Financial advisors for expats & new arrivals

Finding the right financial adviser when you move to the UK

Relocating to the UK triggers a significant number of financial decisions in a short period of time — and many of them interact with each other in ways that aren't obvious without specialist advice. Tax residency status, pension transfers from overseas schemes, ISA allowances, inheritance tax exposure, and investment platform selection all need to be considered together rather than in isolation.

The starting point for most new arrivals is finding a qualified, FCA-regulated independent financial adviser (IFA) with experience in expatriate financial planning. An IFA is legally required to act in your best interests and must consider the full market of options, rather than recommending products from a limited panel. Matching services such as VouchedFor and Unbiased allow you to search advisers by specialism — including those with specific experience in international pension transfers, dual-tax treaty planning, and the financial complexities that arise during relocation.

For those who want to manage their own investments rather than pay for ongoing advice, platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown provide access to ISAs, SIPPs and a broad fund range. These are self-directed platforms — they do not provide regulated financial advice on which investments to choose — but they offer the infrastructure to manage UK investments efficiently once a strategy has been set, either independently or following initial advice from an IFA.

One important distinction for new arrivals: financial advice and financial guidance are different things. Guidance — such as explanations of how ISAs or SIPPs work — can be provided by platforms and comparison services without FCA authorisation. Regulated advice — specific recommendations on what to do with your money — can only be provided by FCA-authorised firms. Always check the FCA Register at register.fca.org.uk before engaging any adviser.