Appointed representative
This firm does not hold FCA authorisation of its own, and acts under a principal firm, which is legally responsible for its regulated business.
- Appointed for 21 years
- Protected through the principal
- No FCA actions
- Active company since 2003
- Accounts filed up to 31 March 2026
- Its phone number is also given by a firm that is no longer authorised
- One of its directors is also a director of a firm that is no longer authorised
Responsible principal firm
The On-Line Partnership Limited Reference number: 192638 View firm →What does this mean?
- An appointed representative (AR) can carry out regulated financial services, but is not directly authorised by the FCA. A principal firm holds the authorisation and is legally responsible for the AR's conduct.
- 4U2B Limited (FRN 430054) is an AR of The On-Line Partnership Limited (FRN 192638). When you use 4U2B's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
- Example: if you take financial advice from 4U2B, complaints and compensation usually follow the same rules as dealing with the principal, but this depends on the product and your circumstances.
- Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.
Website, phone number and address
Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.
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No website on the FCA register
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Phone number
Also given by a firm that is no longer authorised. Check you are dealing with the firm on this page.
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Address
2nd Floor Independence House, 16 Queen Street, Worcester, WR1 2PL, United Kingdom
In the full report: 2 background checks
- What kind of line 01905 600228 is, and the other firm that gives it
- Who else gives the postcode WR1 2PL
Other names (5)
If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.
- 4U2B Lifestyle Financial Planning Trading name: A name it trades under now.
- Union Financial Planning Trading name: A name it trades under now.
- Union Lifestyle Financial Planning Trading name: A name it trades under now.
- 4U2B Ltd Former name: A name it was registered under before.
- First Service Financial Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.
FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Protection through the principal firmProtection works through The On-Line Partnership Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
- Complaints Ombudsman, freeYou can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.
FCA disciplinary action and complaints
No FCA disciplinary action.
The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.
Companies House record
The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.
- Company number
- 04884817 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 2 September 2003 (23 years old)
- Registered office
- 16 Queen Street, 2nd Floor Independence House, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR1 2PL, England
- Nature of business
-
- Activities of insurance agents and brokers (SIC 66220)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Andrew Knowles | Director | Dec 1957 | 2 Sep 2003 | 6 other companies |
Other companies run by its director
A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.
- other companies
- 6
- closed down
- 2
- is FCA-registered
- 1
In the full report: all 6 companies, named
- What each company does, and whether it is still trading
- Which of its director sits on each board, and since when
- Any that went into liquidation or administration
- The one on the FCA register, including one no longer authorised
- All 6 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Filed accounts and finances
Total equity
£1,439
−73% from £5,319
Employees (average)
1
−50% from 2
Owed within a year
£2,070
+10% from £1,876
Assets and liabilities
In the full report: all 7 years of accounts
- Every year from 2020 to 2026
- The chart, over every year
- Every filed figure, year by year
About these figures
- Turnover
- Money taken from sales in the year, before any costs.
- Profit before tax
- What was left after the year’s costs, before corporation tax. A minus figure is a loss.
- Net assets, or total equity
- Everything the company owns minus everything it owes. A minus figure means it owes more than it owns.
- Total assets and total liabilities
- Everything the company owns, and everything it owes, on the last day of the year. The gap between them is its net assets.
- Cash at bank
- Money in the company’s accounts on the last day of the year.
- Owed within a year, owed after a year
- Debts and bills due in the next twelve months, and those due later.
There is no turnover or profit: small companies do not have to publish them.
Accounts filed at Companies House for company 04884817. Every figure is as filed, apart from total assets and total liabilities, which are added up from filed figures. Nothing is estimated.
Key dates in its history
4U2b’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2023
13 November 2023
- Changed its registered name from "4U2B Ltd"
FCA register
30 August 2023
- Mary Sally Knowles became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
Companies House
2016
1 June 2016
- Philip Andrew Knowles became the majority owner (50–75% of shares)
Companies House
2005
22 March 2005
- Became an appointed representative
FCA register
2003
2 September 2003
- Incorporated at Companies House
Companies House
In the full report: all 19 events
- All 19 events in its history (5 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 9
Firms connected to 4U2b
Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with 4U2b. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.
- connected firms
- 2
- no longer authorised
- 1
- share a director
- 1
In the full report: all 2 connected firms, named
- How each is linked: shared directors (1), the same phone number (1), the same postcode (2)
- Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
Firms like 4U2b
Other firms of the same type (insurance broker), nearest first.
In Worcester
Firms are listed by type and location, best known first. Being listed is not a recommendation: check any firm before you deal with it.
Get the full report on 4U2b
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- 6 other companies its directors have run, named
- 2 background checks on its contact details
- 7 years of accounts, charted
- All 19 events in its history
- 2 connected firms, named, and who links them
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Frequently asked questions about this firm
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Sources and links
- Its entry on the FCA register register.fca.org.uk
- Its Companies House record gov.uk
- Complaints the Financial Ombudsman Service can help with financial-ombudsman.org.uk
- Report a scam to the FCA fca.org.uk