M&A Advisory for the IFA Sector

Twenty years inside the sector.Built on it, not looking in.

Swanson Capital is led by someone who has been the adviser, the firm principal, the buyer and the seller — not an outside consultant looking in.

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20+

Years in the Sector

£650M+

Acquisitions Overseen

100+

Staff Grown From One Adviser

Advisory Disciplines

Why Swanson Capital

Direct experienceon every side of the deal.

Brian Swanson has spent the last twenty years inside the IFA sector, not advising about it from the outside. He has been a financial adviser, a firm principal, a buyer, and a seller — building a business from a single adviser to over 100 staff and overseeing in excess of £650 million in acquisitions across the UK and international market.

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Been the Buyer

Understands valuation mechanics and deal structure because he has sat on the buyer's side of the table.

Been the Seller

Understands what a seller is really giving up, because he has been that seller too.

Built the Business

Grew a firm from a single adviser to over 100 staff — operational experience, not theory.

A Market-Wide Network

Direct relationships across asset managers, platforms, consolidators, acquirers, and international buyers and sellers.

What We Do

Advisory built around the full deal lifecycle

From preparing a firm for sale to structuring an acquisition, valuing a business, or building the sales capability that drives its growth.

Sell-Side M&A

Guidance for IFA firm owners preparing for and executing a sale.

Buy-Side M&A

Support for acquirers and consolidators sourcing and executing acquisitions.

Valuations

Valuation guidance grounded in real deal mechanics, not theory.

Growth & Scaling

Advisory for firms looking to scale operations and build enterprise value.

Sales Training

The Adviser Sales Mastery Programme — a structured six-module sales training course built for IFA firms.

Mentoring

Ongoing 1:1 mentoring for advisers looking to develop their sales capability.

How It Starts

From first conversationto completion.

A clear path, so you know what to expect at each stage.

A confidential conversation

We talk through your situation, your aims and your timing, in confidence and with no obligation.

A clear view of where you stand

An honest picture of value, structure and readiness if you are selling, or of targets and pricing if you are buying.

An agreed approach

We agree what the work involves and how it will run, as far as we can at the outset. If a project expands, Brian talks it through with you directly.

Delivery through to completion

Brian leads the process, bringing in specialist lawyers, tax advisers and others from his network where the deal needs them.