The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has declared Swindon-based advice firm AP Financial Services UK Ltd in default.

According to the FCA Register the firm has not been authorised since May 2021.

Meanwhile Companies House records show that it was dissolved via compulsory strike-off in August 2023.

The FSCS told Financial Planning Today that it has received and upheld a single claim against the firm, for pension transfer advice. It added that the claim was not related to BSPS.

AP Financial Services was registered in 2003 and has been trading under four other names including AP Financial Planning Service since 2014, Stuart James Clark Financial Services since 2009, GW Financial Planning Services since 2009 and Pella Associates since 2003.

According to the FCA’s register, It has also previously traded under nine different names beginning with Ned Naylor & Co, which it traded under between March 2003 and October 2014.

In October 2003 it began trading under the name Mel Duckfield Financial Services and in 2004 it added the trading names David G Elvy Financial Consultancy and Financial & Protection Options.

In 2006 Simon Crawley & Co was added while in 2009 it added Abramov Independent and Isas4schools.com. It had ceased trading under most of those names by 2014 when it added Zafar Imran Mortgage Consultancy and Stuart James Clark Financial Services. The latter only lasted a week as a trading name, presumably because the directors realised they had already registered the trading name back in 2009.

Companies House records show that while director Cathleen Williamson was based in Swindon, the company’s other directors from its formation in 2002 were all based in South Wales. Ms Williamson owned 75% or more of the shares, according to the records.