Centurion Chartered Financial Planners – renowned for offering dedicated, specialist teams of experienced independent financial planning advisers – has joined Legal News Wales as a Community Partner. We are delighted to exclusively announce the launch of its four new specialist financial planning teams.

Centurion Chartered Financial Planners (Centurion) work with national, regional and high street law firms, business owners and individuals across Wales and the Southwest of England, and more widely, and has made some significant changes to its business to reflect the specialist work of both legal professionals, and the qualifications and experience of its advisers.

As of 2025, Centurion’s independent Financial Planning offering is split into four dedicated teams:

• Court of Protection & Personal Injury
• Divorce Financial Planning
• Later Life
• Corporate Financial Planning

With a commitment to working in the best interests of clients, retaining its independent financial planning status and developing talent from within, Centurion has c£510m assets under advice and has invested in technology and staff to enable its experts to spend more time with clients and deliver a fully transparent service. Centurion has an office in Wales, is headquartered on the outskirts of Bristol in Clevedon and has further offices in Gloucestershire and Devon.

In the last six months, Centurion has overseen a Management Buy-Out from a co-founder at retirement, promoted two directors – Steve Smith to the role of Managing Director, and Chartered Financial Planner Chris Hill to Head of Advisory – made internal financial planning director promotions and established their four specialist teams.

On announcement of the partnership with Legal News Wales, Steve Smith, Managing Director at Centurion, said:

“Centurion have always worked very closely with professional services in the law and accountancy sectors and have cultured an enviable relationship with many thanks to its specialist advice teams and transparent fixed fee charging structure and service.

“South Wales represents a huge opportunity for Centurion to broaden its reach and work collaboratively with the hugely experienced and well regarded nucleus of law firms in and around the area, and strategically partnering with Legal News Wales gives us the right platform to engage with likeminded professionals to deliver the best outcomes for our clients.”

Centurion has invested heavily in technology over the past 12 months to assist its financial planning and paraplanning teams with processes that enable them to spend more time with clients, from one-to-one meetings to free initial consultations, and to keep fees cost-sensible and fully transparent across the board. Whilst doing so, Centurion has continued to grow and invest in its people and their continued specialist expertise.

The IFA has a team and office in Wales and offices across Clevedon, Devon and Gloucester working with national, regional, high street and boutique law firms and accountancy practices, as well as business owners and individuals across Wales and England.

Transforming independent financial advice

In the past 12 months, Centurion has realised a long-term succession plan through a Management Buy Out at the retirement of one of its co-founders, invested in technology to support its advisers, and promoted and trained from within, as well as launching its four specialist sector teams.

Steve explained:

“Centurion is unique in the way that we offer access to high quality, specialist advice from a highly qualified team of advisers, regardless of the clients’ net worth.

“Our fixed fee structure, based on time recorded by all staff members, gives us a fee model that compliments the core values of consumer duty and gives clients a transparent view of exactly what they are getting in terms of advice and service, as well how much they are being charged for it.”

With a collaborative approach to helping clients achieve their objectives, CCFP advisers are able to focus on being a specialist in their particular field of expertise instead of working under the typical industry pressure to amass client banks and therefore spreading their knowledge too thinly across too broader number of subjects.

Chris Hill, Director and Head of Advisory – and Head of the Personal Injury and Court of Protection Team – at Centurion, said:

“Whether it’s creating specialist teams or fixed charging, CCFP has always put clients at the heart of what we offer. All professional firms (but lawyers and accountants especially) know that to do a good job in a complex case you must specialise, whether individually or as a firm.

“The Financial Advice market is only just starting to realise this and CCFP is once again leading the way.”

Chris added that the new specialist adviser teams allow Centurion advisers to ‘focus on their area of expertise, underpinned by our excellent support team and IT platforms’, and added: ‘our significant expertise, independence and efficient processes will offer maximum value and care for all clients’.

What lies ahead for 2025?

Alongside the launch of its four specialist teams, to offer a deeper, more cohesive offering to legal teams and to clients, Centurion is set for further growth after its ‘best year for new business generation in 2024’ and has the people and tools in place to support this, whilst remaining independent.

Steve said that Centurion takes a great deal of pride in its independent status, adding that having a clear and proven succession and growth plan will enable Centurion to retain this – ‘an important offering in financial services to ensure our clients’ best interests come first’.

Consumer duty

Consumer duty and working in the best interest of clients has been thrown into the spotlight for many financial advisers and lawyers. Centurion’s processes and culture ‘were built around the core elements of consumer duty in our day-to-day business practices’ – even before the consumer duty came to fruition which has helped with changes for personal injury and court of protection lawyers.

As Chris said:

“Consumer duty and best interest has never been more important for personal injury and court of protection professionals in light of the PW case, which examined conflict of interest in detail and has made a number of headlines in 2024.”

He stressed that Centurion is ‘well positioned to help with cases affected by the PW ruling’ because it is one of very few independent advisers with significant personal injury and / or Court of Protection experience in the country.

Specialist Team Information

Discover the specialist teams at Centurion Chartered Financial Planning through the guides below, outlining the approach taken, services offered and their experts.

Court of Protection & Personal Injury Team

For more information on Centurion’s Court of Protection & Personal Injury Team, click here or contact the Head of Team, chris.hill@centurioncfp.co.uk

Divorce Financial Planning Team

For more information on Centurion’s Divorce Financial Planning Team, click here or contact the Head of Team, daniel.gornall@centurioncfp.co.uk

Later Life Team

For more information on Centurion’s Later Life Team, click here or contact the Head of Team, Jon Stevens, jon.stevens@centurioncfp.co.uk

Corporate Financial Planning Team

For more information on Centurion’s Corporate Financial Planning Team, click here or contact the Head of Team, Stuart Doughty, stuart.doughty@centurioncfp.co.uk