On the register, but not FCA authorised
This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.
What does this mean?
- Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
- What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
- It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
- So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.
This company holds another FCA record
A company can hold several FCA records, covering different parts of its business, and each one carries its own permissions and protection. The reference number you were given decides which record applies to you.
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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No phone number on the FCA register
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Address
1 SOUTHAMPTON ROW, London, WC1B 5HA, United Kingdom
In the full report: 1 background check
- Who else gives the postcode WC1B 5HA
Other names (1)
If you were contacted under any of these names, it is this firm.
- Metro Bank Asset Finance Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Past FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Money-laundering registration onlyThis firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.
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
- 03391275 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 24 June 1997 (29 years old)
- Registered office
- One, Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA
- Nature of business
-
- Financial leasing (SIC 64910)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Sweeney Frumkin | Director | Jun 1964 | 1 Jan 2020 | 5 other companies |
| Andy Veares | Director | Mar 1963 | 5 Jun 2024 | 2 other companies |
| Marc Stephen Page | Director | Dec 1973 | 15 Oct 2024 | 8 other companies |
Other companies run by these 3 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
- 9
- closed down
- 1
- are FCA-registered
- 4
In the full report: all 9 companies, named
- What each company does, and whether it is still trading
- Which of these 3 directors sit on each board, and since when
- Any that went into liquidation or administration
- The 4 on the FCA register
- The 4 companies these 3 directors run together
- All 21 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Key dates in its history
SME Asset Finance’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2017
1 August 2017
- Registered with the FCA
FCA register
2016
6 April 2016
- Sme Invoice Finance Ltd took control (75–100% of shares)
Companies House
2013
31 July 2013
- Board replaced: both directors left and 3 new directors took over
Companies House
1997
24 June 1997
- Incorporated at Companies House
Companies House
In the full report: all 42 events
- All 42 events in its history (4 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 37
Firms connected to SME Asset Finance
Other FCA-listed firms that share a director, phone number or address with SME Asset 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
Get the full report on SME Asset Finance
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- 9 other companies its directors have run, named
- 1 background check on its contact details
- All 42 events in its history
- 2 connected firms, named, and who links them
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Frequently asked questions about this firm
Is SME Asset Finance Limited FCA authorised?
Is SME Asset Finance a scam or clone?
Is my money safe with SME Asset Finance?
Who owns SME Asset Finance?
Who runs SME Asset Finance?
How long has SME Asset Finance been in business?
Does SME Asset Finance use any other names?
Sources and links
- Its entry on the FCA register register.fca.org.uk
- Its Companies House record gov.uk
- Report a scam to the FCA fca.org.uk