Informed Choice Limited

Reference number: 171077

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Authorised by the FCA

This firm is on the FCA register and authorised to carry out regulated activities.

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.

In the full report: 3 background checks

  • When icfp.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
  • What kind of line 01483 274566 is
  • Who else gives the postcode GU6 8AE
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Other names (3)

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

  • BrilliantWithMoney Former trading name
  • IC Direct Former trading name
  • Wealth for Women Former trading name

FCA permissions and consumer protection

  • Give regulated advice FSCS may apply
    A claim for unsuitable advice is itself FSCS-protected, up to the limit that applies to the product you were advised on.
  • Manage or trade investments FSCS may apply
    Eligible investment and pension claims are typically FSCS-protected up to £85,000 per person, depending on the product and your circumstances.
  • Lend or arrange credit No FSCS cover
    Consumer credit is not covered by the FSCS, so there is no compensation scheme if the firm fails.
  • Complaints Ombudsman, free
    You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.
Show FCA detail (6 permissions)
  • Advising on investments (except on Pension Transfers and Pension Opt Outs)
  • Advising on P2P agreements
  • Advising on Pension Transfers and Pension Opt Outs
  • Arranging (bringing about) deals in investments
  • Debt-counselling
  • Making arrangements with a view to transactions in investments

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
02947466
Company status
Active
Company type
Private limited company
Incorporated
11 July 1994 (32 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
Nicholas Bamford Director Mar 1955 11 Jul 1994 6 other companies
Andrea Ruth Bamford Director Sep 1955 15 Jul 1994 1 other company
Martin Robert Bamford Director Jul 1979 4 Jul 2003 6 other companies
Shelley Mccarthy Director Oct 1978 7 Jan 2016 None
Andrea Ruth Bamford Secretary Not published 11 Jul 1994 1 other company

Other companies run by these 4 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
10
closed down
4
is FCA-registered
1

In the full report: all 10 companies, named

  • What each company does, and whether it is still trading
  • Which of these 4 directors sit on each board, and since when
  • Any that went into liquidation or administration
  • The one on the FCA register
  • The 3 companies these 4 directors run together
  • All 7 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
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Filed accounts and finances

Year to 31 July 2026Small company accountsNot audited

Net assets

£253k

<1% from £250k

Cash at bank

£302k

+3.1% from £293k

Employees (average)

18

Same as 18

Owed within a year

£88.1k

+5.2% from £83.8k

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
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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 02947466. 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

Informed Choice’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (8) All events (26)

2016

6 April 2016

  • Andrea Ruth Bamford became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
  • Martin Robert Bamford became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
  • Nicholas Bamford became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)

Companies House

2013

1 April 2013

  • Regulated by the FCA from this date

FCA register

2001

1 December 2001

  • Regulated by the Financial Services Authority from this date
  • Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

2000

8 February 2000

  • Regulated by the Personal Investment Authority from this date

FCA register

1994

11 July 1994

  • Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 26 events

  • All 26 events in its history (8 shown here)
  • Every director appointment and resignation: 8
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Firms connected to Informed Choice

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

past link
1

In the full report: all 0 connected firms, named

  • 1 past link through former directors
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Firms like Informed Choice

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

In Cranleigh

Bramley Financial Planning limitedCranleighAuthorisedSterling Scott LimitedCranleighAuthorisedClarke Financial Planning Services LtdCranleighAppointed representativeRourke's Mortgages and Financial PlanningCranleighAppointed representativeOakwood Financial LtdCranleighAppointed 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 Informed Choice

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

  • 10 other companies its directors have run, named
  • 3 background checks on its contact details
  • 7 years of accounts, charted
  • All 26 events in its history

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Informed Choice Limited FCA authorised?
Yes, Informed Choice Limited (FRN 171077) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since December 2001 and works as a financial adviser. The FCA has placed no limits on its permissions.
What is Informed Choice’s phone number and website?
The FCA register lists the phone number 01483 274566 and the website icfp.co.uk for Informed Choice. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.
Is Informed Choice a scam or clone?
Informed Choice 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 Informed Choice?
Its FCA permissions do not allow it to hold or control client money. It depends on the product, but eligible claims may be protected by the FSCS. You can also refer complaints about Informed Choice to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.
Who owns Informed Choice?
Companies House lists 3 people with significant control of Informed Choice: Mr Nicholas Bamford (25–50% of shares), Mrs Andrea Ruth Bamford (25–50% of shares) and Mr Martin Robert Bamford (25–50% of shares).
Who runs Informed Choice?
Companies House lists 4 directors of Informed Choice: Nicholas Bamford, Andrea Ruth Bamford, Martin Robert Bamford and Shelley McCarthy.
How long has Informed Choice been in business?
The company was formed on 11 July 1994, and has held its current FCA authorisation since December 2001.
What do Informed Choice’s latest accounts show?
Its latest accounts, to 31 July 2026, show net assets of £253k (<1% from £250k) and cash at bank of £302k (+3.1% from £293k).
Does Informed Choice use any other names?
It has previously used 3 other names: BrilliantWithMoney, IC Direct and Wealth for Women.

Sources and links

The full report on Informed Choice Limited

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