Eight Financial Advice adds 4,000+ clients in biggest deal to date
- Simon Bourke
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
11th June 2026
Deal summary
Eight Financial Advice, a principal partner practice of St James's Place (SJP) and the largest SJP partner practice in the UK by total number of clients, has acquired Swann Financial, a fellow SJP partner practice based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The transaction, described by Eight as the largest acquisition in its history, adds 15 advisers, 24 team members and 4,107 clients, taking Eight's total assets under management to £4.5bn. Financial terms were not disclosed. Swann Financial director Andrew Swann will remain with the business; fellow director Peter Cooling has retired following completion.
About Eight Financial Advice
Eight Financial Advice is an SJP principal partner practice led by CEO and Chartered Financial Planner Ian Riggs, with offices across the South of England. The firm provides financial planning, investment planning, retirement planning, protection, mortgage, tax and intergenerational planning services.
Eight Financial Advice is the largest St James’s Place partner practice in the UK by total number of clients. Before the Swann Financial acquisition, the firm had offices including Whiteley, Broadstone, Marlow, Totton, Chelmsford and Tunbridge Wells, as well as an international presence through Eight Wealth International.
About Swann Financial
Swann Financial was founded in 2006 in Oxfordshire as an SJP partner practice. Andrew Swann established the firm after spending ten years in his family’s financial services practice, before joining St James’s Place with two business partners.
The Banbury-based firm has operated for nearly two decades. Peter Cooling, a fellow director of Swann Financial, retired following completion of the transaction.
What happens next?
The acquisition has completed. The Swann Financial office in Banbury will rebrand to become Eights Banbury, extending Eight's geographic presence into Oxfordshire. Andrew Swann and the vast majority of the existing Swann Financial team have remained with the business.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SJP partner practice?
St James’s Place partner practices are appointed representatives of St James’s Place Wealth Management. They can advise solely on SJP’s products and services and operate within SJP’s regulatory and product framework.
Do SJP partner practices often acquire other SJP partner practices?
Yes. Acquisitions between SJP partner practices are a recurring feature of the advice market. Recent examples include Twelve Wealth Management’s acquisition of Smith Hobbs Wealth Management and Gilson Gray’s acquisition of Wilson Financial. The shared platform, regulatory framework and client proposition can make these deals a practical route for growth and client continuity within the SJP network.
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