The Private Office Review

The Private Office (TPO) is a UK-based, Chartered firm of independent financial advisers with offices in Leeds, London, and Bath.

With over 20 years of experience across its leadership team, the firm serves individuals, families, and business owners seeking personalised wealth management without the conflicts of interest that come with tied or restricted advisers. 

TPO is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA, firm reference 789482) and holds Corporate Chartered Status from the Chartered Insurance Institute  an accreditation held by fewer than 6% of financial planning firms in the UK.

The word "independent" gets used loosely across the financial services industry. At TPO, it carries a specific regulatory meaning: their advisers can recommend products from across the entire market, with no obligation to favour a particular provider or solution.

There are no commissions, no referral arrangements with product providers, and no parent company with a product shelf to fill.

This matters more than it might sound. Many firms describe themselves as "financial advisers" while operating under restricted permissions meaning they can only recommend products from a limited panel.

A client using a restricted adviser may never know that better options existed. TPO's fully independent status means the analysis they provide starts with your situation, not with a pre-approved list of solutions.

TPO covers a broad range of financial planning disciplines. Here is a summary of the core service areas:

The firm also has a dedicated connection to Savings Champion, a sister company that provides independent cash management research.

This gives TPO clients access to market-wide savings rate comparisons a useful feature that most wealth managers do not offer.

TPO structures its ongoing services around three distinct client propositions, designed to accommodate different levels of wealth and complexity.

TPO Direct is a digitally-led service aimed at clients aged 25 and over who have at least £50,000 to invest and are looking for straightforward financial advice.

Because fixed fees can be disproportionate for smaller investment amounts, this tier charges 1% of the capital being invested, making it more accessible for people earlier in their financial planning journey.

TPO Premium suits clients with investable assets of at least £250,000.

It provides a professionally managed financial plan with regular reviews, cashflow modelling, tax planning, and access to the full team of advisers and specialists.

TPO Family Office is designed for clients with liquid assets exceeding £7.5 million or lifestyle capital and income requirements of £250,000 per annum or more.

It operates as a coordinated service across TPO's core advisory team and carefully selected external partners, including accountants and solicitors, making it closer to a concierge wealth management experience than a standard advisory relationship.

One of the more refreshing aspects of TPO's model is how they handle fees. Most investment-linked advisers charge a percentage of assets under management — which means the more money you have, the more you pay, even if the complexity of your situation doesn't change.

TPO uses fixed fees for the majority of its initial planning services. Fees are determined by the time and complexity of the work, not by the size of your portfolio.

A few concrete examples from their published fee schedule:

• A new client with a portfolio of £294,000 requiring a financial review and investment advice can expect an initial fee of £4,625.
• A client with a £875,000 portfolio requiring cashflow planning and a full financial review would pay an initial fee of approximately £8,150.
• A client approaching retirement with a £2.65 million portfolio would pay around £8,550 for cashflow planning and a comprehensive review.

The initial discovery meeting carries no charge, and no fees are incurred until both parties have agreed on the scope and cost of the work.

For clients coming through the TPO Direct route, fees are settled at 1% of the capital being invested. All fees are presented in writing before any work begins.

Ongoing financial planning services start from £4,250 plus VAT per annum for clients who prefer to manage their own investments but want professional support with financial planning, tax efficiency, and regular reviews.

TPO holds Corporate Chartered Status from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Many of the firm's individual advisers have also achieved personal Chartered Financial Planner status, the highest professional qualification available to financial planners in the UK.

On the awards front, the firm has collected a consistent run of industry recognition:

• Named a VouchedFor Top Rated Firm for seven consecutive years (most recently confirmed in March 2026), with ratings based entirely on verified client feedback collected through the VouchedFor platform.
• Won two major awards at the Professional Adviser Awards 2026 in March of this year.
• Previously won Chartered Financial Planning Firm of the Year at the Personal Finance Society (PFS) Personal Finance Awards 2022/23.
• Individual advisers have appeared on the FT Adviser Top 100 Financial Advisers list.

TPO advisers are also regularly quoted in national press coverage, including the BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, and Sky News.

TPO structures its onboarding as a four-stage process:

1. Discovery — A no-charge, no-obligation meeting with a qualified adviser to understand your financial position.
2. Planning — Agreement on a bespoke service plan with fixed fees disclosed in full before anything proceeds.
3. Advice — A detailed financial plan built on market research, cashflow modelling, and your individual goals.
4. Ongoing Review — Regular portfolio reviews and valuations to keep the plan on track over time.

The emphasis on a long-term relationship is deliberate. TPO's stated view is that ongoing guidance not just initial advice is what moves people toward their financial goals.

Beyond standard wealth management, TPO covers genuinely niche territory. Their team includes specialists in financial planning on divorce navigating pension sharing orders, asset division, and post-settlement income planning.

They also work with clients managing life-changing personal injury settlements, where handling a large lump sum for the first time adds considerable complexity.

Equity release advisers at TPO hold specialist qualifications, with fees for those services ranging from £2,500 to £10,000 depending on property type and the complexity of the financial arrangements involved.

TPO operates from three offices across the UK:

• Leeds: No. 2 The Bourse, LS1 5DE — head office, serving around 1,200 clients across the North
• London: 69 Carter Lane, EC4V 5EQ — over 1,700 clients in London and the southern counties
• Bath: Cambridge House, 1 Henry Street, BA1 1BT — covering Bath, South Wales, and the South West

All advisers work with clients nationally, not just within their local region.

The fixed-fee model, while fair for clients with complex needs, may feel harder to evaluate upfront than a percentage-based structure.

A client with a straightforward single pension and no other assets might find the minimum initial fee of £4,425  which covers a financial review of up to three plans a significant outlay relative to the simplicity of their situation.

The TPO Direct tier addresses some of this, but the entry point of £50,000 in investable assets still excludes people in earlier stages of wealth building.

The fee ranges published on the website are usefully transparent, though the gap between minimum and maximum for some services is wide enough that requesting a specific estimate early in the discovery process is worthwhile.

The Private Office is a well-credentialled, genuinely independent firm with a fee structure and regulatory status that both sit firmly on the client's side of the table.

For anyone with meaningful assets to manage  particularly those navigating retirement, inheritance tax, or complex investment decisions the free initial consultation is a low-risk way to find out whether the service is the right fit.