Calm Authority Research · Published 2026-08-01 · Updated 2026-09-02
Best Financial Advisers for Business Owners in the UK (2026)
Selling a business is usually the largest financial event of an owner’s life, and most of the value in planning it is decided years before completion. The eight firms below show verifiable, specific evidence of advising business owners on sale, exit and post-sale wealth — with credentials, FCA references and the sources for every claim listed on this page.
Firms were screened from a frozen 150-firm UK financial-advice market panel and included only where public evidence of business-owner specialism could be verified. No firm paid to appear, and Calm Authority receives no referral or affiliate fee from any firm listed. There is no ranking — the right firm depends on your situation, which is what the “best for” line on each entry is for.
Research snapshot
What the review found
Nine business-owner candidates entered the deep review from the frozen panel. Eight had verifiable specialist evidence and one was excluded because the public evidence was too thin. Only one of the eight publishes its fees, while three combine financial planning with a chartered accountancy practice.
Key findings
- Only one of the eight firms publishes its fees openly on its website — fee transparency remains the exception in UK advice, even among specialists.
- All eight carry an active, verifiable UK regulatory route, checked against the FCA register on 2026-08-01 — seven directly authorised, one operating as a trading style.
- Five of the eight are regional specialists rather than national brands — specific business-owner expertise concentrates in smaller firms, not household names.
- Three firms sit inside or alongside chartered accountancy practices — the tax-and-wealth-under-one-roof model recurs where exit planning is a genuine specialism.
Financial adviser questions for business owners, answered
What are the best financial advisory firms for business owners in the UK?
Calm Authority’s evidence-based shortlist includes Paradigm Norton, Capital, RPG Chartered Financial Planners, Gresham Wealth Management, The Wealth Office, Hazlewoods Financial Planning, Her Financial Planning and Robson Laidler Wealth. The review covers financial planning for business owners, but the strongest published evidence across these firms is for sale preparation, coordinated tax and wealth planning, and investing post-sale proceeds. Verify each firm’s experience with your exact stage and need.
Which Chartered financial planners specialise in business exit planning in the UK?
Paradigm Norton, Capital, RPG Chartered Financial Planners, Gresham Wealth Management, The Wealth Office, Her Financial Planning and Robson Laidler Wealth all publish Chartered Financial Planner evidence at firm, team or named-adviser level. Hazlewoods is included for its chartered accountancy and corporate-finance integration. Confirm the credential of the individual who would advise you and their experience at your stage of exit.
Which advisers can support a business owner before, during and after a company sale?
For pre-sale and exit preparation, start with RPG Chartered Financial Planners, Gresham Wealth Management, The Wealth Office, Her Financial Planning and Robson Laidler Wealth. Paradigm Norton, Hazlewoods and Robson Laidler provide the clearest evidence of tax, accountancy or corporate-finance coordination through a sale. Capital and The Wealth Office publish the strongest evidence for planning and investing after completion. Ask how the adviser will work with your accountant, solicitor and transaction adviser.
Which financial advisers combine tax and wealth planning for a business sale?
Paradigm Norton, Hazlewoods Financial Planning and Robson Laidler Wealth are the clearest starting points in this review. Their public evidence connects financial planning with in-house or closely integrated tax, accountancy or corporate-finance capability, which can reduce hand-offs while a sale and the owner’s personal plan are developed.
Which advisers help invest the proceeds after selling a business?
Capital and The Wealth Office are the most directly evidenced starting points on this list. Capital publishes research on investing personal wealth after a sale and its fee schedule; The Wealth Office publishes a named business-exit service led by a Chartered Financial Planner. Compare both against your sale timetable, asset level and preferred charging structure.
Which firm suits your situation
| If you are… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Wanting tax and wealth planning integrated through a sale | Paradigm Norton, Hazlewoods, Robson Laidler Wealth |
| Deciding what to do with sale proceeds | Capital, The Wealth Office |
| Building exit and pension strategy together | RPG Chartered Financial Planners, Gresham Wealth Management |
| A female founder or director planning an exit | Her Financial Planning |
How this list is decided
Firms are drawn from a 150-firm UK financial-advice market panel (frozen 30 July 2026). Inclusion requires three things verified from public sources: an active UK regulatory route, a consumer advice service, and published evidence of business-owner, exit or post-sale specialism. No firm can pay to appear. Calm Authority sells software to financial advisers, not placements; any commercial relationship with a listed firm would be disclosed here.
Limitations: the panel is constructed, not exhaustive — strong firms outside it exist. Evidence comes from public sources only, so a firm’s unpublished expertise cannot be assessed. Most fees are not public, which limits cost comparison. Each entry shows the date it was last checked; details change.
Evidence context: this guide sits alongside Studio Baggio’s UK Financial Advice AI Search Benchmark, which measures how firms appear in AI-generated answers. Calm Authority is a Studio Baggio property. Measured AI visibility does not determine inclusion in this guide.
The eight firms in detail
Paradigm Norton
Location: Bristol and LondonBest for: Owners who want tax planning and financial planning handled together through a sale
A dedicated business-owners service with an in-house team of Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers alongside the planning team — so the tax consequences of a sale and the personal plan are built together rather than passed between firms.
| Credentials | Chartered and Certified Financial Planners across the planning team; in-house Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 455083 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 455083 on the register and ask how their tax and planning teams work together on a sale |
| Sources | Business owners service · Team and credentials · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Capital
Location: LondonBest for: Owners deciding what to do with sale proceeds — and anyone who wants fees published before the first meeting
One of the few UK advice firms with a published fee page, and a team that has published its own long-form research on how business owners should invest personal wealth after a sale. Chartered Financial Planners, including director Don Fraser.
| Credentials | Chartered Financial Planners; Don Fraser, Director and Chartered Financial Planner |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 225112 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Published fee schedule on their site — rare in this sector |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 225112 on the register and read their fees page before the first conversation |
| Sources | Business-owner investment research · Fees · About and team · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
RPG Chartered Financial Planners
Location: Manchester and LondonBest for: Owner-managed businesses building the exit strategy and the pension strategy as one plan
A Chartered firm with an unusually deep, current library of business-owner guidance — employee ownership trusts as an exit route, pensions alongside an exit strategy, succession planning, salary sacrifice — evidence of sustained specialism rather than a single service page.
| Credentials | Chartered Financial Planners (firm title) |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 190539 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 190539 on the register and ask which exit routes they have advised on in the last two years |
| Sources | Who they work with · EOT exit guidance · Pensions alongside exit · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Gresham Wealth Management
Location: North West EnglandBest for: North-West owner-directors who want a small, senior-led Chartered firm
Holds Chartered Financial Planners status from the Chartered Insurance Institute — a firm-level accreditation held by only around 700 UK firms — with a dedicated corporate and business-owner service and a two-director structure with over 45 years of combined experience, so the people you meet are the people who advise you.
| Credentials | Chartered Financial Planners (CII firm accreditation) |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 621596 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 621596 on the register and confirm which director would lead your planning |
| Sources | Chartered status · Business owners service · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
The Wealth Office
Location: GlasgowBest for: Owners three to five years from exit who want one named planner through the whole journey
A dedicated service for business owners working towards an exit, led by a named, verifiable individual: Kenny McKenzie FPFS, Director, Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society — the profession’s highest designation.
| Credentials | Kenny McKenzie FPFS — Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Finance Society |
| Regulatory route | FCA reference 924549 — confirm current permissions on the register (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 924549 on the register and confirm Kenny McKenzie would be your named planner |
| Sources | Business exit service · Kenny McKenzie profile · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Hazlewoods Financial Planning
Location: Cheltenham and BristolBest for: Owners who want the sale itself and the personal wealth plan under one roof
The financial planning arm of Hazlewoods, whose corporate finance team advises on actual business sales — with published completed-deal announcements — so the transaction advice and the what-happens-to-the-money planning sit in one firm.
| Credentials | Financial planning arm of an established chartered accountancy firm with an active corporate finance team |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 223530 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 223530 on the register and ask how the corporate finance and planning teams hand over during a sale |
| Sources | Financial planning services · Sale completion insight · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Her Financial Planning
Location: LiverpoolBest for: Female founders and company directors, typically £100,000+ annual profit, planning an exit within one to five years
A dedicated business-owner advice service from a Chartered Financial Planner, built specifically around female business owners — covering income extraction, pension structuring, tax strategy ahead of a sale and post-exit wealth. A STEP affiliate member.
| Credentials | Chartered Financial Planner (founder); STEP affiliate member |
| Regulatory route | FCA reference SXK00353 — a trading-style entry; check the register for the authorised firm it sits under (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request the fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check reference SXK00353 on the register and confirm which authorised firm holds the permissions |
| Sources | Business owner advice service · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Robson Laidler Wealth
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne (Jesmond)Best for: North-East owners preparing a business for sale who want adviser and accountant heritage together
Independent Chartered Financial Planners within the Robson Laidler accountancy group, with published guidance on preparing a business for sale and planning owner finances — the accountancy heritage matters when the plan has to survive contact with the deal.
| Credentials | Independent Chartered Financial Planners |
| Regulatory route | Directly authorised — FCA reference 458879 (check on the FCA register) |
| Fees | Not published — request their fee schedule in writing |
| Before appointing | Check FCA reference 458879 on the register and ask how the wealth and accountancy teams share information |
| Sources | Wealth services · Preparing a business for sale · Last checked 2026-08-01 |
Comparison: financial advisers for business owners
| Firm | Best for | Credentials | Location | Fees public? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradigm Norton | Owners who want tax planning and financial planning handled together through a sale | Chartered and Certified Financial Planners across the planning team | Bristol and London | On request |
| Capital | Owners deciding what to do with sale proceeds — and anyone who wants fees published before the first meeting | Chartered Financial Planners | London | Yes |
| RPG Chartered Financial Planners | Owner-managed businesses building the exit strategy and the pension strategy as one plan | Chartered Financial Planners (firm title) | Manchester and London | On request |
| Gresham Wealth Management | North-West owner-directors who want a small, senior-led Chartered firm | Chartered Financial Planners (CII firm accreditation) | North West England | On request |
| The Wealth Office | Owners three to five years from exit who want one named planner through the whole journey | Kenny McKenzie FPFS — Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Finance Society | Glasgow | On request |
| Hazlewoods Financial Planning | Owners who want the sale itself and the personal wealth plan under one roof | Financial planning arm of an established chartered accountancy firm with an active corporate finance team | Cheltenham and Bristol | On request |
| Her Financial Planning | Female founders and company directors, typically £100,000+ annual profit, planning an exit within one to five years | Chartered Financial Planner (founder) | Liverpool | On request |
| Robson Laidler Wealth | North-East owners preparing a business for sale who want adviser and accountant heritage together | Independent Chartered Financial Planners | Newcastle upon Tyne (Jesmond) | On request |
What financial advice typically costs in the UK
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Initial financial plan (fixed fee) | £1,500 – £5,000+ |
| Initial advice as a percentage of assets | 1% – 3% |
| Ongoing advice and management (annual) | 0.5% – 1% of assets |
| Hourly rate, where offered | £150 – £300 |
Ranges compiled from MoneyHelper’s guide to paying for financial advice and firms’ published schedules. Fees vary with complexity and assets — always confirm the full schedule in writing before engaging any firm.
How to choose a financial adviser as a business owner
Evidence of exit experience, not a claim of it
Anyone can list "business owners" as an audience. Look for published work: exit guides, employee-ownership-trust explainers, post-sale investment thinking. If a firm has advised owners through sales, it shows in what they have written.
A verifiable regulatory route
Every firm on this page carries an FCA reference you can check on the register in under two minutes. Confirm the route too — directly authorised, an appointed representative, or a trading style of another authorised firm. Each is legitimate; you should know which you are dealing with.
Chartered or Certified credentials
The Diploma is the regulatory minimum. Chartered Financial Planner status and Fellowship of the Personal Finance Society (FPFS) sit well above it. For a decision the size of a business sale, credentials at that level are a reasonable ask.
Primary sources: PFS designations · CISI Certified Financial Planner
Tax integration, not tax hand-offs
The value in exit planning is usually decided before the sale — how you extract income, structure pensions and time the disposal. Firms with in-house tax capability, or a working relationship with your accountant, build one plan instead of three that disagree.
Fee transparency before commitment
Ask for the fee schedule in writing at the first conversation. One firm on this page publishes its fees openly; the others will provide them on request. Vague answers about cost are a decision in themselves.
Capacity for the next five years
Exit planning is a multi-year relationship — before, during and long after the sale. Ask who exactly will advise you, what happens if they leave, and how many clients they take on.
Red flags when choosing an adviser
- No FCA reference, or reluctance to tell you which authorised firm holds the permissions
- Product recommendations in the first meeting, before your situation has been understood
- Fees that stay vague after a direct written request
- No published or demonstrable experience with business sales or exits
- Promises about investment returns — no regulated adviser can guarantee returns
- Pressure to move money before your sale has actually completed
- No interest in speaking to your accountant or solicitor during the transaction
What to expect in the first meeting
- Expect a discovery conversation, not a pitch — a good adviser spends the first meeting listening
- Bring the shape of your situation: business value range, likely sale timeline, pensions, other assets and debts
- Expect direct questions about what life after the sale looks like — the plan is built around that, not around products
- Ask how they have handled situations like yours, and listen for specifics rather than generalities
- Fees and the advice process should be explained clearly without you having to push
- You are under no obligation to commit — a mutual-fit meeting is exactly that, in both directions
Frequently asked questions
When should a business owner start exit planning with a financial adviser?
Three to five years before a likely sale is the practical answer. Most of the tax planning that matters — how you extract income, pension contributions from the company, timing of the disposal — needs years to work, not months. Starting the personal financial plan only once the sale is agreed leaves most of that value on the table.
What does a financial adviser do in a business sale that my accountant does not?
Your accountant manages the company’s tax position and often the transaction itself. A financial planner works on the other side of the sale: what the proceeds need to do for you and your family for the rest of your life — investment structure, pension consolidation, inheritance planning and sustainable income. The best outcomes usually involve both, working together.
How is a business sale taxed in the UK?
Usually as a capital gain. Business Asset Disposal Relief can reduce the capital gains tax rate on qualifying gains up to a lifetime limit, but the rates and conditions have changed in recent years and depend on your circumstances — verify the current position on gov.uk or with a tax adviser before relying on any figure.
Primary source: GOV.UK: Business Asset Disposal Relief
How do financial advisers charge, and what should it cost?
Typically a fixed fee for an initial plan, a percentage of assets for ongoing management, or an hourly rate — often a combination. Typical UK ranges are published by MoneyHelper (see the cost table above). Always get the full fee schedule in writing before committing, including what ongoing reviews include.
Can I pay for one-off financial advice around a business sale?
Some UK advisers provide one-off advice for a defined need, while others require an ongoing planning or investment-management relationship. This review verified a published fee schedule only for Capital, so do not infer the other firms’ terms from their websites. Ask each shortlisted firm for a written fixed-scope proposal, what it excludes and whether ongoing service is optional.
Primary source: MoneyHelper: financial adviser fees
How do I verify that an adviser is actually regulated?
Search the firm’s name or FCA reference number on the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. Check the firm’s status is current, and note whether it is directly authorised, an appointed representative, or a trading name of another firm. Every firm on this page includes its reference and a register link.
What happens to my pension when I sell my business?
Nothing automatically — which is the problem. Company pension contributions usually stop at sale, and owners often arrive at exit with pensions that lag well behind their business wealth. The years before a sale are frequently the best window for significant employer contributions, which is why pension strategy belongs inside exit planning rather than after it.
Should I choose a local adviser or the best specialist for my situation?
Specialism first, geography second. Most of the firms on this page work with clients nationally, and exit planning is delivered over video as readily as across a desk. That said, several strong regional specialists appear here precisely because owners often want someone they can sit with — both routes are legitimate.
Related from Calm Authority
About this page
Written and maintained by Jayme Baggio, founder of Calm Authority, which builds visibility and content software for UK financial advisers. Every firm profile is compiled from the public sources listed on its entry.
Changelog: 2026-08-01 — first published, eight firms. 2026-08-03 — methodology wording tightened and page restructured. 2026-08-04 — location and FAQ semantics improved; primary-source references and the research methodology added. 2026-08-07 — direct answers added for business-exit comparison searches. 2026-08-23 — the direct-answer section broadened to the business-owner query while retaining the review’s strongest evidence around exit and post-sale planning; Studio Baggio benchmark context added. 2026-09-01 — a concise evidence snapshot was added from the frozen panel and deep-review record. 2026-09-02 — related buyer questions covering Chartered exit-planning evidence, support across the sale journey and one-off advice were added to the visible page and FAQ schema. Firm selections and evidence unchanged. Each entry shows its own “last checked” date.
Editorial independence: no firm paid to appear in this guide, and Calm Authority receives no referral or affiliate fee from the firms listed. Inclusion is based solely on the criteria stated above. Any current or future commercial relationship with a listed firm will be disclosed on this page and will not determine inclusion.
This is editorial research, not financial advice. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to engage any firm or buy any product. Always verify a firm’s authorisation on the Financial Services Register and take advice on your own circumstances.