10 March 2021

The SimplyBiz Group rebrands to Fintel to inspire better outcomes for UK retail financial services

  • The rebrand harnesses the power of the established businesses within Fintel, including SimplyBiz and Defaqto.
  • Fintel connects and enables product providers, intermediaries and consumers through its technology, expertise and insights to help retail financial services operate more effectively.

The SimplyBiz Group, the UK’s leading fintech and support services business, today announces that it has rebranded to Fintel.

The new brand reflects the Group’s drive towards digitisation – putting people, technology and insights at the heart of the business – and its focus to lead the industry in the provision of digital, data led and expert services to help it evolve to its greatest potential.

Fintel has been created to harness the combined strength and reach of the established businesses within it, including SimplyBiz, the UK’s largest provider of intermediary business support and Defaqto, the UK’s leading research, ratings and fintech business.
For nearly two decades, the Group has been the UK’s leading support service business in retail financial services. It provides technology, compliance and regulatory support to thousands of intermediary businesses as well as data and targeted distribution services to more than 400 product providers, whilst empowering over one million consumers to make better informed financial decisions.

The launch of Fintel represents the Group’s expanding role to help product providers, intermediaries and consumers navigate the increasingly complex world of retail financial services. With over 30,000 products to choose from, spanning home, motor and travel insurance, current accounts, credit cards, life and protection policies, wealth planning and pensions, Fintel responds to a growing need for clarity. It supports intermediaries and consumers in making well-informed decisions, and assists product providers in identifying, developing and distributing the right products to meet consumer needs.

Fintel helps product providers to build better products through its market insights and analysis, product design, and product research and comparison tools. It enables intermediaries to serve more clients, more effectively, with its product research and comparison database, financial planning and advice workflow software, and compliance, business and regulatory support. Through Defaqto, Fintel empowers consumers to make better informed choices, providing product education and comparison tools, product reviews and expert ratings.

Fintel will publish its Full Year Results statement on Tuesday 16 March 2021. For more information about Fintel, please visit the website: www.wearefintel.com.

Ken Davy, Chairman of Fintel, commented:

“For two decades, The SimplyBiz Group has been the UK’s leading support services business to financial intermediaries. We have helped our customers operate compliant and successful businesses and worked with them to stay ahead of the curve as the market has rapidly evolved as a result of new regulations and increased digitisation.

“Throughout this period, we have been resolutely future-focused and expanded our reach across retail financial services through organic growth and acquisitions. In 2019, we acquired Defaqto and have recently set out an ambitious digital growth strategy for the medium term. The time is now right to evolve our Group brand into Fintel and harness our knowledge, influence and excellence to help the market and our clients operate more effectively and inspire better outcomes for all.”

Matt Timmins and Neil Stevens, Joint CEOs of Fintel, added:

“In a new era of financial services, fuelled by heightened regulatory scrutiny and increasing digital adoption, we have evolved to become Fintel. As we accelerate our reach with a digitised offering, we will continue to work in the best interests of the market to connect and enable product providers, intermediaries and consumers. We are committed to offering market-leading technology, expertise and insights, underpinned by a drive to simply and improve retail financial services.

“The established brands within Fintel combine the UK’s largest provider of support services to financial intermediaries with the UK’s leading financial information, ratings and fintech business. It is our ambition to give the market the insights, interconnectivity and support it needs to adapt and evolve to its greatest potential.”

More From the Newsroom

"We are trying to complete a connected platform for the intermediary market, giving advisers everything they need to do their job. A big part of that has been internal development and acquiring the talent, systems and capabilities through acquisition (...).

That combination of delivering what we said we would do in the market financially, putting our capital to work and acquiring great businesses has resulted in a really good period for us."

Matt Timmins, Joint CEO

“Our new distribution agreement with Mortgage Brain will enable our members to access Mortgage Brain’s leading mortgage sourcing and submission software as part of our integrated platform. 

Our investment in Mortgage Brain will provide a significant cash injection to continue Mortgage Brain’s product transformation, bringing its solutions to the cutting edge of the industry and providing even greater efficiency to its customers, including Fintel’s members.”

Neil Stevens, Joint CEO

“There’s no other solution like ifaDASH currently available, and there’s a clear and genuine gap for it in the sector. The increased visibility and transparency ifaDASH offers to a heavily regulated market will prove immensely valuable for advisers, particularly since the implementation of the Consumer Duty. 

Offering advisers more streamlined efficiency and less admin and risk aligns perfectly with our objectives to deliver better financial outcomes to more consumers, and we’re excited about ifaDASH’s next steps as part of Fintel.”

Neil Stevens, Joint CEO