Our 2025 year in review

4 December 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, join us as we take a moment to reflect on the year and look ahead to what 2026 might hold.

The markets have provided a positive backdrop to client portfolios in 2025, despite some periods of volatility, and we’ve made great progress with many clients’ financial plans. By updating portfolios to more cost-effective solutions, we estimate that clients have collectively saved more than £1 million in investment fees in 2025.

As a firm, we’ve had another successful year – a true testament to the hard work of everyone at Depledge and the support of our brilliant clients.

Here are some key highlights of 2025 and what you can expect from us in 2026.

Another award-winning year for our hard-working team

Depledge received accolades from several awarding bodies in 2025.

In the world of financial services, several annual awards showcase the best of the best in our profession.

Once again, we’re delighted to have won, been shortlisted, and been commended as finalists at several of these awards during 2025, and that our excellent standards and dedication have been recognised.

• Every year since 2015, Citywire New Model Adviser has named its top 100 advice firms in the UK, and Depledge has consistently made the list. This year was no different, and we plan to remain within the top 100 advice businesses in the country in the years to come.
• We were proud to achieve third place for Firm of the Year in the CISI Financial Planning Awards 2025.
• Depledge was Highly Commended as Tax and Estate Planner of the Year in the 2025 Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards.
• Depledge was named among the Best Financial Advisers to Work For in the 2026 Professional Adviser Awards – a research-driven programme that examined our practices, programmes, and benefits and surveyed our employees for their perspective.
• We’re shortlisted in no less than three categories in the 2026 Professional Adviser Awards: Depledge is a finalist for Adviser Firm of the Year – North West, and Andrew has been shortlisted for the Champion of Advice Award and Outstanding Contribution to the Advice Industry. Winners will be announced at the awards dinner in March 2026.

Last but by no means least, we’ve also attained BS8577 and Andrew has achieved ISO 22222 with Standards International – the global financial planning benchmark that proves Depledge operates to the highest standards of ethics, competence, and client care.

Thank you for all your support, and thanks to our team for being so hard-working and helping the business reach these milestones.

We launched a new website to better promote our service offering

After more than a decade in business, a big focus for the second half of 2025 was our new-look website, which we feel reflects the work that we conduct with families.

Take a look for yourself here – if you were familiar with our previous site, you’ll see we’ve had a complete revamp.

As well as improving messaging about the type of support clients can expect from our experienced team, we’ve added several new client videos where you can hear stories of how we help turn financial concerns into confidence and build lasting trust.

We were delighted with the results of our 2025 client survey

In May, we sent out a comprehensive survey to our clients, asking them for honest feedback about the service they receive from their Depledge financial planner – a big thank you to all of you who took the time to respond.

We were delighted to learn that:

• 100% of clients were satisfied that we understood their needs, goals, aspirations, and objectives.
• 99.15% of clients believe that working with us has helped or will help them achieve their financial goals.
• 99.05% of clients who responded definitively would recommend us to their friends, family, or colleagues.

We also asked our clients to share the biggest benefit they have seen from working with Depledge.

22 clients responded with three words: “peace of mind”, while others took time to expand on their experience, for example:

• “My planner is a breath of fresh air and takes a very pragmatic view of my situation.”
• “You take care of the details. It takes a bit of the ‘financial emotion’ out for me.”
• “My planner was very helpful and reassuring when my husband died.”

Once again, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. We look forward to continuing to support you and your family in the new year and beyond.

The Depledge team gained new qualifications as we continue to strive for excellence

Our team members gained more qualifications this year. Continued professional development (CPD) is extremely important to us, and we consistently invest in our team to ensure we can deliver the outcomes our clients deserve.

Edward Ainley

Edward is now a Chartered financial planner. In 2025, he has also become Certified. A big year for Edward, with three significant achievements:

• CFP – Globally recognised as the gold standard for financial planning professionals and is set at the Level 7 (Masters standard).
• LP2 – Focuses on Financial Services Products and Solutions.
• FA1 – Focuses on Life Office Administration.

Congratulations on a fantastic year full of professional success, Edward.

Andrew Thorp

Andrew, one of our paraplanners, has (like Edward) also attained the CFP certification, recognised globally as the gold standard for financial planning professionals.

Congratulations on achieving this significant professional milestone, Andy.

Daniel Gordon

Daniel, principal Chartered financial planner, passed the CII J10 exam earlier this month, testing his knowledge on discretionary investment management.

Chris Thorp

Meanwhile, our other paraplanner, Chris Thorp, has passed his CII Diploma in Financial Planning.

Callum Dingsdale

Callum, our client support administrator, is working towards his Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), and has passed the:

• RO1 – Financial services, regulation & ethics
• RO5 – Financial protection

In total, Callum must pass six exams to achieve his Diploma, and he’s well on his way to success.

We’re incredibly proud of our team for continually working towards professional development, so we can ensure we provide the best possible service to all our clients.

What to expect in 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, we plan to continue striving for exemplary service and creating opportunities for our clients to manage and grow their wealth according to their wishes.

Now in our 11th year, 2025 has proved another successful year of business at Depledge. In many ways, it has proved to be our most transformative year to date:

• Our financial planners are the most highly qualified team that we have ever had, and 2026 may be the year we become the best-qualified team in the UK.
• We have been researching various new technologies that we expect to make available to our clients in 2026 to enhance our services.
• We expect to be spending time further analysing the Budget and reviewing financial plans and strategies where you have been affected or may be affected in future.
• We also plan to introduce more client events in 2026.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous new year

This Christmas, we will be donating again to Francis House, who provide appropriate respite and end-of-life care for children and young people with life-limiting illnesses, as well as the necessary support and short-term care for their families.

We will be closing the office on Wednesday 24 December at 12.30 pm and re-opening on Friday 2 January 2026 at 9 am.

If you have an urgent matter to discuss during this period, please contact Andrew, Dan, Edward, or Lorraine.

If you’d like to learn about how we can help you, not just in 2026 but over the long term, get in touch today. Email [email protected] or call 0161 808 0200.

Finally, we would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and a joyous new year. See you in 2026!