Forvis Mazars named top UK financial advice firm

Forvis Mazars has been named the UK’s most successful financial adviser, according to an annual study carried out by FT Adviser, a sister publication of the Financial Times.

The London-based firm earned the top ranking for growing its assets under advice and taking on clients.

David Baker, partner and head of financial planning at Forvis Mazars in the UK, said the majority of new business had come through referrals from existing clients. “There’s no greater validation than a client recommending us to others,” he said.

Running for 30 years, the Top 100 Financial Adviser rankings highlight firms that have expanded their businesses, grown assets under advice, brought on new clients or attained chartered or certified credentials.

Each year, the methodology for the ranking is refined in collaboration with ISS Market Intelligence to reflect changes in the industry.

The success of the UK financial advisory business happened in the same year that Forvis Mazars had to lay off approximately 3 per cent of its audit, tax and advisory departments in the US.

Firms making it into the FT Adviser Top 100 list this year brought in a minimum of £240mn in gross sales over the year. This is the highest level since the Top 100 records began and £40mn more than in 2025.

Much of this growth was attributed to rising numbers of individuals — in particular business owners — needing help with increasingly complicated tax planning.

“It has been a really strong year for advisers,” said Clair Lester, head of adviser research at ISS Market Intelligence. “More people are seeking advice because of all the [policy] changes, and advisers have been there to provide that.”

Her comments were echoed by advisers appearing in the Top 100 rankings. “Estate planning has come into sharp focus this year, with the changes to business relief and treatment of pension benefits on death,” Baker said.

Similarly, another of FT Adviser’s top five firms this year, Suffolk-based Beckett Financial Services, reported higher-than-usual enquiries on estate planning and on defined-contribution pension pots falling into the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027.

Managing director Gavin Wood said: “Intergenerational planning has ramped up as a result”, acknowledging it has been an exceptionally busy year for the firm.

FT Adviser also creates a Top 50 Boutiques list for firms with fewer than 10 financial advisers, to highlight the work done by small advice companies in their local communities. All of the boutiques for 2026 had brought in £200mn in gross sales over the 12 months to July 2026.

Only the top 20 large firms and top 10 boutiques are ranked according to their scores, with the rest of the Top 100 and Top 50 boutiques listed alphabetically. A full list and the methodology behind the ranking can be found here.