Business Details
35 Years
experience
Your Trusted Chartered Financial Advisers in Thornbury
Established in 1991, we are a Chartered and Independent financial planning firm dedicated to helping clients achieve their life goals through tailored financial strategies. Our team of experienced professionals specialises in serving business owners, senior executives, and individuals approaching retirement, combining technical expertise with a personal touch. As a Chartered Financial Planning firm, we uphold the highest industry standards while maintaining independence to offer unbiased market-wide solutions.Our commitment to transparency, client education, and long-term relationships has earned us a 9/10 client satisfaction rating and numerous industry awards. With over three decades of experience in the South West and across the UK, we prioritise ethical practices, continuous professional development, and community engagement to deliver lasting value to our clients.
Services
Retirement Planning
Business Financial Planning
Tax Efficiency Strategies
Investment Portfolio Management
Estate Planning
Details
- Year established: 1991
Highlights and features
- We are Chartered Financial Planners with gold-standard industry recognition
- Our Independent status enables unbiased, market-wide recommendations
- We offer fair and transparent fee structures with no hidden costs
- Specialists in retirement, business, and tax-efficient financial planning
- Award-winning team with 9/10 client satisfaction ratings
Associations and certifications
- Chartered Financial Planners
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
What people say
Excellent service
Integrity and caring attitude
Explain complex matters simply
Tailored to changing needs
Professional and courteous manner
Services
Retirement Planning
We help clients approaching retirement create comprehensive financial plans that ensure their money supports their desired lifestyle. Our approach combines tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, investment management, and estate planning to provide long-term security. With specialist expertise in pension consolidation and income optimisation, we help clients transition smoothly into retirement while maintaining financial flexibility.
Business Financial Planning
Our business financial planning service connects company objectives with personal financial goals for business owners. We specialise in profit extraction strategies, corporation tax planning, and commercial property purchases while ensuring tax efficiency. By aligning business growth with personal wealth management, we help entrepreneurs maximise their financial potential and prepare for succession or exit strategies.
Tax Efficiency Strategies
We develop tailored tax-efficient solutions for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. Our expertise includes inheritance tax mitigation, capital gains tax planning, and offshore investment structuring. Through regular portfolio reviews and proactive tax planning, we help clients legally minimise their tax liabilities while maintaining compliance with HMRC regulations and future-proofing their financial arrangements.
Investment Portfolio Management
Our investment management service focuses on building diversified portfolios aligned with clients' risk profiles and financial goals. We offer active portfolio monitoring, regular performance reviews, and market-responsive adjustments while maintaining a long-term investment perspective. Our approach prioritises capital preservation and growth through carefully selected funds and direct investments across global markets.
Estate Planning
We specialise in creating comprehensive estate plans that protect clients' assets and ensure their wishes are fulfilled. Our services include lifetime mortgage arrangements, equity release solutions, and intergenerational wealth transfer strategies. By combining legal instruments with financial products, we help clients preserve their legacy while minimising inheritance tax exposure and providing for future generations.
People
James Marchant
Director & Financial Planner
With over 25 years' experience in financial services, James specialises in retirement planning and investment management. He holds Chartered Financial Planner status and focuses on delivering tailored solutions for business owners and professionals seeking tax-efficient financial strategies.
Mark Hibbitt
Director & Chartered Financial Planner
Mark brings extensive expertise in corporate finance and tax planning, having worked with business owners for over 20 years. As a Chartered Financial Planner, he specialises in connecting business objectives with personal financial goals to create comprehensive wealth management strategies.
Heidi Dann
Practice Manager
Heidi oversees daily operations and client services, ensuring seamless delivery of financial planning solutions. With 15 years' experience in financial services administration, she maintains our high standards of client care and coordinates our team's support functions.
Lucinda Gilbert
Senior Client Administrator
Lucinda provides expert administrative support to our financial planners, managing client documentation and compliance requirements. She has over 10 years' experience in financial services and plays a key role in maintaining our award-winning client service standards.
Questions
What makes Sovereign IFA different from other financial advisers?
We combine Chartered status with Independent advice, offering unbiased recommendations while maintaining the highest professional standards in financial planning.
Do you specialise in specific financial planning areas?
We focus on retirement planning, business financial strategies, tax efficiency, and estate planning for clients approaching major life transitions.
How do you charge for your financial planning services?
We offer transparent fee structures with fixed-fee options like our Second Opinion Service, ensuring no hidden costs or commission-based recommendations.
Can you help with both personal and business financial planning?
Yes, we specialise in integrating business and personal financial goals, particularly for business owners planning for succession or retirement.
What qualifications do your advisers hold?
Our team includes Chartered Financial Planners with specialist expertise in tax-efficient strategies and wealth management for high-net-worth clients.
How do you ensure ongoing client support?
We provide regular portfolio reviews, market updates, and life-stage financial planning to ensure your strategy evolves with your changing needs.
Videos
Reviews (7)
Gary Stephens
Sep 18, 2021
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I had a tremendous experience and received expert, honest and sound advice. I would recommend to anyone.
Suzie Wilkinson
Mar 20, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism,Quality,Responsiveness,Value
Care taken with every detail. Good communication with adviser and office staff. Complicated issues explained simply
Care taken with every detail. Good communication with adviser and office staff. Complicated issues explained simply
Henry O.
Feb 03, 2021
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Highly recommended. Had a phone consultation and was given some useful financial advice in professional and friendly terms. However was told the matter was too simple for further work together at present. I appreciated the honesty, gave me a piece of "free" advice, as opposed to looking to create work for himself when not required. Would go back to them for anything else I need in future.
Bob Spence
Dec 05, 2020
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Went to Sovereign when I needed to implement a drawdown pension on my retirement a couple of years ago. I have since been extremely satisfied with the service and performance from the Sovereign team, and I find James a very personable and of a very easy going nature which makes me relaxed and in the right frame of mind when attending the offices. I would most certainly recommend them. Great value for money as well!
Gerald Clarke
Dec 04, 2020
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We have been a customers of Sovereign Financial services since 1996 and Mark has been our financial advisor for at least the last decade. He has provided us with excellent advice concerning ISAs and pensions particularly as we heading towards retirement in the not too distant future. He has been very professional throughout and his response to any queries always timely. The value of good financial advice cannot be underestimated especial during downturns or when sorting out ones pension options.
Bob Randall
Nov 04, 2020
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We have dealt with Mark Hibbitt for several years now and always feel that he gives us sound advice which is easy to understand and gives us the time we need to make considered decisions. Mark is very professional in his approach and has a clear dedication to providing financial advice. We have confidence in him and trust him to give us the correct guidance including in the current difficult Covid 19 times.
John Haynes
Oct 18, 2020
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James, my IFA, is always ready to answer any questions that I may have. He is readily available to answer any questions that I may have. He offers a number of alternatives and I never feel that he is trying to force a particular solution or product onto me. He is flexible in that he is always prepared to travel to my house rather than expect me to struggle across Bristol to attend his office. I can highly recommend him
