DFS Financial Services Limited

Reference number: 408927

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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

New Leaf Distribution Limited Reference number: 460421 Authorised 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.
  • DFS Financial Services Limited (FRN 408927) is an AR of New Leaf Distribution Limited (FRN 460421). When you use DFS Financial Services's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
  • Example: if you take financial advice from DFS Financial Services, 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.

  • No website on the FCA register

  • Phone number

    01702 431130

    Also given by a firm that is no longer authorised. Check you are dealing with the firm on this page.

  • Address

    Cumberland House, 24-28 Baxter Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6HZ, United Kingdom

In the full report: 2 background checks

  • What kind of line 01702 431130 is, and the 152 other firms that give it
  • Who else gives the postcode SS2 6HZ
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Other names (3)

If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.

  • Devonports Financial Services Trading name
  • Devonports Financial Services Limited Former name
  • Focus Mortgage Services Limited Former name

FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Protection through the principal firm
    Protection works through New Leaf Distribution 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, free
    You 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
04762132
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
13 May 2003 (23 years old)
Registered office
Matches the FCA register address ✓
Nature of business
  • Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation not elsewhere classified (SIC 66190)

Directors and company secretaries

Name Role Born Appointed Other companies
Jeanette Anne Nicholls Director Jul 1962 13 May 2003 1 other company
Michael John Nicholls Director Aug 1961 13 May 2003 2 other companies
Jeanette Anne Nicholls Secretary Not published 13 May 2003 1 other company

Other companies run by these 2 directors

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
2
closed down
2
run together
1

In the full report: all 2 companies, named

  • What each company does, and whether it is still trading
  • Which of these 2 directors sit on each board, and since when
  • Any that went into liquidation or administration
  • The 1 company these 2 directors run together
  • All 5 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
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Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 March 2025Small company accountsNot audited

Net assets

£15.6k

−23% from £20.3k

Cash at bank

£6,550

−44% from £11.8k

Employees (average)

2

Same as 2

Assets and liabilities

In the full report: all 7 years of accounts

  • Every year from 2019 to 2025
  • The chart, over every year
  • Every filed figure, year by year
Instant PDF download
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 04762132. 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

DFS Financial Services’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (9) All events (16)

2024

8 August 2024

  • Changed its registered name from "Devonports Financial Services Limited"

FCA register

30 July 2024

  • Devonports Accountants Limited stopped being a part-owner
  • Simon Ivan Last became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2021

4 October 2021

  • Changed its registered name from "Focus Mortgage Services Limited"

FCA register

2019

1 April 2019

  • Devonports Accountants Limited became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2016

6 April 2016

  • Jeanette Anne Nicholls became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
  • Michael John Nicholls became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2004

31 October 2004

  • Became an appointed representative

FCA register

2003

13 May 2003

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 16 events

  • All 16 events in its history (9 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 6
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Firms connected to DFS Financial Services

Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with DFS Financial Services. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.

connected firms
12
share its phone number
12

In the full report: all 12 connected firms, named

  • How each is linked: the same phone number (12)
  • Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
Instant PDF download

Firms like DFS Financial Services

Other firms of the same type (pension transfer adviser), nearest first.

In the Southend-on-Sea (SS) postcode area

Donna WarrRayleighAppointed representativeGreater London Financial Services LtdRayleighAppointed representativeMistry & Sons LimitedRayleighAppointed representativeProtect and Lend LimitedRayleighAppointed representativeResolute Financial Services LtdRayleighAppointed representativeSimplifying Finance LtdRochfordAppointed representative

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 DFS Financial Services

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

  • 2 other companies its directors have run, named
  • 2 background checks on its contact details
  • 7 years of accounts, charted
  • All 16 events in its history
  • 12 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is DFS Financial Services Limited FCA authorised?
DFS Financial Services Limited (FRN 408927) is not directly authorised. It is an appointed representative acting under the responsibility of a directly authorised principal firm.
What does appointed representative mean for DFS Financial Services?
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. DFS Financial Services Limited (FRN 408927) is an AR of New Leaf Distribution Limited (FRN 460421). When you use DFS Financial Services's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm. Example: if you take financial advice from DFS Financial Services, 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.
What is DFS Financial Services’ phone number?
The FCA register lists the phone number 01702 431130 for DFS Financial Services. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further. The same number is also given by 152 other FCA firms, one of which is no longer authorised.
Is DFS Financial Services a scam or clone?
DFS Financial Services is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.
Is my money safe with DFS Financial Services?
Protection works through New Leaf Distribution Limited, the principal firm responsible for DFS Financial Services's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
Who owns DFS Financial Services?
Companies House lists 3 people with significant control of DFS Financial Services: Mr Simon Ivan Last (25–50% of shares), Mrs Jeanette Anne Nicholls (25–50% of shares) and Mr Michael John Nicholls (25–50% of shares). Before that, it was controlled by Devonports Accountants Limited.
Who runs DFS Financial Services?
Companies House lists 2 directors of DFS Financial Services: Jeanette Anne Nicholls and Michael John Nicholls.
How long has DFS Financial Services been in business?
The company was formed on 13 May 2003.
What do DFS Financial Services’ latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 31 March 2025, show net assets of £15.6k (−23% from £20.3k) and cash at bank of £6,550 (−44% from £11.8k).
Does DFS Financial Services use any other names?
It trades as Devonports Financial Services. It has previously used 2 other names: Devonports Financial Services Limited and Focus Mortgage Services Limited.

Sources and links

The full report on DFS Financial Services Limited

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