Open Comparison Broking Ltd
Reference number: 963537
Instant download
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 4 years
- Protected through the principal
- No FCA actions
- Active company since 2021
- Accounts filed up to 30 June 2025
Responsible principal firm
Business Insurance Solutions Limited Reference number: 513256 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.
- Open Comparison Broking Ltd (FRN 963537) is an AR of Business Insurance Solutions Limited (FRN 513256). When you use Open Comparison Broking's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
- Example: if you take financial advice from Open Comparison Broking, 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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Phone number
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Address
Edinburgh House, 170 Kennington Lane, London, Lambeth, SE11 5DP, United Kingdom
In the full report: 3 background checks
- When vaninsurance.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
- What kind of line 07734 147324 is, and the other firm that gives it
- Who else gives the postcode SE11 5DP
Other names (1)
If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.
- Vaninsurance.co.uk Trading name: A name it trades under now.
FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Protection through the principal firmProtection works through Business Insurance Solutions 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
- 13611569 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 9 September 2021 (5 years old)
- Registered office
- Edinburgh House Second Floor, Edinburgh House, 170 Kennington Lane, London, SE11 5DP, England
- Nature of business
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- Activities of insurance agents and brokers (SIC 66220)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Steffens | Director | Jan 1995 | 1 Apr 2024 | 2 other companies |
| Alex Coles | Director | Jun 1994 | 3 Mar 2025 | None |
| Phillip Hammon | Secretary | Not published | 19 Jun 2026 | – |
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
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
- All 4 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Filed accounts and finances
Total equity
£2.69m
+244% from £782k
Cash at bank
£811k
Up £768k from £43.2k
Employees (average)
38
+245% from 11
Owed within a year
£1.64m
+193% from £558k
Assets and liabilities
In the full report: all 4 years of accounts
- Every year from 2022 to 2025
- 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 13611569. 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
Open Comparison Broking’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2025
30 June 2025
- James Steffens gained significant control
Companies House
25 March 2025
- James Steffens no longer has significant control
Companies House
3 March 2025
- James Steffens gained significant control
- Joel William Connelly no longer has significant control
Companies House
2022
24 June 2022
- Joel William Connelly gained significant control
- Paul Steffens no longer has significant control
Companies House
6 June 2022
- Centurian 888 Global Ltd gave up control
- Centurian 888 Global Ltd no longer has significant control
- Paul Steffens gained significant control
Companies House
2021
16 December 2021
- Centurian 888 Global Ltd took control (75–100% of shares)
Companies House
6 November 2021
- Became an appointed representative
FCA register
9 September 2021
- Incorporated at Companies House
- Centurian 888 Global Ltd gained significant control
Companies House
In the full report: all 20 events
- All 20 events in its history (13 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 6
Firms connected to Open Comparison Broking
Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with Open Comparison Broking. A link shows who the firm is tied to, not whether either can be trusted.
- connected firms
- 2
- no longer authorised
- 1
- share its phone number
- 1
In the full report: all 2 connected firms, named
- How each is linked: the same phone number (1), the same postcode (1)
- Who links each one: the named directors, with dates
Firms like Open Comparison Broking
Other firms of the same type (insurance broker), nearest first.
In London
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 Open Comparison Broking
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
- 3 background checks on its contact details
- 4 years of accounts, charted
- All 20 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