Whole-of-market mortgage brokering covering first-time buyer, home mover, remortgage, right to buy, right to acquire and bad credit products for UK consumers.
• Self-Employed Mortgages Specialist mortgage brokerage for freelancers, contractors, sole traders, CIS subcontractors, company directors, and umbrella/zero-hour workers with non-standard income documentation.
• Buy to Let Mortgages Buy-to-let mortgage broking covering standard BTL, limited company BTL, SPV, family BTL, corporate lease BTL, and specialist social housing landlord products.
• Visa and Expat Mortgages Mortgage products for UK expatriates and foreign nationals on skilled worker, spouse, ancestry and global talent visas, including expat buy-to-let and expat holiday let options.
• Life Insurance Personal life insurance providing a tax-free lump sum payout to beneficiaries, covering family protection and outstanding financial obligations.
• Critical Illness Cover Insurance paying a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of serious illnesses including cancer, heart attack and stroke.
• Income Protection Regular tax-free monthly income benefit when the policyholder is unable to work due to illness or injury, covering employed and self-employed individuals.
• Private Medical Insurance Health insurance providing fast access to private diagnostics, consultations, surgery and treatment for acute conditions.
• Family Income Benefit Life insurance paying a regular monthly income to dependants to replace lost household income rather than a single lump sum.
• Relevant Life Insurance Tax-efficient life insurance paid for by a limited company on behalf of a director or employee, with premiums treated as allowable business expenses and payouts routed via trust to family.
• Executive Income Protection Long-term income replacement policy for limited company directors covering salary plus dividends up to 80% of total remuneration when unable to work due to illness or injury.
• Key Person Insurance Life and critical illness policy a limited company takes out on a key employee whose death or serious illness would financially damage the business.
• Shareholder Protection Insurance Tax-free lump sum insurance paid to surviving shareholders on a co-shareholder's death or critical illness, funding the purchase of the deceased's stake from their estate.
• Group Income Protection Employer-paid group policy covering employees against inability to work due to illness or injury, providing percentage of salary replacement and rehabilitation services.
• Death in Service Benefit Group life insurance paying a lump sum (typically 2-4x salary) to an employee's nominated beneficiaries if they die while still employed by the company.
• Bridging Loans Short-term property finance solutions including commercial bridging, regulated bridging and second charge bridging loans.
• Auction Finance Specialist mortgage products for property purchased at auction, providing fast completion finance.
• Refurbishment and Development Finance Finance products for property renovation, refurbishment, buy-refurbish-refinance and property construction/development projects.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Accountants and SolicitorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKnox Mortgages coordinates with clients' accountants and solicitors for shareholder protection cases. They refer clients to corporate solicitors for cross-option agreement drafting and work with accountants to confirm valuation bases and tax treatment for business protection policies.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• London & Country Mortgages: One of the UK's largest whole-of-market mortgage brokers, operating remotely and serving consumers nationwide with mortgage and protection advice. Closely comparable to Knox on whole-of-market access and protection cross-sell, though at materially greater scale.
• Tembo Money: UK digital mortgage broker (formerly Trussle) focused on first-time buyers and remortgaging, with a tech-led onboarding flow. Directly comparable to Knox's consumer-facing mortgage advisory proposition, competing primarily on digital acquisition efficiency.
• Mortgage Advice Bureau: UK's largest publicly listed mortgage broker network, offering whole-of-market mortgage and protection advice across thousands of advisers. Directly comparable to Knox as a whole-of-market intermediary earning commission from lenders and insurers, though operating at vastly greater scale.
• Better.co.uk: UK online mortgage broker comparing whole-of-market deals and offering direct advice. Comparable to Knox as a consumer-facing intermediary serving first-time buyers, movers, and remortgagors via online channels.
• John Charcol: Long-established specialist UK mortgage broker with particular strength in complex borrower cases, high-value lending, and professional / self-employed clients. Closely comparable to Knox in targeting hard-to-place borrowers and using whole-of-market lender access.
• Fluent Money: UK specialist finance broker focusing on bridging, development, and second-charge lending for property investors and developers. Directly comparable to Knox's bridging, auction, refurbishment, and development finance product line.
• Habito: UK digital-first mortgage broker offering whole-of-market comparison and advice online. Comparable to Knox on whole-of-market mortgage distribution but competes on digital UX, targeting similar first-time buyer and home-mover segments.
• Alexander Hall: Established London-based UK mortgage broker offering whole-of-market residential and buy-to-let mortgage advice plus protection. Comparable to Knox across the standard mortgage and protection segments, especially for prime and BTL borrowers.
• SPF Private Clients: UK specialist mortgage broker focused on high-net-worth, complex-income, and business-sector borrowers, with full protection and insurance advice. Comparable to Knox on the high-LTV / complex-case / protection cross-sell proposition.

Broad incumbents

• The Openwork Partnership: Large UK financial advice network supporting hundreds of advisory firms across mortgages, protection, pensions, and wealth. Comparable to Knox on the mortgage and protection advisory proposition, but operates as a broad financial-services network rather than a specialist broker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@knoxmortgages
• Facebookfacebook.com/knoxmortgages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knox-mortgages
• Instagraminstagram.com/knoxmortgages
• TikToktiktok.com/@knoxmortgages

Compliance1 record

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 KNOX MORTGAGES LIMITED