The Media Centre gives you press and media information for Mint Group.

Corporate overview:

Mint is a profitable and dynamic network of Independent Financial and Mortgage Advisers regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

We started from very humble beginnings but we have a clear strategic focus and infra structural platform to remain a significant player within our sub sector of the UK retail Financial Services Industry. Our foundational plan was to grow our membership base to 250 Registered Individuals and Appointed Representatives by November 2007. Membership currently stands at over 240 and growing at a phenomenal rate which is an effective demonstration of the success of our business model as well as our ability to take advantage of market opportunities. We are nimble enough to take advantage of the positive trends which are emerging within our market place!

Our revised strategic plan now focuses on the growth of our membership base to 400 adviser members strong.

Mission statement:

Our mission is to deliver a transparent technology driven and value-added one-stop IF/MA network to experienced Financial Services and Mortgage Advisers and practitioners. Our members would regard us as professionals, whose aim is to provide bespoke and trusted integrated business support to their businesses.

We will aim to deliver our commitment by offering a no nonsense opportunity for enterprise, transparency of market place information and freedom to our members to run their own businesses through the independent route. We also have the congruent belief that our members can enjoy prosperity and profitability for their businesses with us working alongside them.

Vision:

We started with the vision that quality Independent Financial and Mortgage Advisers needs the freedom of enterprise to run their own businesses without the constraints of bureaucracy and corporate dictums. The important variation from this commitment are that those businesses are run to high standards of Compliance and Ethical values, both of which are paramount given the regulatory framework within which we work. Furthermore the end product of their activities must be that all of their actions must be delivered in the best interest of their clients.

Achieving our mission requires great people who are committed, creative, and energetic, and who share the following values:

Integrity and honesty.
Passion for customers, colleagues, and technology.
Open and respectful to others and dedicated to making them better.
Willingness to learn to do things better and differently.
Self critical, questioning, and committed to personal excellence and self improvement.
Accountable for actions and results.

Membership & Employee policy

Member profile:

Above all, Mint values people with a positive attitude towards customers, themselves and other members, and who strive towards delivering the highest standards of quality of advice and service which our clients want and deserve.

Employees:

Mint employs some of the best and most ambitious people to run and support its business.

The Company is an equal opportunity employer. Mint's commitment to equal opportunity extends beyond race, gender, ethnic origin, marital status, colour, nationality or disability, to encompass people with very different backgrounds and experience.

What do we offer our members?

A Business tool which uses bespoke technology architecture to deliver first class integrated back office support.
21st century point of sale and e-commerce technology.
A paperless office administrative platform.
A differentiated approach where technology and human interface combine to provide a perfect marriage of old and new approaches to art of Customer Relationship Management.
A commitment to the fact that we are in a People business and that technology should not entirely replace the human interface.
Mint provides its members with the technology platform to conduct their business. We provide business hardware and a full range of back office administrative solutions including bespoke and all encompassing Electronic Fact Find, Centralised administration, real time business tracking, marketing and brand development support, and access to a holistic approach to financial planning.
Competitive charging structure which is simple and transparent. Members are charged straight-forward sliding scale percentage retention on gross turnover, without any other hidden charges.
Quality training and development support.
All members have the opportunity to own a percentage stake in the company as a commitment to our belief in an equitable business relationship - where members also enjoy and share in the success of the host company.

The management team:

Mint was created through the combined vision of the joint founders and directors whose details are provided below:

Paul Gains - Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Paul is a co-founder of Mint and has enjoyed over 20 years service within the Financial Services Industry and has held senior sales management positions with Liverpool Victoria and Allied Dunbar. He is also the Managing Director of Highlife Financial Services Limited and, until 2002, a leading Area Recruitment Co-ordinator for Positive Solutions Financial Services Limited.

Paul lives in South Yorkshire, married with 3 children and is keen on music of all types and keeping fit.

Stephen Atwell - Operations Director

Stephen has been in financial services since 1980 when he started out as a representative of Pearl Assurance. He progressed to Sales Management, managing a team of financial advisers. In 2000 he set up his own Independent Financial Adviser Firm as he felt that independence is the correct option for his clients.  

Stephen has many years in management and was promoted to the board of directors of Mint Financial Services in September 2006 after successful period in senior management.  

Stephen still runs a successful practice as an IFA with his wife Linda.  Stephen and Linda have two sons Rhys, a policeman and Owen, a Royal Marine Commando who’s goal is to join the practice.

Stephen enjoys holidays abroad, SCUBA diving and riding his Honda Fire-blade motorbike.

Steve Chadwick - Compliance Director

Steve is a Chartered Financial Planner and prides himself on his extremely pragmatic approach to compliance which combines a detailed understanding of the requirements of the FSA and of the day to day challenges faced by advisers.

Steve has extensive high level compliance experience and was a founding director of HST Financial Services, Compliance Director of Sage Financial Services Ltd and previously held senior management positions within IFA Network Ltd.

Steve is married with three young children and enjoys nothing more than spending time with them.

Trevor Newham ACII – Director

Trevor has a wealth of Financial Services industry experience, embracing many key areas. He has specific Network experience matched by very few, having spent some thirteen years in the Network arena. In addition, Trevor has assisted with the expansion of many IFA businesses.

Trevor is also currently the Managing Director of IFA Mentor Limited - a provider of bespoke support services to the IFA community. He was formerly the Managing Director of HST Financial Services/Sage Network and was previously a founding Director of IFA Network which was later sold to Misys PLC and integrated into what is now known as Sesame.

Trevor is married with children and enjoys living a healthy lifestyle.

Help for journalists

Mint believes in the potential value of editorial coverage. As a result, the Directors are willing to meet or have value-added discussions with journalists and provide features and / or articles that are pertinent either to the business of Mint or to issues relating to the macro aspects of our business.

Members of our board of Directors are available to provide answers to any polite request. Please email your initial enquiries to

Logos

Press releases

29th October 2003 - Mints 1/2 page advert from the Financial Adviser (157kb - Jpg)

26th September 2003 - Write up from the Financial Adviser Paper (125kb - Jpg)

27th May 2004 - Financial Adviser - Mint announces the arrival of Trevor Newham (373kb - jpg)

1st February 2005 - Money Mangement - Mint and M-Day - (204kb - Jpg)

24th August 2006 - Financial Adviser - Mint makes a Mint (56kb - Jpg)

20th September 2006 - Mortgage Introducer.com - Mint Signs up GMAC-RFC (143kb - PDF)

More to come soon !!