Independent financial advisors (IFAs), financial planners, wealth managers, and financial consultants who operate their own practices can benefit significantly from trading through a company. The right structure provides liability separation, professional credibility, tax-efficient income extraction, and the flexibility to grow a team or exit the business in the future.
We assess your advice categories, client geography, and regulatory status to recommend the best entity for your practice.
UK Ltd: 24-48 hours. UAE free zone: 3-7 days.
We assist with business bank account opening suitable for financial services fee income.
We provide an overview of FCA direct authorisation vs. appointed representative (AR) options for UK Ltd practices.
In the UK, providing regulated financial advice (investments, pensions, mortgages, protection) requires FCA authorisation. Your company can either apply for direct FCA authorisation (for established practices) or operate as an Appointed Representative (AR) of an existing FCA-authorised network. We provide guidance on both routes and can connect you with compliance firms that support FCA applications.
A UK Ltd company provides personal liability protection for client claims (beyond your professional indemnity insurance), more tax-efficient income extraction (salary and dividends vs. income tax on all profits), a scalable structure for adding associate advisors, and a business asset that can be sold or passed on. Most established IFAs trade through a company.
A UAE free zone company can be suitable for financial advisors who serve clients in the Middle East, Africa, or internationally, and who are not advising on UK-regulated products. The UAE DIFC and ADGM free zones have their own financial services regulatory frameworks. For advisors primarily serving UK clients on regulated products, a UK Ltd remains the primary entity.
UK IFA companies must follow FCA rules on client money handling, which typically means not holding client money in company accounts (routing investments directly via platforms). Mortgage and protection IFAs typically do not hold client money. For practices that receive fees, invoicing from the company and receiving fee income into the company business account is standard practice.
Fixed price, real-time tracking, and expert handling, from first document to final approval.
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