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UK's Benchmark Acquires Champain Financial Services

Amanda Cheesley Deputy Editor 13 December 2023

UK's Benchmark Acquires Champain Financial Services

Benchmark, a provider of financial planning services and part of the Schroders Group, expands its advice business across the UK.

UK-based independent financial advisor Benchmark has acquired Champain Financial Services in order to bolster its coverage in the South and South-East, it said in a statement. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Benchmark said the partnership would help to lay a foundation for a smooth transition and integration over the next 12 months.

Champain – an appointed representative of Benchmark's advice network – has been using Benchmark’s technology, including the integrated practice management, platform and client portal, since 2011.

Benchmark will add £111 million ($140 million) in client assets with this transaction, which will expand its advice business across the UK and support financial planning businesses from startup to efficient operations, growth, and succession planning.

"There are a lot of options in the market for firm principles to look for succession planning, so we’re pleased that Champain have chosen Benchmark as a stable and secure partner for their staff and their clients,” Ed Dymott, managing director wealth at Benchmark, said.

"Our top priority was to ensure that our clients continue to receive the high level of personal care they have come to expect. They’ve been around for over 30 years, and with 200 years of Schroders' history behind them it gives me confidence that they’ll continue to look after our clients, and their families for years to come,” Mike Champain, managing director at Champain Financial Services, added.

Based in Horsham, West Sussex, wealth manager Benchmark has £17 billion ($21.2 billion) of assets on its proprietary platform and £5 billion in model portfolio solutions on behalf of over 1,000 financial advisors and employs 450 staff.

Schroders is a global investment management firm with £726.1 billion of assets under management.

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