Huddersfield-based financial advisory firm, Simpson Wood Financial Services Ltd, has been recognised as one of the top financial advice firms in the UK by the Financial Times.
The highly regarded FT Adviser Top 100 list is an annual ranking that evaluates the UK’s leading financial advice firms using specialist data-driven criteria. Simpson Wood has secured the 11th spot, outperforming well-known names such as NatWest, Barclays Group, and Quilter Financial Planning.
Shaun Wood, Managing Director of Simpson Wood, expressed his delight at receiving this recognition, describing it as a testament to the firm’s innovative approach.
“We’re thrilled to have received this recognition and see it as a direct consequence of the discretionary asset management model we’ve introduced at Simpson Wood,” he said. “It’s a more dynamic approach than is taken by the vast majority of firms and it underpins our commitment to consistently providing exceptional results for our clients.”
In July 2023, Simpson Wood introduced its discretionary asset management model, enabling greater flexibility in managing client assets. By restructuring traditional portfolio management methods, this model allows asset managers to respond more swiftly to market changes and external factors. Shaun highlights that this dynamic strategy has played a key role in the firm’s success.
“We knew our approach to looking after clients had to be built around the underlying asset growth set against benchmark. That simply had to be the cornerstone,” says Shaun. “This led to the launch of discretionary wealth portfolios in 2023 and we haven’t looked back since. The results speak for themselves.”
Comparative investment return analyses consistently place Simpson Wood ahead of established firms such as Brown Shipley and Blackfinch Asset Management.
“So many people are losing out on better returns simply because of the model of asset management used by many of the bigger firms. It’s a model that doesn’t allow asset managers to be truly active in their decision-making or as responsive as we are able to be to fast-moving economic and political events,” says Shaun. “It adds up to a lot of missed opportunities for clients’ wealth, which is a real shame.”
Simpson Wood has been a cornerstone of Huddersfield’s business landscape since its founding in 1880 by Fred Lockwood in Moldgreen. In 1913, the firm relocated to Bank Chambers on Market Street, a building that once housed the Huddersfield Stock Exchange. Today, Simpson Wood continues to operate from these historic premises, maintaining deep roots in the town’s financial heritage. Shaun takes pride in the firm’s longstanding contribution to Yorkshire businesses and sees this latest accolade as proof that combining generations of expertise with a modern, forward-thinking approach delivers outstanding results.
“It just goes to show that being a giant or even global household name is no guarantee of high performance. We’re committed to being continually proactive in a responsible way with our clients’ investment so they can gain the maximum potential from their portfolios. Getting this recognition from the FT is the icing on the cake and a great start to what’s shaping up to be a super 2025!”
