Record first quarter for Stockport financial planning firm after ‘exceptional’ month

Prest Financial Planning is celebrating a record start to the year.

January to March saw the Stockport-based firm add £15.4m to its funds under management, up from £13m during the same period last year and £9.4m in Q1 2016.

March stood out as Prest’s strongest month to date, accounting for £7.7m of the total.

With £350m in client assets now under management at Prest, the firm is expecting to have at least £400m on its books by the end of the year.

Graham Prest, chief executive at Prest Financial Planning, said: “We have experienced remarkable growth in recent years, and the rate is actually accelerating.

“Our current growth rate would be impressive for a five-year-old firm but, for one that has been operating for more than five decades, it is truly exceptional.”

He continued: “Investing clients’ assets is only one part of what we do as financial planners. Nonetheless, funds under management do provide a good indication of growth, and these latest figures show that we are emphatically heading in the right direction.

“The last quarter’s record growth in funds under management was achieved while we were implementing major regulatory reforms that came into force at the beginning of the year. I couldn’t be prouder of the team, who have pulled together and continue to give their all to make this happen.”

To accommodate growth, Prest is looking to hire for positions within its administration and financial planning support teams.

Graham added: “We are looking for individuals who have what it takes to join a dynamic team, and are motivated by the sense of achievement that comes from knowing clients are really well looked after.”