Looking for a CRM built for UK advice firms? Book a demo to see how Glimzer handles pipeline and client management.
Why most CRMs fall short for UK advice firms
Generic CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot are powerful tools, but they weren't designed with UK financial regulation in mind. Advice firms end up spending hours building custom fields for FCA reference numbers, suitability reports, and annual review tracking. That work should come out of the box.
A purpose-built CRM understands the language of financial advice from day one.
What to look for
FCA-ready compliance workflows
Your CRM should support the workflows the FCA expects, not fight against them. That means built-in templates for suitability letters, risk profiling, and file checks that map to Consumer Duty outcomes.
Pipeline management for advice processes
Financial advice isn't a simple sales funnel. You need to track clients from initial enquiry through fact-finding, research, suitability, and ongoing review. The right CRM models this journey natively rather than forcing it into a generic deals pipeline. See how pipeline management works in Glimzer.
Audit trail and data retention
Every client interaction, document change, and decision needs a clear audit trail. When the FCA comes knocking, you should be able to pull a complete history in seconds, not spend a weekend digging through emails.
UK data residency
Post-Brexit data protection rules mean client data should stay within the UK or an adequate jurisdiction. Check where your CRM stores data and whether it meets UK GDPR requirements.
Team permissions and segregation
Larger firms need role-based access. Paraplanners, advisers, and compliance officers should each see the right information without tripping over each other. Look for granular permission controls that reflect how your firm actually works.
The current landscape
Most UK advice firms rely on one of a few options:
- Back-office platforms like Intelliflo or FNZ. Comprehensive but complex, and often dated in their user experience.
- Generic CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot. Flexible but require heavy customisation for advice workflows.
- Spreadsheets and email. Surprisingly common, especially in smaller firms, but impossible to scale or audit.
There's a gap in the market for something modern, focused, and built for how advice firms actually work today.
What Glimzer does differently
Glimzer is built from the ground up for UK regulated advice firms. Every feature is designed around how advisers and paraplanners actually work.
- Advice pipeline that models your real process, not a generic sales funnel
- Compliance workflows with built-in templates for suitability, risk, and file checks
- Audit-ready records with full history on every client interaction
- Client servicing and annual reviews built into the platform
- UK data residency as standard
- Clean, modern interface that your team will actually want to use
Choosing the right CRM for your firm
The best CRM is the one your team uses consistently. When evaluating options, consider:
- Does it understand financial advice? Generic tools need months of customisation. Purpose-built tools work on day one.
- Will your team adopt it? A powerful system nobody uses is worse than a simple one everyone relies on.
- Does it grow with you? Whether you're a sole practitioner or a 50-person firm, your CRM should scale without forcing a migration.
- Is it compliant by default? Compliance shouldn't be an afterthought bolted on with plugins.
The right choice saves your firm hours every week and gives you confidence at every audit.
Ready to see a CRM built for UK advice firms? Book a demo and we'll walk you through Glimzer based on your firm's needs.