Söderberg & Partners Wealth Management has teamed up with fintech platform Firenze to offer Lombard lending to wealth managers across the UK.
The new arrangement aims to democratise access to private banking-style benefits for mass affluent investors and clients who opt not to engage with traditional private banks.
It enables advisers to offer borrowing against investment portfolios without forcing clients to sell assets, disrupt investment strategies or trigger capital gains tax.
Firenze provides loans starting from £65,000, secured against clients’ investment portfolios, allowing them to free up liquidity while continuing to benefit from investment returns.
The loans, which are classed as secured lending with highly liquid collateral, typically attract lower interest rates than unsecured alternatives and can be approved within hours.
Through this partnership, Söderberg & Partners’ advisers gain access to:
- Strategic tax and inheritance planning opportunities using portfolio-backed borrowing
- Improved portfolio performance by keeping clients invested
- Intelligent cashflow solutions without sacrificing market exposure
- Faster execution of investment decisions and retention of fee income
- A proposition that competes directly with private banks
Söderberg & Partners has been rapidly expanding its UK footprint, investing in IFAs and enhancing their growth through technology, operational efficiencies and new client solutions.
David Newman, CEO of Firenze, said: “Söderberg & Partners are one of the most exciting players in UK wealth management. It’s a pleasure to partner with Nick and his team. Their platform is innovative, they’ve acquired some outstanding firms, and it’s great to see their advisers and clients now benefit from Lombard lending.”
Nick Raine, CEO of Söderberg & Partners Wealth Management, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Firenze. This partnership gives our advisers a valuable new tool to help clients access liquidity without sacrificing investment performance. It strengthens our broader proposition and helps us compete more effectively with private banks.
Continuing momentum
The announcement follows a period of strong momentum for Firenze, which recently closed a £2.5m seed round led by Outward VC – early backers of Curve, PrimaryBid and Vauban.
The wealthtech now partners with wealth managers overseeing approximately £75bn in assets and recently secured a £160m funding line through a new collaboration with Monument Bank, the only challenger bank focused on the mass affluent segment.
