Fintel, the UK provider of software, data and support services for retail financial services, has acquired Mortgage Brain Holdings, a move that pushes the company deeper into the mortgage market and challenges the legacy systems many advisers still depend on.

The deal adds to Fintel’s Software & Data division and gives the group a foothold in mortgage advice, which is among the biggest financial decisions consumers face. Fintel describes the purchase as a major advance in its long-term ambition to build the infrastructure underpinning retail financial services.

As part of the transaction, Mortgage Brain chief executive Zahid Bilgrami will stay at the helm of the business and also become CEO of Fintel’s Software & Data division. In this expanded position he will once again oversee Defaqto, which he previously led for 11 years. Fintel has committed to substantial ongoing investment in Mortgage Brain’s technology, including accelerated work on AI solutions.

Fintel argues that advisers increasingly work across wealth, mortgages and protection, yet many still use fragmented, outdated applications. These disconnected tools force staff to enter the same data repeatedly and add operational complexity.

The group’s view is that advice will increasingly run on specialist applications that integrate smoothly with one another, cutting administrative work and freeing advisers to focus on clients.

The acquisition sits alongside Fintel’s 49% holding in Plannr, a cloud-native CRM platform built for financial planners. Mortgage Brain carries that approach into mortgages, helping Fintel serve the expanding group of advisers who offer several advice disciplines to the same client.

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