Specialist Broking Retail Limited: FCA regulated?

Authorised by the FCA

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

Authorised for 5 years
Your funds are protected by FSCS
No FCA actions
Active company since 2016

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.

Website

businesschoicedirect.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
Phone number

0344 776 5305
Address

1st Floor Stoneham Gate, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9NW, United Kingdom

In the full report: 3 background checks

When businesschoicedirect.co.uk first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
What kind of line 0344 776 5305 is
Who else gives the postcode SO50 9NW

Other names (10)

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

Business Choice Direct Insurance Services Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Cornish Insurance Services Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Direct Corporate Risks Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Direct Insurance Corporate Risks Trading name: A name it trades under now.
RHA Insurance Scotland Trading name: A name it trades under now.
RHA Insurance Services Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Wasteinsure Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Wasteinsure.co.uk Trading name: A name it trades under now.
Business Choice Direct Insurance Services Limited Former name: A name it was registered under before.
www.wasteinsure.co.uk Former trading name: A name it used to trade under.

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Hold or safeguard your money · 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.
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.
Sell or arrange insurance FSCS may apply
Eligible insurance claims may be FSCS-protected, often 90%, or 100% for compulsory or long-term cover.
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 (7 permissions)

Advising on investments (except on Pension Transfers and Pension Opt Outs)
Arranging (bringing about) deals in investments
Assisting in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance
Credit Broking
Dealing in investments as agent
Debt Administration
Making arrangements with a view to transactions in investments

Limits on what they may do

Not permitted to canvass off trade premises

The firm is not permitted to canvass regulated borrower-lender-supplier agreements or regulated consumer hire agreements off trade premises

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: 10301653 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private limited company
Incorporated: 28 July 2016 (10 years old)
Registered office: Affinity House, Bindon Road, Taunton, TA2 6AA, England
Nature of business: Activities of insurance agents and brokers (SIC 66220)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
Anthony Coates	Director	Oct 1981	13 Jan 2020	4 other companies
Matthew Mervyn Pyke	Director	Aug 1970	13 Jan 2020	38 other companies
Stephen Astley	Director	Nov 1959	13 Jan 2020	22 other companies
David Robert Moore	Director	Feb 1966	23 Feb 2021	38 other companies

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: 48
closed down: 22
are FCA-registered: 16

In the full report: all 48 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 16 on the FCA register, including 2 no longer authorised
The 29 companies these 4 directors run together
All 8 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

Specialist Broking Retail’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (8) All events (32)

2023

15 May 2023

Changed its registered name from "Business Choice Direct Insurance Services Limited"

FCA register

2020

18 December 2020

Regulated by the FCA from this date
FCA imposed a requirement (Not permitted to canvass off trade premises)
Became authorised by the FCA

FCA register

13 January 2020

Lloyd & Whyte Group Limited took control (75–100% of shares)
Somerset Bridge Insurance Services Limited gave up control

Companies House

2016

28 July 2016

Incorporated at Companies House
Somerset Bridge Insurance Services Limited took control (75–100% of shares)

Companies House

In the full report: all 32 events

All 32 events in its history (8 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 12

Firms connected to Specialist Broking Retail

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

connected firms: 12
share a director: 12

In the full report: all 12 connected firms, named

How each is linked: shared directors (12)
Who links each one: the named directors, with dates

Firms like Specialist Broking Retail

Other firms of the same type (insurance broker), nearest first.

In Eastleigh

Aviva Health UK LimitedEastleighAuthorised HGI (UK) LimitedEastleighAuthorised Specialist Insurance Solutions LimitedEastleighAuthorised Goldwood Health LtdEastleighAppointed representative Moore Barlow LLPEastleighAppointed representative Penny & Wells LimitedEastleighAppointed 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 Specialist Broking Retail

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

48 other companies its directors have run, named
3 background checks on its contact details
All 32 events in its history
12 connected firms, named, and who links them

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Specialist Broking Retail Limited FCA authorised?

Yes, Specialist Broking Retail Limited (FRN 927512) is authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated activities. It has held its current authorisation since December 2020 and works as an insurance broker. The FCA has placed a limit on what it may do.

What is Specialist Broking Retail’s phone number and website?

The FCA register lists the phone number 0344 776 5305 and the website businesschoicedirect.co.uk for Specialist Broking Retail. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is Specialist Broking Retail a scam or clone?

Specialist Broking Retail 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 Specialist Broking Retail?

It is permitted to hold and control client money, which it must keep separate from its own. It depends on the product, but eligible claims may be protected by the FSCS. You can also refer complaints about Specialist Broking Retail to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.

Who owns Specialist Broking Retail?

Specialist Broking Retail is owned by Lloyd & Whyte Group Limited, which holds 75–100% of shares, 75–100% of votes and can appoint and remove the board, since 13 January 2020. Before that, it was controlled by Somerset Bridge Insurance Services Limited.

Who runs Specialist Broking Retail?

Companies House lists 4 directors of Specialist Broking Retail: Anthony Coates, Matthew Mervyn Pyke, Stephen Astley and David Robert Moore.

How long has Specialist Broking Retail been in business?

The company was formed on 28 July 2016, and has held its current FCA authorisation since December 2020.

Does Specialist Broking Retail use any other names?

It trades as Business Choice Direct Insurance Services, Cornish Insurance Services, Direct Corporate Risks, Direct Insurance Corporate Risks and RHA Insurance Scotland, and 3 more names. It has previously used 2 other names: Business Choice Direct Insurance Services Limited and www.wasteinsure.co.uk.