Swedish wealth manager Söderberg & Partners has taken stakes in four more Financial Planning firms,  it announced today.

The investments cover firms from Scotland, its first investment north of the border, to Bucks in the South.

The size and cost of the stakes have not been revealed but are typically minority stakes around the 30% level, based on previous similar deals.

Collectively the Financial Planning firms have £1.6bn in assets under advice or management.

The four firms are:

• Cheetham Jackson, a Financial Planner based in Chorley, with a further eight offices in the North of England. Cheetham Jackson advises on over £775m of client assets and has more than 70 employee owners.
• Blakes Financial Management, an established firm of independent financial advisers based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with six advisers. It was founded in 2012 by managing director, Alan Butler, and manages over £125m of client assets. 
• Active Financial Planners, a Chartered Financial Planning firm based in the North East. It has 15 advisers and over £450m in AUM. The firm is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  
• Murphy Wealth, a Financial Planning firm based in Glasgow. It manages £250m of assets and has clients across the country and looks after families, professionals and business owners.

Söderberg & Partners CEO Gustaf Rentzhog said: “There is no shortage of high-quality financial advice firms in the UK, and we are proud to have found four more standout businesses to support as they grow.

"Investing in small, entrepreneurial financial advice firms which offer outstanding service to their clients is a core part of Söderberg & Partners’ strategy for expansion in the UK.” 

Stuart Jackson, managing director and founder of Cheetham Jackson, said: “The strong cultural fit, shared values, and desire to create value for clients through efficient processes and the smart application of technology and automation, made the decision to move forward with Söderberg as our strategic partner a simple one.”

Alan Butler, managing director and IFA at Blakes, said: “Over the last decade, we had been approached by an average of two consolidators per month, with a view to either selling the business or entering into a partnership, and had always dismissed these. Our discussions, even at an early stage, with Söderberg were very different as they were totally focused on putting the clients first and foremost."

Karl Pemberton, managing director of Active Financial Planners, said: “Having always had a drive to be at the forefront of our industry, the retirement of one of our directors gave us another welcome opportunity to develop further with Söderberg, and look forward to our next 25 years.”

Adrian Murphy, CEO of Murphy Wealth, added: “This is the next step in the evolution of Murphy Wealth. We have been looking after families for nearly 50 years and this investment is about securing our future as an independent company, expanding our reach and ensuring we remain at the forefront of Financial Planning for decades to come.”

Söderberg & Partners was founded in Sweden in 2004 and has a presence in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain and the United Kingdom. It has more than 4,400 employees and £81bn in Assets under Management and Assets under Advice.