Wilton Group has acquired Hartley SAS Ltd and the business of The Lifetime SIPP Company Ltd. Hartley and Lifetime set up and manage UK pension schemes. The two combined businesses are one of the biggest pension players within the UK market.

Wilton Group founder Tony Flanagan said: ‘Some time ago, we decided to diversify our traditional professional services offering by creating a more broadly based financial services business. These acquisitions are a significant step in that direction. They allow us to offer our clients a wider and more varied choice of financial solutions. The combined businesses have over ?1 billion of assets under management.’

Group Chairman Tony Barber commented: ‘I am very excited about these new acquisitions; we are going to operate in an area associated with more traditional business. We provide solutions within the strict requirements of financial probity for a population who is living longer and for which the UK government is finding it difficult to fund.’

Mike Lawrence, pension specialist at Wilton Group, commented: ‘We have been advising clients on pensions for many years and I think that recently it has become more and more difficult to find high quality pension products at the right price. These acquisitions allow us to give one of the most competitive services within the UK, having the right structure to create high quality pension products and a great increase in the number of clients and advisers.’

Hartley SAS provides expert administration services for both SIPPs and SSASs, having worked in this field for over thirty years. A SIPP or SSAS has become the preferred choice for many business proprietors, who appreciate more freedom to control their pension arrangements with the aim of making retirement savings work harder and perhaps aid their business. In addition to fresh contributions, transfers in from other pension arrangements are permitted to enhance the value of a SIPP or SSAS, which may also borrow within limits.

Harley SAS CEO Denis McHugh commented: ‘This is an exciting new chapter for Hartley SAS, which as part of the Wilton Group not only allows Hartley SAS to fulfil its potential but more importantly add value to Wilton’s client offering.’

The Lifetime SIPP Company (as currently constituted) is licenced by the Financial Conduct Authority in London and provides self-invested personal pensions to clients of Regulated Professional Advisers. Its core product is Lifetime SIPP, designed for flexibility, enabling investment in assets such as quoted equities, commercial property, collective investment funds and cash deposits. The acquisition of Lifetime is subject to certain regulatory and client consents.

Wilton Group services include tax planning and accountancy, corporate finance, family office, company and trust services, wealth management and other specialist services. Group offices are based in Douglas, London’s Mayfair, Dublin and Dubai.

The management team at Wilton is delighted to have acquired Hartley and Lifetime and welcomes their 32 staff to the wider group.

Hartley and Lifetime are both based in Bristol can be contacted on 0117 316 9991, 0117 316 9944 or visiting the websites below:

www.hartleysas.co.uk 
www.wiltongroup.com 
www.thelifetimesipp.com 

Photo - Tony Barber.