Perspective Financial, the rapidly expanding Financial Planning and wealth management group, has acquired four adviser firms to notch up a milestone of 50 takeovers so far.

The firm, based in Chorley, Lancs, says the four new acquisitions range in size from £10 million to £175 million AUM.

The acquisitions add 915 households as clients, £335 million AUM, 11 staff and two new offices in Hertford and Rickmansworth.

The firms being acquired are:

• Searchlight Investments, Rickmansworth
• Stafford Wealth Management in Hertford
• TCS Life and Pensions, Oxford
• The MGroup Financial Services, Oxford

Perspective, founded in 2008, has expanded significantly over the last two years with help from a major capital injection by CBPE Capital LLP in December 2019.

Over this period the firm has made 18 acquisitions, doubled headcount to 280 staff, added £1.2 billion AUM (now £4.2 billion) and opened seven new local offices to bring the total to 21.

Perspective made eight acquisitions in 2021 including Financial Planning firm St Lawrence in Kent, Chippenham-based Avon Financial Advisers, Prolific Financial Services in Cheshire, Evolve Financial Management in Kent, Bowman Financial Planning in Oxfordshire and Quantum Portfolio Management in Lancashire.

The firm has also recruited several senior staff recently, including latest hire, Kristian Murphy, who joins from EY.

Perspective CEO Ian Wilkinson said: “It has been an exceptionally busy time for us and I am delighted by the progress we have made. We have a very clear sense of direction, are delivering at pace and constantly innovating.

“We have recently articulated our purpose and the values which we have lived by for over three decades, and these very much drive everything about the firm. I am delighted to welcome the four new firms and our recent new joiners to Perspective.”

Richard Pipe and Simon Alway, directors of Searchlight Investments, Rickmansworth with 430 clients and £175 million AUM said: “It was of paramount importance to us that any purchaser shared our core values and genuinely put clients at the heart of their proposition. In Perspective, we have found the firm we are confident will deliver Financial Planning and wealth management services to our valued clients in the years ahead.”

John Burrill and Richard Hall, directors of TCS Life and Pensions and The MGroup Financial Services in Oxford with 175 clients and £58 million AUM, and now part of Perspective’s office in Woodstock, said: “We had several objectives when we began investigating our options for a possible merger or sale, which included looking for a ‘partner’ that would enable us to take all aspects of our business forward, including succession planning and a recognition of economies of scale. With their national network of offices, some of our far-flung clients can now more easily be seen face to face.”

Mike and Phil Stafford, directors of Stafford Wealth Management in Hertford with 275 clients, said: “Exit planning is not something that can be done overnight and we spent several years plotting our exit route as we approached retirement.

“Part of the planning meant researching the succession marketplace to find a like-minded firm with similar values that would cherish our clients and staff as we do. We are delighted we have found that in Perspective and are confident our clients and staff are in safe hands for the future.”