Insurance intermediaries operating under the FCA's Client Assets Sourcebook (CASS) face increasingly complex regulatory expectations. For firms subject to CASS 5 requirements, independent audits play an important role in demonstrating compliance, strengthening oversight and maintaining confidence in client money arrangements.
Manchester is home to a broad mix of audit and advisory firms, ranging from international networks to specialist practices with expertise in financial services regulation. While some providers focus on external audit and assurance, others offer wider support across governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.
This guide highlights a selection of companies providing CASS 5 audit services in Manchester. Rather than ranking providers, the aim is to offer practical context, outlining who these firms are, the types of organisations they typically support, and the areas where they are most active. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, many firms seek advisers whose expertise extends beyond compliance alone and into broader governance and risk oversight.
Acumon
Acumon is a UK firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors providing CASS 5 audit services to firms and organisations across Manchester and the wider UK market.
The firm works with regulated businesses ranging from insurance intermediaries and brokers through to larger corporate groups operating within FCA-regulated environments. CASS 5 audit engagements are designed to support compliance with client money rules, strengthen internal controls and provide assurance over regulatory obligations.
Acumon provides CASS 5 audit support across a range of regulatory and reporting requirements, including client money reviews, control testing, compliance assessments and reporting under the FCA Client Assets Sourcebook (CASS). Services are delivered using a structured risk-based approach tailored to the scale, complexity and operating environment of each regulated entity.
Acumon holds a Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence, enabling the firm to support organisations subject to enhanced regulatory oversight in the United Kingdom. Alongside its UK statutory audit registration, the firm also maintains audit licences in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Jersey and Isle of Man, supporting organisations operating across international structures and reporting environments.
Regulated firms managing client money often face evolving compliance requirements involving governance arrangements, control frameworks and regulatory oversight. Acumon works with finance teams, compliance functions and senior management to support reporting accuracy, effective controls and ongoing compliance with FCA expectations.
CASS 5 Audit Capabilities
Acumon supports CASS 5 audit engagements for regulated firms operating within a variety of compliance and reporting environments.
These include:
insurance intermediaries and brokers
FCA-regulated firms handling client money
organisations subject to CASS 5 requirements
multi-entity and group structures
businesses with cross-border operations
regulated entities with complex control frameworks
CASS 5 engagements are delivered by senior professionals who maintain oversight throughout the assessment and reporting process.
Regulatory Licences and Registrations
Acumon maintains regulatory registrations and audit authorisations that support organisations operating across UK and international markets.
These include:
UK statutory audit registration
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audit licence
Jersey audit licence
Isle of Man audit licence
Cayman Islands audit licence
British Virgin Islands audit licence
These registrations enable the firm to support regulated businesses with domestic operations as well as international group structures.
Core Services
In addition to CASS 5 audit services, Acumon provides a broader range of services supporting governance, compliance and financial reporting.
These include:
statutory external audit
CASS 5 audits and client money reviews
regulatory compliance assessments
group and subsidiary audits
Public Interest Entity (PIE) audits
charity and not-for-profit audit
internal audit and governance reviews
risk management and compliance support
CASS 5 engagements are frequently undertaken alongside reviews of governance arrangements, regulatory reporting obligations and the effectiveness of internal control environments.
As regulated organisations evolve, enter new markets or develop more complex operating models, compliance expectations and oversight requirements often become more extensive.
Acumon works with businesses that are:
managing client money obligations
preparing for FCA oversight
operating within corporate group structures
strengthening governance and control procedures
expanding regulated activities
Early engagement can help organisations enhance control frameworks, improve regulatory readiness and support ongoing compliance with FCA requirements.
Address: 1-2 Craven Road, Ealing, London, W5 2UA, UK
Phone: 020 8567 3451
Forvis Mazars
Forvis Mazars is an international audit, tax and advisory firm with a presence in Manchester and experience across a range of regulated sectors, including financial services and insurance. Their CASS and safeguarding practice supports firms that are subject to FCA client asset rules, covering both investment and insurance-related requirements. Given the increasing regulatory focus on governance and oversight, they provide assurance work for organisations that need to demonstrate compliance with client money regulations.
CASS 5 audits often involve more than testing reconciliations and records. Firms may need support in understanding how systems, controls and day-to-day processes fit within the FCA framework. Their approach combines assurance with reviews of risk areas, control environments and IT systems used to manage client money. This can be particularly relevant for insurance intermediaries operating in changing regulatory environments or managing complex operational structures.
Key Highlights:
Presence in Manchester and across the UK
Experience supporting financial services and insurance firms
CASS and safeguarding subject matter specialists
Knowledge of FCA client asset protection rules
Risk and control reviews linked to compliance requirements
Address: One St Peters Square, Manchester, M2 3DE, United Kingdom
Phone: +44(0) 161 238 9200
RSM UK
RSM UK provides audit, consulting and risk advisory services to financial services firms, including organisations with obligations under the FCA's Client Assets Sourcebook. Their work in this area covers client money and asset protection, with support extending to annual CASS audits, assurance reviews and operational controls. For firms operating under CASS 5, maintaining accurate arrangements around client money is often a key regulatory priority.
Financial services businesses can face challenges ranging from reporting requirements to the design of effective control frameworks. Their financial services risk and regulation team assists firms in assessing compliance, reviewing internal reporting and preparing documentation required under FCA rules. Engagements may be delivered as standalone reviews or as part of wider risk and governance programmes.
Key Highlights:
Manchester presence within a national network
Dedicated financial services risk and regulation team
PKF Littlejohn is an accounting and advisory firm with experience in financial services sectors such as insurance intermediaries, payment services and wealth management. Their published insights show a continued focus on FCA expectations around CASS 5, particularly in areas such as client money handling, third-party arrangements and governance over insurance broker accounts.
Regulatory developments can create practical questions for insurance intermediaries, especially where business models evolve or client money structures change. Their work in this space reflects an understanding of how CASS requirements apply in practice, including audit preparation and interpretation of FCA guidance. Firms seeking assurance over client money arrangements may look for support that connects regulatory rules with operational realities.
Menzies LLP provides audit and assurance services to businesses operating in regulated sectors, including financial services. Their published guidance on CASS 5 highlights the practical aspects of client money reconciliations for mortgage and general insurance firms, reflecting an understanding of the operational requirements set out by the FCA. For insurance intermediaries, maintaining accurate records and safeguarding client money remains a central part of regulatory compliance.
Client money calculations, reconciliations and documentation are often areas of focus during a CASS 5 audit. Their experience in audit and assurance allows firms to review whether processes align with regulatory expectations and whether client money resources are adequately supported. This can be particularly relevant for businesses managing statutory or non-statutory trust arrangements.
Key Highlights:
Experience in financial services and regulated sectors
Knowledge of CASS 5 client money requirements
Audit and assurance capabilities
Understanding of client money reconciliations
Support for FCA-regulated firms
UK office network including the South East
Services:
CASS 5 audits
Client money reconciliation reviews
Audit and assurance
Regulatory compliance assessments
Financial reporting support
Risk reviews
Statutory audit
Contact Information:
Website: www.menzies.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/menzies-llp
Instagram: www.instagram.com/menzies_llp
Address: One Express, 1 George Leigh Street, Manchester M4 5DL
Phone: +44 (0)333 091 0411
Saffery
Saffery operates across the UK as an accountancy and advisory firm with experience in regulated sectors, including financial services. Their offering for financial services firms includes CASS assurance, client money systems reviews and internal controls reporting, supporting organisations that need to meet FCA requirements around the protection of client assets. For insurance intermediaries subject to CASS 5, these areas are often closely linked to governance and regulatory oversight.
Managing client money arrangements requires more than periodic audit activity, particularly where firms handle changing business models or evolving regulatory expectations. Their work in this space covers both reasonable and limited assurance engagements, alongside reviews of systems and controls used to manage client money. This can help firms assess whether their processes remain aligned with regulatory requirements and operational needs.
Key Highlights:
Experience in financial services and regulated sectors
Provides CASS assurance services
Supports firms with client money systems reviews
Works with organisations subject to FCA requirements
Address: Trinity Court, 16 John Dalton Street, Manchester, M2 6HY
Phone: +44 (0)161 200 8383
Conclusion
Choosing a CASS 5 audit provider in Manchester often depends on several factors, including experience with insurance intermediaries, understanding of FCA requirements, and familiarity with client money arrangements. Firms may also consider the breadth of services available, particularly where CASS compliance forms part of wider governance, risk and regulatory frameworks.
The companies featured in this guide represent different approaches to CASS 5 audits and related assurance services. Some operate as large multidisciplinary firms with dedicated financial services teams, while others focus on specific areas of audit, compliance or regulatory support. The suitability of a provider will often depend on the nature of a firm's activities, the complexity of its control environment and its ongoing compliance needs.
The purpose of this guide is not to rank providers, but to offer practical context on the CASS 5 audit landscape in Manchester. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, many firms look for advisers who can support not only annual audit requirements, but also broader objectives around governance, oversight and the protection of client money.
AC
Written by the Acumon team
Acumon is an ICAEW-registered firm of chartered accountants and registered auditors
based in London, with offices in Pitstone, Aylesbury and Bournemouth. Need advice on
anything covered here? Talk to us.
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