LIFT-Financial’s story began in 2007 when the two founders Michael Holden and Joel Adams established the business. The ethos at the start was expert, professional, fee-based advice with an ethical, client-centred approach. The firm achieved Chartered status within two years — which only a relatively small number of financial planning firms in the UK hold.
LIFT-Financial now has 90 employees, including 19 Chartered financial planners and offices in Cheshire, London, and Edinburgh. Authorised and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, LIFT-Financial offers a range of financial planning services, including investments, pensions, tax, mortgages, and insurance. They also provide tailored, comprehensive financial education in the workplace for corporate clients.
In 2011 LIFT-Academy was set-up to cultivate new talent through a combination of an intensive in-house development programme and industry exams. It focuses on professional development, starting with recent graduates and helping them to maximise their qualifications and potential. Most of their advisers are Fellows of the Personal Finance Society, representing the UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute's highest qualification.
LIFT-Financial takes pride in a transparent business model that puts client care front and centre. It uses a fee-based structure instead of one calculated on percentages to deliver the right outcome for clients. LIFT-Financial partners with corporate businesses to provide the best in workplace education and pension schemes. It approaches clients' financial plans from many angles, including estate planning, cash-flow planning, and good financial housekeeping. It considers clients’ personal and financial goals to create a realistic plan and structure their finances accordingly.
The company aims to exceed the standards of service and advice offered by other firms — and with a healthy influx of new clients from positive word-of-mouth referrals, LIFT-Financial seems to be hitting the mark. The CFI.co judging panel presents LIFT-Financial with the 2021 award for Best Independent Financial Adviser (UK).