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.
Responsible principal firm
Connect IFA Ltd Reference number: 441505 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.
- AB SPECIALIST FINANCE LTD (FRN 1041186) is an AR of Connect IFA Ltd (FRN 441505). When you use AB SPECIALIST FINANCE's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
- Example: if you take financial advice from AB SPECIALIST FINANCE, 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
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Address
105 London Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 5TG, United Kingdom
In the full report: 2 background checks
- What kind of line 0333 339 4549 is
- Who else gives the postcode SS7 5TG
FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Protection through the principal firmProtection works through Connect IFA Ltd, 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
- 16620098 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 31 July 2025 (1 year old)
- Registered office
- 105 London Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 5TG, United Kingdom
- Nature of business
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- Other credit granting not elsewhere classified (SIC 64929)
- Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified (SIC 64999)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Michael Bennett | Director | Nov 1982 | 31 Jul 2025 | None |
In the full report: every company its directors have run
- Confirmation that its director runs no other company
Key dates in its history
Ab Specialist Finance’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2025
1 September 2025
- Became an appointed representative
- Began trading as "AB Specialist Finance"
FCA register
31 July 2025
- Incorporated at Companies House
- Ashley Michael Bennett took control (75–100% of shares)
- Ashley Michael Bennett appointed as a director
Companies House
Director appointments and resignations, and trading names, appear under All events.
Firms connected to Ab Specialist Finance
Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Ab Specialist Finance. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.
- connected firms
- 2
- share its postcode
- 2
In the full report: all 2 connected firms, named
- How each is linked: the same postcode (2)
- Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
Firms like Ab Specialist Finance
Other firms of the same type (mortgage adviser or broker), nearest first.
In Benfleet
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 Ab Specialist Finance
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- Every company its directors have run, named
- 2 background checks on its contact details
- All 5 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