HLPartnership (HLP) has expanded its lender panel with the addition of Handelsbanken to increase the options available to its adviser network, particularly for clients with complex or non-standard borrowing requirements.

Handelsbanken is a Nordic financial institution offering services spanning private banking, corporate banking, loans, savings products, and pensions.

The network says that with the broadening of its lender panel, advisers will have scope to match clients with lending solutions that align with their individual circumstances.

Handelsbanken’s UK operation is structured around a decentralised model, with local branch teams given autonomy over lending decisions.

This setup allows advisers to communicate directly with decision makers, enabling case-by-case assessment while maintaining established standards for credit and affordability.

HLP propositions director Matt Brown said: “Our role as a network is to provide advisers with the resources, relationships and flexibility they need to deliver consistently good outcomes for their clients. Handelsbanken’s approach complements that objective perfectly.

“Their focus on individual case assessment and local decision-making gives advisers an additional route to support clients whose circumstances may not fit a standard profile, while ensuring appropriate, responsible lending.” 

The inclusion of Handelsbanken forms part of HLP’s wider approach to diversify its lender panel by including specialist, mainstream and relationship-based providers.  

The intention is to enable members to address a range of borrower needs and to adapt to market developments while maintaining consistent advice quality and compliance procedures.

HLP said it continues to support advisers in meeting the four Consumer Duty outcomes: price and value, products and services, consumer understanding and support.

Handelsbanken intermediary business national head Steve Macdonald said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with HLPartnership and making our broad mortgage offering available to their advisers.

“As a bank, we focus on long-term relationships and all banking decisions are made in-branch by local experts – this means we can support a whole range of clients, whatever their individual needs. We believe that taking the time to understand every customer individually, coupled with the flexibility of our fully-decentralised model, means we can offer the right product each time.”