PCN Financial advisers
A referral network for financial advisers, with one firm in each postcode area
The Professional Connections Network (PCN) connects one financial adviser in each UK postcode area with one accountant, estate agent, mortgage broker and solicitor. They refer clients with money to plan for, such as an inheritance, a pension or a business sale. You refer clients who need a will, a tax return, a mortgage or a sale.
Run by Independent Check Ltd, in business since 2012. Who we are
OpenTaken116 of 121 areas open for financial advisers
Tap an area to check it. The boxes enlarge London and Manchester.
116 of 121 postcode areas are open for financial advisers. Taken: B, CV, OX, TN, KT.
Which clients do financial advisers send and receive?
These are the referrals that most often pass between a financial adviser and the other four professions. Which ones you see depends on your clients and on who holds your area.
You refer
- Accountants
Clients whose pension income or investment gains need reporting through self-assessment.
- Estate agents
Clients who decide to downsize, or to sell a property to fund retirement or care.
- Mortgage brokers
Clients moving home, remortgaging or helping a child with a deposit.
- Solicitors
Clients without an up-to-date will or lasting powers of attorney, and estates that need probate.
You receive
- Accountants
Business owners selling up, and directors asking about pensions paid through the company.
- Estate agents
Sellers releasing equity or downsizing, with a lump sum to plan for.
- Mortgage brokers
Clients with pension, investment or retirement questions the broker doesn't advise on.
- Solicitors
Beneficiaries of an estate, and people receiving money from a divorce settlement.
Why would a financial adviser join PCN?
Many advice clients arrive after a life event that another professional sees first: a death, a divorce, a business sale or a house move. PCN puts you in touch with one firm from each of the four professions most likely to see those moments in your postcode area.
When a solicitor, accountant, agent or broker in your area has a client with money to plan for, the referral comes to you. No other advice firm in PCN can hold your area.
In return, a client who needs a will, a tax return, a mortgage or a sale has a named local firm to go to.
Who you’d work with
- Accountants→
Refer pension, legal and mortgage questions. Receive estates, landlords and new companies.
- Estate agents→
Refer buyers, sellers and landlords. Receive probate sales and downsizers.
- Mortgage brokers→
Refer conveyancing and planning. Receive buyers and self-employed applicants.
- Solicitors→
Refer estate property, accounts and beneficiaries. Receive conveyancing, wills and company work.
What a referral from a financial adviser looks like
A referral starts as a short summary with no names or contact details. The other firm accepts or declines on that alone, so say what the client needs and by when.
To a solicitor
Couple in their sixties with wills written 20 years ago and no lasting powers of attorney. They plan to start drawing pensions next year.
To an accountant
Client starting to take pension income alongside a part-time salary. Wants to know how much tax will come off in the first year.
To a mortgage broker
Client inheriting about £60,000 who wants to use it as a deposit. Needs to know what they could borrow before viewing homes.
Before you send, check the summary
- It says what the client needs and when they need it.
- It includes anything that saves the other firm a question, such as the type of income or the property involved.
- It leaves out names, emails, phone numbers, full postcodes and dates of birth. PCN holds the referral back until they’re removed.
- You’ve ticked to confirm the client agreed to be referred.
Examples only, written to show the format. They are not real clients.
Where do financial advisers fit in a client’s referrals?
Four everyday client situations. Your profession is marked, and each arc is one referral between two firms in the same postcode area.
- 1Estate agent → mortgage broker
The buyer needs a mortgage agreed before the sale can go ahead.
- 2Estate agent → solicitor
Buyer and seller each need a solicitor for the conveyancing.
- 3Estate agent → accountant
The seller is a landlord. Capital gains tax on a residential sale has to be reported to HMRC within 60 days.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Financial adviser → solicitor
Planning for retirement often starts with an up-to-date will and lasting powers of attorney.
- 2Financial adviser → accountant
Taking pension income changes the client’s tax position.
- 3Financial adviser → estate agent
The client decides to downsize and sell the family home.
- 4Estate agent → mortgage broker
The next home needs a later-life mortgage.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Accountant → solicitor
A new company needs articles, a shareholders’ agreement and contracts.
- 2Accountant → financial adviser
Directors ask about pensions paid through the company, and cover if one of them falls ill.
- 3Accountant → mortgage broker
Self-employed income needs a broker who knows how lenders read company accounts.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
- 1Solicitor → accountant
The estate needs a final tax return for the person who died.
- 2Solicitor → estate agent
The family home is valued and put up for sale.
- 3Solicitor → financial adviser
Beneficiaries want advice on what to do with what they inherit.
- 4Financial adviser → mortgage broker
One beneficiary uses an inheritance as a deposit and needs a mortgage.
Examples only. Which referrals happen depends on the client, and on which firms hold your postcode area.
Inducements and client consent
PCN doesn't pay or charge anything per referral. If you agree any fee or benefit with another firm, check it against the FCA's inducement rules in COBS 2.3 and 2.3A. They limit what an adviser can accept from third parties. Every PCN referral also records that the client agreed to be passed on.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check your regulator’s current rules before you agree any fee with another firm.
Questions financial advisers ask
Anything else, call the Independent Check team on 0800 246 1094.
All questions→Does PCN promise a number of referrals?+
No. Referrals depend on which firms hold your area and on their clients. PCN gives you the area and the route; it doesn't promise a volume of work.
Can I still refer clients to firms outside PCN?+
Yes. You choose who to refer each client to. PCN only routes the referrals you send through it.
What do I see before I accept a referral?+
A summary of what the client needs and their postcode area, with no names or contact details. If you don't answer within 2 working days, PCN reminds you. After 5, the referral goes back to the sender.
Hold your postcode area for financial advisers
Membership is free. PCN charges nothing to join and takes nothing from referrals.
- 1Check your area
See whether it’s open for financial advisers.
- 2Create your profile
Your firm’s details. It takes about five minutes, and the area is held for 48 hours while you do it.
- 3Send and receive referrals
Start as soon as other professions in your area join. Until then, no other financial adviser can take your area.