Our Services
Specialist Staffing for Financial Services Firms
Merchantry provides specialist staffing support for financial services firms, including mortgage brokerages, insurance businesses, financial advisers and wealth management firms. Our service supports defined operational, administrative and specialist roles through screened professionals, structured onboarding and ongoing management. From our Isle of Man base, we work with firms across jurisdictions, with responsibilities agreed for each engagement.
Specialist Roles
Specialist roles supporting financial services operations
Merchantry supplies trained and managed professionals across defined operational, administrative and specialist functions. Each role is delivered within the agreed staffing arrangement, with the client firm directing the work and retaining its regulatory responsibilities.
Executive Assistants
Day-to-day administrative and coordination support for financial services teams — scheduling, document handling, case administration and communication management. Executive assistants work under the client firm's direction and supervision.
Paraplanners
Research and suitability report preparation that supports the authorised adviser's own review, judgement and sign-off. Paraplanning support assists the advisory process; it does not itself provide regulated advice, and regulated decisions remain with the appropriately authorised adviser.
Embedded Case Checkers
Case checking professionals placed within a client's staffing arrangement to review files as part of the firm's own processes. Embedded case checking is distinct from Merchantry's standalone Independent Case Checking service.
Compliance Officers
Operational compliance support — assisting with monitoring, record-keeping and defined compliance tasks. Operational compliance support does not transfer regulatory responsibility from the client firm, which retains its own regulatory obligations.
Financial Services Marketers
Marketing and communications support for regulated environments. Financial promotions and regulated marketing communications remain subject to applicable approval and oversight requirements determined by the client firm.
Merchantry professionals do not independently provide regulated advice. The client firm retains its regulatory responsibilities. The Specialist Staffing service is distinct from Merchantry’s standalone Independent Case Checking and Compliance Consultancy services.
From Requirements to Deployment
From requirements discussion to ongoing management
Each engagement follows a structured process. Professionals complete internal Merchantry Academy assessments before deployment; the client firm directs the work thereafter.
Requirements discussion
We begin by understanding the firm's operational needs, regulatory environment and the roles to be supported.
Screening and selection
Candidates are screened against the agreed role requirements and the firm's operating context.
Onboarding and Academy assessments
Selected professionals complete structured onboarding and internal Merchantry Academy assessments before deployment.
Deployment and ongoing management
Deployed professionals work under the client firm's direction, with Merchantry managing the ongoing contractor relationship.
The Merchantry Academy is an internal training and assessment process — not an external accreditation, independent certification or regulator endorsement. Deployment timelines depend on the role and the engagement.
Clear Responsibilities
How responsibilities are managed
Merchantry supports the staffing arrangement; the client firm keeps its regulatory accountability.
- Merchantry supports the screening, preparation and management of professionals under the agreed staffing arrangement.
- The client directs day-to-day work and retains responsibility for its own regulatory obligations, appropriate supervision, review of outputs and relevant approvals.
- The overall distribution of operational, contractual and regulatory professional responsibilities is defined in the engagement.
This service does not substitute responsibilities for regulated activities. Applicable UK FCA, Isle of Man or other regulator requirements and obligations should be considered for each engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about specialist staffing
