Westminster Wealth Management, one of the UK’s largest independently owned financial advice firms, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, marking a quarter century of delivering whole-of-market financial planning underpinned by independence and integrity.
Founded in 2000, the firm has grown from a small advisory practice into a 130-strong organisation with more than 60 advisers, a corporate Chartered status, and a reputation for values-led growth and exceptional client service. Its adviser base is unusually young for the sector, with an average age of 44, more than a decade below the industry norm, and the youngest adviser aged just 24.
Westminster Wealth has held Corporate Chartered status since 2015 and this year joined a small group of firms working with the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) to identify examples of best practice and how it can be assessed effectively in order to increase the value and impact of Chartered status.
A quarter-century built on independence
At the heart of Westminster Wealth’s model is a steadfast commitment to independence, something Managing Partner Martin Lockyer says is more important today than at any point in the firm’s 25-year history.
“Independence is far more than a regulatory label,” he said. “It shapes how we serve clients, how we make decisions and how we protect the promises we make. In a market increasingly driven by consolidation and private equity, true independence is becoming rarer but its value to clients has never been higher.”
In recent years, consolidation and the rise of PE-backed adviser firms have reduced the number of genuinely independent homes for advisers. Lockyer argues that this shift risks poorer client outcomes and limits adviser autonomy.
“Advisers are facing fewer quality independent options,” he added. “Our role is to provide a long-term home for planners who want to give unbiased, whole-of-market advice without external pressures. Independence means we can act swiftly when platforms underperform, when products change, or when clients need a different solution. Our only accountability is to the client.”
Sustained values-led growth
Westminster Wealth’s 25 years have been marked not by acquisition-driven expansion, but by long-term, organic growth rooted in stability and culture. Over the past three years the firm has reported a 56% organic increase in adviser numbers.
The firm also holds the titles of Client Champion and Large Firm of the Year in the 2025 VouchedFor awards, recognition based purely on client feedback.
Independence at scale: the model for the future
Lockyer says Westminster Wealth’s long-term success is a direct result of combining independence with scale, stability and shared values.
“It’s not easy to run a genuinely independent planning firm at scale but it’s more necessary than ever,” he said. “Our advisers are commercially ambitious, but they are equally committed to transparency, ownership and long-term thinking. Those values are why we grow with the right people, at the right time, and for the right reasons.”
Looking ahead
As Westminster Wealth enters its next 25 years, the firm will continue investing in:
- Talent, building on its youthful adviser base and attracting values-aligned planners
- Operational, technology and compliance infrastructure, ensuring ongoing improvement and efficient delivery
- Long-term client partnerships built on trust, transparency and whole-of-market advice
“The future of independent advice will belong to firms that combine integrity, resilience and scale,” Lockyer said. “We’re incredibly proud of what the last 25 years have achieved and we’re even more excited about what the next 25 will bring.”
