We’re incredibly proud of our awards and consistently strive to secure designations which demonstrate our commitment to exceptional client outcomes.
Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards 2021 • Retirement Adviser of the Year
2021/22 Chartered Financial Planner of the Year – Finalist
2021/22 Retirement and Late Life Advice Specialist of the Year – Finalist
Our Founder and Director has been delighted to have been shortlisted for the flagship PFS award (Chartered Financial Planner of the Year) for both 2020 and 2021 and the Retirement and Later Life Specialist award for 2021. With over 7,500 Chartered Financial Planners in the UK this recognition is testament to Andrew’s dedication to advice and the profession. Having got so close for the last two years, he has a few ideas to improve his submission for 2022.
Pension Transfer Gold Standard
Financial advice firms who adopt and promote this standard adhere to a set of principles. As a result you can be confident that you are dealing with an ethical adviser and professional advice firm that has your best interests at heart when receiving financial advice in relation to whether or not you should transfer your pension.
Read more about the Pension Transfer Gold Standard.
Associate Firm
As an Associate Firm we adopt the professional standards and code of ethics set by the Personal Finance Society and believe in an inclusive united culture which places clients and staff at its heart.
Our culture is guided by these eight core principles:
- Act in the best interests of clients, using a customer charter to aid transparency
- Demonstrate integrity, probity and fairness by aligning with the code of professional ethics and conduct
- Comply with the spirit as well as rules of regulation
- Comply with the spirit as well as the rules of employment law
- Invest in our people by funding a policy of ongoing training & professional development
- Operate a clear diversity & inclusion policy, for both our staff and clients
- Operate a policy of corporate social responsibility
- Adhere to transparent governance standards and processes
The CFP certification is recognised globally as the gold standard for financial planning professionals. The aim is to provide a financial planner with the necessary skills to build trust and help consumers in an increasingly complex advice world. The CFP process equips individuals with the following:
- A financial planning framework that is robust and repeatable
- Allows you to deliver a pure financial planning proposition consistently for each client
- Allows you to easily evidence decisions that will help reduce your compliance risk
- Increased client confidence that you can help them meet their life goals
- Improved relationships with clients that will ultimately lead to client referrals
The Chartered Investment and Securities Institute (CISI) confirm that ‘The highest global certification available to financial planners in the UK is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. The Financial Training Academy confirm that The CFP™ is the most difficult assessment you will undertake as a financial planner.
The qualification involves two elements at level 6 and level 7 within the UK Qualification Framework. A level 6 course demands a developed level of knowledge in the given subject, and upon successful completion, provides the student with either a bachelor’s degree or a diploma, certificate or award.
A level 7 qualification is designed to develop understanding and knowledge of facilities management with both practical and academic elements. It provides the skills needed to plan and develop courses of action that initiate or underpin substantial change or development and has the academic rigour of a Masters qualification.
Andrew Day embarked on this programme in 2020 and having passed the Level 6 exam in September at the first sitting, he moved onto the Level 7 case study in 2021. The feedback from the first submission illustrated to Andrew that the level of intricate detail required was of the highest level and adjustments were needed for the second submission. Andrew was delighted (and somewhat relieved) to have achieved a mark of 89% in the second submission and achieve one of his bucket list goals in financial planning to attain the revered CFP™ status in November 2021.
Ben Lancaster, Top 35 Next Generation Advisers
2021 Money Marketing Awards – Small Advice Firm of the Year (Finalist)
2021 Adviser Firm of the Year – North West (Finalist)
Personal Financial Society Associate Firm
As an Associate Firm of the Personal Finance Society, we adopt the professional standards and code of ethics set by the Personal Finance Society and believe in an inclusive united culture which places clients and staff at its heart.
Our culture is guided by these eight core principles:
- Act in the best interests of clients, using a customer charter to aid transparency
- Demonstrate integrity, probity and fairness by aligning with the code of professional ethics and conduct
- Comply with the spirit as well as rules of regulation
- Comply with the spirit as well as the rules of employment law
- Invest in our people by funding a policy of ongoing training & professional development
- Operate a clear diversity & inclusion policy, for both our staff and clients
- Operate a policy of corporate social responsibility
- Adhere to transparent governance standards and processes.
SOLLA Retirement
Depledge are SOLLA Retirement Advice Standard holders. Achieving the Later Life Adviser Accreditation (LLAA) and becoming a member of the Society is an endorsement of skills and experience in working with, and understanding the needs of, older people and their families and carers. It is widely recognised as the Gold Standard in later life financial advice.
Standards Certifications
As part of our continued drive for the best possible standards in delivering for our clients, we are now BS 8577 and ISO 2222 certified.
On attaining certification the reviewer noted
“Congratulations to the team at Depledge Strategic Wealth Management on joining the elite group of businesses in the UK who are demonstrating excellence by achieving the British Standard BS 8577. Echoing the words in their assessment report, they should all be very proud of what they have built!”
BS 8577 Reviewer
New Model Adviser Top 100
We are delighted to have been included in this prestigious list of firms for the seventh year running in 2021.
New Model Adviser magazine is dedicated to helping financial planning professionals in their personal and business development. Each year, the magazine produces a list of the top 100 independent financial advisers, which considers the following elements: the firm’s profitability, recurring income, qualifications and commitment to the profession. The methodology is discussed and approved by the independent actuarial firm AKG.
Andrew Day, our Director and Chartered Financial Planner, commented that: “Our inclusion in this well-established list is great recognition of the hard work and dedication that every member of our team is making to deliver a first-class service to our clients”.
Read the New Model Adviser® Adviser Profile on Andrew Day by clicking here.
Top-Rated Adviser
Our verified reviews on Vouchedfor (a leading review site for financial advisers) recognise Depledge Strategic Wealth Management as a Top-Rated Adviser.
After a break in 2017 and 2018 when Vouchedfor broke from issuing the award to any firms, we’re delighted that our clients continue to rate us when the award was introduced in 2019.
Money Marketing Small Advice Firm of the Year • Finalist
Depledge SWM was shortlisted for the Money Marketing Awards 2020 Small Advice Firm of the Year.
FSB Awards Micro Business of the Year Finalist
We’re delighted to be shortlisted for the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards. Depledge Strategic Wealth Management was a finalist in the Micro Business of the Year category.
Awards and Accolades
- Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards 2021 • Retirement Adviser of the Year
- 2020/21 Chartered Financial Planner of the Year Finalist
- 2021/22 Chartered Financial Planner of the Year Finalist
- 2021/22 Retirement and Later Life Advice Specialist of the Year Finalist
- Chartered Financial Planners
- Pension Transfer Gold Standard
- Society of Later Life Advisers Associate
- Personal Finance Society Associate Firm
- Ben Lancaster, 2021 Top 35 Next Generation Advisers
- 2021 Professional Adviser, Adviser Firm of the Year – North West (Finalist)
- FSB 2020 Micro Business of the Year Finalist
- BS 8577 Framework for the Provision of Financial Advice & Planning Services
- BS ISO 22222 Personal Financial Planning
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2020
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2019
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2018
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2017
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2016
- Top 100 Adviser • New Model Adviser® 2015
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2021
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2020
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2019 (awards not available to achieve in 2017 & 2018)
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2016
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2015
- Top Rated Adviser • VouchedFor 2014
- 2021 Money Marketing • Small Advice Firm of the Year, Finalist
- 2020 Money Marketing • Small Advice Firm of the Year, Finalist
- Greater Manchester Business Awards • Business of the Year, Finalist
- Shortlisted • New Model Adviser North Region Adviser Award 2015