 and felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of options? Do you know what they offer and whether they align with your financial goals?

Choosing a wealth manager best suited to your needs is just as crucial as financial planning itself. Each firm has its own unique approach, philosophy, and expertise, tailored to different client needs. At Compare Wealth Managers, we recognise the vital role a skilled financial planner can play in securing your future. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our top UK wealth management firms, highlighting their key strengths and what sets them apart. Discover which one aligns bestwithyourfinancialaspirations.

A good wealth manager combines technical expertise with the ability to deliver client-focused advice. They must understand 

, and portfolio construction, and then integrate these elements into a coherent strategy tailored to each client’s circumstances 

What is a Private Wealth Manager?

Equally important are communication and trust. The best wealth managers listen carefully to their clients, explain complex ideas in straightforward language, and build long-term relationships that extend across generations. This ability to foster confidence and clarity helps clients remain committed to their strategies through different market cycles 

How to choose a wealth manager

Transparency and accountability are also critical. A good wealth manager is clear about fees, explains how investment decisions are made, and ensures that all actions align with the client’s stated goals and 

 tolerance. Strong governance and ethical standards underpin this approach, giving clients the confidence that their interests always come first 

Dear CEO letter: FCA expectations of wealth management and stockbroking firms.

Finally, leading wealth managers offer a clear value proposition. They provide services that are designed for the specific needs of their target clients, whether that is high-net-worth families, 

, or institutional investors. This specialisation allows them to deliver bespoke planning, tailored portfolios, and innovative solutions such as sustainable investing or access to private markets 

Five Keys to Consistent Success in Wealth Management

For investors with £500,000 to £25 million in investable assets, wealth management rankings provide a valuable benchmark. They allow you to compare firms not only on assets under management (AUM) and scale, but also on reputation, service quality, and investment approach. Rankings highlight which firms are best equipped to manage complex portfolios, which specialise in bespoke advice, and how each positions itself within the competitive UK market. As the 

 notes, wealth managers increasingly compete on scale, reputation and client differentiation, underscoring why rankings offer meaningful context to investors 

Wall Street is racing to manage your wealth. That is a good thing.

How to Use Wealth Management Rankings Effectively

Wealth management rankings should be used as a guide to narrow the field, not as a definitive verdict. They provide an objective way to compare firms on scale, reputation, and service quality, helping investors identify which are best suited to complex portfolios or bespoke advice. The key is to align these insights with your personal goals, ensuring that the firms you consider reflect your risk appetite, investment horizon, and long-term priorities.

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 – Firms such as James Hambro & Partners, Saltus, and Evelyn Partners feature among the best wealth managers UK, recognised for strong client service and consistent portfolio results.

 – The leading wealth management firms collectively oversee significant AUM, demonstrating financial strength, resilience, and the scale to support high-net-worth clients.

 – Top firms provide bespoke strategies across investment management, tax planning, and estate structuring to help clients protect and grow wealth across generations.

 – Many of the best wealth managers combine international investment expertise with local insight, offering diversified opportunities across markets.

 – Established names in the rankings are known for long-standing reputations, governance standards, and multi-generational relationships with clients.

 – The top wealth management firms in London and across the UK integrate ESG, alternatives, and diversified portfolios to deliver sustainable long-term growth.

This article ranks the top ten wealth management firms in the UK in 2025, highlighting their scale, client service, and long-term expertise.

The ranking compares firms across assets under management, minimum investment requirements, and bespoke services, offering investors insight into the diversity and strengths of the UK wealth management industry.
Compare Wealth Managers

It reflects strategies focused on integrated financial planning, personalised investment advice, and the ability to balance global capabilities with local market knowledge.
Compare Wealth Managers

The article is not about finding a single “best” firm, but about providing context on how leading wealth managers operate — a useful benchmark when selecting the right partner for your wealth.

Top Ten Wealth Management Firms in the UK

 is often encountered as a single headline figure. For many families, it is framed simply as a 40% charge applied to wealth on death. In reality, the system is far more layered. Beneath the headline rate sits a structure of allowances, thresholds and conditions that have been built up over time and applied in a specific order, and when those layers are not fully understood, the difference between expectation and outcome can be substantial.

Small details often have an outsized impact: how a home is passed on, whether allowances are claimed correctly, or whether 

 made years earlier have already reduced what is available. To explore how inheritance tax works in practice, we spoke with 

, who helps families understand how these layers interact and why decisions made during life can materially change the final outcome.

The Nil Rate Band: A Foundation That Is Often Misread

. Each individual currently has an allowance of £325,000 that can be passed on at death without inheritance tax being due. Anything above that threshold is generally taxed at 40%. While this figure is widely known, the way it operates in practice is frequently underestimated.

The key point is that the nil rate band does not exist in isolation. Gifts made during the seven years before death are taken into account and can reduce the allowance available, meaning families may have less tax-free capacity than they expect 

. The allowance is also transferable between spouses and civil partners, allowing unused amounts from first death to be carried forward and claimed on second death 

Families face £3m inheritance tax bills on ‘failed gifts’

Inheritance tax: Wills and inheritance tax (TaxScape)

As Michelle explains:
“Each person has £325,000 that on their death can be gifted away without inheritance tax being due, but what people often miss is that gifts made in the seven years before death are taken into account.”

The Residence Nil Rate Band and Its Conditions

Alongside the standard nil rate band sits an additional allowance linked to the family home. The 

 provides up to £175,000 per person, but it comes with strict conditions that regularly catch families out.

To qualify, the property must be passed to direct descendants, such as children or grandchildren. Crucially, the allowance is also subject to a taper once the overall estate exceeds £2 million, reducing by £1 for every £2 above that threshold. In practice, this can result in the allowance being reduced or lost entirely.

What makes this particularly complex is that some assets which sit outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes still count towards the £2 million calculation. As Michelle notes,
“Some assets don’t trigger inheritance tax themselves, but they do sit within the calculation for whether the residence nil rate band is reduced.”

For families close to the threshold, this interaction can have a disproportionate effect on the final tax position.

Where Families Most Often Miss Opportunities

In practice, inheritance tax inefficiencies tend to arise not from complexity alone, but from lack of awareness. Many families are simply unaware of how many allowances are available or how they can be used together.

Annual gifting allowances, gifts on marriage and charitable donations are often underused 

. More significant opportunities exist through gifts made from surplus income, where regular excess income can be passed on without using any inheritance tax allowance, provided the gifts are genuinely habitual and properly documented 

Inheritance Tax and pensions 2027 changes — Schroders Personal Wealth

Work out Inheritance Tax due on gifts

 are another frequent blind spot. They are governed by expressions of wish rather than a will, and if left unchanged, pension wealth may be unintentionally channelled to a surviving spouse and later become subject to inheritance tax, particularly as the rules surrounding pensions continue to evolve.

Seeing Inheritance Tax as a Structure, Not a Number

A meaningful shift occurs when families stop viewing inheritance tax as a single charge and start seeing it as a broader structure. When 

, pensions and intergenerational planning are considered together, more flexible and effective solutions often emerge.

Michelle describes scenarios where paying income tax earlier can reduce inheritance tax exposure later. Drawing income at a higher tax rate and passing it down to the next generation can allow that money to be recycled more efficiently, for example through pension contributions in the children’s names.

“If you look at inheritance tax in isolation, you miss opportunities,” Michelle explains. “When you understand how the layers work together, you can often improve outcomes for the whole family.”

Communication, Timing and a Changing Landscape

One of the most persistent challenges in inheritance tax planning is a lack of communication. Financial decisions are often made in isolation, without considering how allowances might be used across generations.

This can result in wasted allowances, duplicated tax exposure and missed planning windows. Timing also matters. With pensions currently sitting outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes but scheduled to be brought into scope under future changes, strategies that work today may not remain effective indefinitely 

Inheritance Tax on pensions: liability, reporting and payment — Summary of responses

As Michelle puts it, “the tax landscape is constantly changing, and wealth planning needs to be adaptable rather than fixed.”

Inheritance tax planning is not a one-off exercise. It sits at the intersection of income tax, 

, pension rules and family dynamics. Treating it as static rarely produces the best outcome 

Inheritance Tax reform: A once-in-a-generation change

By understanding how the allowances fit together and by revisiting plans as circumstances and rules change, families can make more informed decisions and ensure that wealth is passed on intentionally, rather than shaped by default.

Inheritance tax is a layered system, not a single rate

 – The final tax bill depends on how allowances, gifts and thresholds are applied together.

The £325,000 nil rate band can be eroded

 – Gifts made in the seven years before death reduce how much tax-free allowance remains.

The residence nil rate band comes with strict limits

 – Passing a home to direct descendants and staying below £2 million is key to retaining it.

Some non-taxable assets still affect allowances

 – Assets outside the estate can still reduce the residence nil rate band through the £2 million test.

Common gifting allowances are often missed

 – Annual exemptions, surplus income gifts and charitable giving can all reduce inheritance tax if used correctly.

Inheritance tax planning works best holistically

 – Coordinating income tax, pensions and intergenerational planning often improves outcomes.

Inheritance Tax: Understanding the Allowances That Shape Family Outcomes

 has sat at the heart of family wealth in Britain. A main residence passed down through generations. A holiday home that becomes part of family identity. 

 portfolios that once delivered dependable income alongside capital growth.

Yet today, the question many families are quietly asking is no longer 

what do we do with what we already own, and how do we pass it on without storing up problems for the next generation?

 has moved sharply up the agenda, driven by legislative uncertainty, rising 

 complexity, and a growing awareness that property wealth is fundamentally illiquid. As 

 assets to the next generation is so personal, everyone has different family dynamics”

The Family Home Is Only the Starting Point

The UK system provides specific reliefs that can allow a main residence to be passed on more efficiently, but modern families rarely own just one property. Holiday homes, buy-to-lets, and overseas properties are now common, each bringing its own planning challenges 

It is tempting to focus immediately on tax, when to gift, how to use allowances, or how to minimise inheritance tax exposure. But tax alone rarely produces good outcomes. As Rosie puts it, 

“you shouldn’t let tax be the main driver of your decisions”

The harder questions are practical. Who inherits what? Can the next generation afford to run the asset? What happens when siblings inherit jointly? And what burden might this create for the generation after them?

A holiday home cherished by one generation can quickly become a financial strain for the next once maintenance costs, council tax surcharges, and differing lifestyles are factored in 

Why am I paying a council tax premium on my second home?

Illiquidity: Property’s Structural Challenge

Property’s defining feature, its physical permanence, is also its weakness in inheritance planning. Unlike a portfolio, it cannot be divided, rebalanced, or partially sold without consequence 

Inheritance tax: Wills and inheritance tax

This matters when tax liabilities arise. Inheritance or 

 may be due at precisely the moment when cash is hardest to access. As Rosie succinctly notes, 

“how are you going to pay for that tax exposure in an asset that’s not 

Where property is held overseas, the complexity deepens. Different legal systems, succession rules, and forced heirship regimes can override intentions entirely unless carefully planned for. In these cases, wills are not an administrative detail but a central part of preserving family intent.

For landlords, the economics of buy-to-let have changed materially. Restrictions on mortgage interest relief, higher effective tax rates, and increased regulation have reduced net returns and pushed many owners into higher tax brackets.

Within families, ownership can sometimes be restructured to improve efficiency, but such moves are rarely simple. Gifting assets may remove income the original owner still needs, while debt-backed properties raise questions about affordability and mortgage eligibility for the next generation 

UK’s largest estates pay an average of £9mn in inheritance tax

, bring their own costs. Setup fees, reporting obligations, and ongoing administration all erode returns. As Rosie highlights, these structures only work when families focus on after-tax, after-cost outcomes, not theoretical efficiency .

It is against this backdrop that many long-standing landlords begin to reassess. Not because property has suddenly failed, but because alternatives now offer greater flexibility 

London landlords leave the market in increasing numbers

Selling property and reinvesting into a diversified portfolio allows wealth to be split cleanly, tailored individually, and adjusted over time. Beneficiaries are not forced into joint ownership or shared decision-making. 

, values, and time horizons can be personalised.

This does not imply that property no longer has a role. Historically, combining property with financial assets provided diversification and resilience. But the balance has shifted, and families are increasingly weighing complexity against flexibility.

What emerges most clearly is that there is no universal answer. Property is not “dead”, nor are portfolios a panacea. The real risk lies in not planning at all.

Effective inheritance planning today requires more than tax calculations. It demands cash-flow modelling, clear structuring, and honest conversations about family dynamics and expectations. It also requires clarity about what wealth is meant to achieve, income, security, flexibility, or opportunity 

Who gives wealth transfers to whom and when? Patterns in the giving and receiving of lifetime gifts and loans

As Rosie concludes, the work lies not just in choosing assets, but in 

“lots of financial planning, cash-flow modelling, tax strategies, and then importantly, what are you going to do with that money?”

For families willing to engage with that process, the future remains far from bleak. With thoughtful planning and a clear understanding of trade-offs, inheritance becomes less about preserving assets, and more about preserving options.

Property inheritance is more complex than before 

- Legislative change and evolving family structures mean UK property inheritance planning now requires proactive, long-term financial planning.

Tax efficiency should not be the sole driver 

- Successful inheritance planning balances inheritance tax, capital gains tax, liquidity, and family dynamics to avoid poor long-term outcomes.

- Property inheritance can create tax liabilities without available cash, making liquidity planning essential for buy-to-let and holiday property owners.

Buy-to-let inheritance needs reassessment 

- Higher taxes and reduced reliefs have lowered after-tax returns, leading many landlords to review their property exit and inheritance strategy.

Investment portfolios increase flexibility 

- Selling property and reinvesting can simplify wealth transfer, reduce shared ownership issues, and support individual post-inheritance investment strategies.

- Property is not “dead,” nor are portfolios a cure - all. Structured inheritance planning is essential to protect and transfer family wealth effectively.

Inheritance Planning for Property Owners

Managing director at Compare Wealth Managers.

Rory Scott

Bio

Articles from author

Top Ten Wealth Management Firms in the UK

Inheritance Tax: Understanding the Allowances That Shape Family Outcomes

Inheritance Planning for Property Owners

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Rory Scott

Bio

Articles from author

Top Ten Wealth Management Firms in the UK

Inheritance Tax: Understanding the Allowances That Shape Family Outcomes

Inheritance Planning for Property Owners

Start your journey to your Financial well-being

FIND OUT MORE

LEGAL

CONTACT US

Start your journey to your
Financial well-being