Tilney Smith & Williamson has introduced a succession programme offering to take over the client banks of retiring financial advisers.
Tilney Smith & Williamson said it was keen to talk to advisers who do not have a succession plan in place but want “an orderly and gradual handover” of the client relationships they have built once they retire.
According to the firm, research published in recent years has suggested the average age of financial advisers was mid to late 50s.
However, research from Platforum, out in September, found over half (54 per cent) of advice firm owners had no succession plans at present, an increase from 41 per cent in 2019.
Richard Dawes, head of strategic partnerships at Tilney Smith & Williamson, said advisers were already busy providing financial planning services for their clients and often did not have the time to think about the long-term future of their businesses.
Dawes said: “Our new programme aims to take the stress out of succession planning and provide a great home for advisers and their clients.
“We are really well placed to help retiring advisers because of the breadth of our geographic footprint, the quality of our proposition and our commitment to bespoke services.
“Given the investments we have made in technology and our track record successfully integrating advice businesses in recent years, we have the experience and systems to make the handover process extremely smooth for advisers and their clients.”
Tilney Smith & Williamson operates a network of 28 offices across the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands.
The company was formed in September 2020 through a merger of Tilney with Smith & Williamson. It has assets under management of £54.8bn.
According to the firm, its financial planning team now has about 300 financial planners.
The business has completed a number of smaller acquisitions, including Guildford-based investment and financial advisory firm HFS Milbourne, Index Wealth Management in the Midlands and the wealth management arm of Moore Stephens in recent years.
amy.austin@ft.com
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