Smart Choice Equity Release ltd: FCA regulated?

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 under a year
Protected through the principal
No FCA actions
Active company since 2025

Responsible principal firm

ONE STOP 4 EQUITY RELEASE LIMITED Reference number: 952887 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.
Smart Choice Equity Release ltd (FRN 1053718) is an AR of ONE STOP 4 EQUITY RELEASE LIMITED (FRN 952887). When you use Smart Choice Equity Release's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm.
Example: if you take financial advice from Smart Choice Equity Release, 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

07834 253053
Address

Arena Business Centre, 8 Barnes Wallis Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5TU, United Kingdom

In the full report: 2 background checks

What kind of line 07834 253053 is
Who else gives the postcode PO15 5TU

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Protection through the principal firm
Protection works through One Stop 4 Equity Release 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: 16927479 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 22 December 2025 (less than a year old)
Registered office: Arena Offices Lancaster Court, 8 Barnes Wallis Road, Fareham, PO15 5TU, England
Nature of business: Activities of mortgage finance companies (SIC 64922)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Sonya Shaw	Director	Sep 1979	22 Dec 2025	2 other companies
Kevin Mark Woods	Director	Jan 1961	22 Dec 2025	2 other companies

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: 4
closed down: 1
still active: 3

In the full report: all 4 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

Key dates in its history

Smart Choice Equity Release’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

2026

5 May 2026

Became an appointed representative

FCA register

2025

22 December 2025

Incorporated at Companies House
Kevin Mark Woods became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
Sonya Shaw became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
Kevin Mark Woods appointed as a director
Sonya Shaw appointed as a director

Companies House

Director appointments and resignations, and trading names, appear under All events.

Firms connected to Smart Choice Equity Release

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

connected firms: 3
share its postcode: 3

In the full report: all 3 connected firms, named

How each is linked: the same postcode (3)
Who links each one: the named directors, with dates

Firms like Smart Choice Equity Release

Other firms of the same type (mortgage adviser or broker), nearest first.

In Fareham

Albany Park Mortgages LimitedFarehamAppointed representative C L Mortgages and Protection LtdFarehamAppointed representative Coast Financial Services LimitedFarehamAppointed representative Creative Lending Solutions LtdFarehamAppointed representative Easy Mortgages LimitedFarehamAppointed representative Edwin GuyFarehamAppointed 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 Smart Choice Equity Release

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

4 other companies its directors have run, named
2 background checks on its contact details
All 6 events in its history
3 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Smart Choice Equity Release ltd FCA authorised?

Smart Choice Equity Release ltd (FRN 1053718) 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 Smart Choice Equity Release?

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. Smart Choice Equity Release ltd (FRN 1053718) is an AR of ONE STOP 4 EQUITY RELEASE LIMITED (FRN 952887). When you use Smart Choice Equity Release's services, the FCA authorisation sits with the principal firm. Example: if you take financial advice from Smart Choice Equity Release, 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 Smart Choice Equity Release’s phone number?

The FCA register lists the phone number 07834 253053 for Smart Choice Equity Release. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is Smart Choice Equity Release a scam or clone?

Smart Choice Equity Release 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 Smart Choice Equity Release?

Protection works through One Stop 4 Equity Release Limited, the principal firm responsible for Smart Choice Equity Release's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.

Who owns Smart Choice Equity Release?

Companies House lists 2 people with significant control of Smart Choice Equity Release: Mrs Sonya Shaw (25–50% of shares) and Mr Kevin Mark Woods (25–50% of shares).

Who runs Smart Choice Equity Release?

Companies House lists 2 directors of Smart Choice Equity Release: Sonya Shaw and Kevin Mark Woods.

How long has Smart Choice Equity Release been in business?

The company was formed on 22 December 2025.