The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a consultation paper CP24/25to propose changes to the way it will raise regulatory fees and collect levies payable to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) from the 2025/26 financial year. The consultation outlines proposed changes to the FEES Manual (including FEES 5 for the FOS and FEES 6 for the FSCS), as well as fees policy updates. Responses are sought by 24 January 2025. Following the consultation paper, the FCA plans to consider feedback and publish any resultant rule changes by the FCA Board in its March 2025 Handbook Notice.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published consultation paper ‘CP26/20, Adapting our rules for a changing market: self-invested personal pensions’, proposing new rules for self-invested personal pension (SIPP) firms to strengthen consumer protection and support sustainable growth in the SIPP market. The proposals would introduce due diligence requirements to reduce the risk of scams and fraud, as well as a new Pension Scheme Money and Assets (PSM&A) regime to ensure firms protect and accurately record pension scheme money and assets where unauthorised trustees are used. The FCA says the changes are intended to raise standards consistently across the market, protect consumers and support confidence in SIPPs. The consultation closes on 24 August 2026.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published consultation paper CP26/10: Simplifying the pensions and investment advice rules, seeking to make it easier for firms to give more simplified forms of advice to consumers. The FCA wants to remove barriers to innovation from its advice rules and promote competition in the market, while maintaining consumer protection. Responses are sought by 22 May 2026.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and HM Treasury have announced publication of the FCA’s consultation paper CP24/27 setting out high-level proposals for a regime of targeted support with pensions decision-making, as part of the joint government and FCA Advice Guidance Boundary Review (AGBR). Feedback is sought by 13 February 2025. At the same time, the FCA has published discussion paper DP24/3 which seeks feedback on whether and what further changes might be needed to aspects of the FCA's pensions regulatory framework to better support customers. Feedback is sought by 27 February 2024.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance consultation GC24/1: Proposed amendments to FG21/4—Guidance for insolvency practitioners on how to approach regulated firms. The FCA is proposing amendments to reflect legal, regulatory and economic changes and to improve clarity and provide further information on certain aspects of the guidance. Responses are sought by 30 April 2024, with the FCA aiming to publish the finalised amended guidance later in 2024.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published consultation paper CP26/19: Changes to our penalty and decision-making policies. The FCA says it wants to update the Decision Procedure and Penalties Manual (DEPP) to keep its policy current and consistent with how the regulator works in practice. It says the changes will improve transparency and consistency and help it act faster, deter misconduct and maintain confidence in UK markets. Responses are sought by 10 August 2026.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced proposed rule changes to strengthen safeguarding practices for payments and e-money firms. CP24/20: Changes to the safeguarding regime for payments and e-money firms sets out new rules which aim to better protect customers in the event of business failure, ensuring swift return of funds. This move addresses growing concerns over poor safeguarding practices in the rapidly expanding payments and e-money sector. Responses are sought by 14 December 2024.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced changes to its supervisory communications to make it easier for firms to find up-to-date information on its website. As part of its Consumer Duty requirements review, the FCA is simplifying its multi-firm and thematic reviews and labelling those published before 2022—accounting for around 80% of the total—as ‘historical’. Historical documents will remain publicly accessible via existing links. The FCA notes that it will continue to publish multi-firm and thematic reviews and intends to publish a small number of market reports instead of Dear CEO or portfolio letters. These reports will provide firm-type specific information and insights drawn from supervisory work. In the meantime, firms should continue to rely on relevant supervisory communications for guidance. The FCA will continue to review its approach to other historical publications.

Law360, Expert analysis: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s consultation on applying its handbook to regulated cryptoasset activities was published on 17 September 2025. According to the analysis, with contributions from Michelle Kirschner, partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, the proposals indicate the FCA is moving toward implementing more stringent oversight measures for companies operating in the cryptocurrency sector. The consultation represents a significant development in the FCA's approach to crypto regulation, as it seeks to bring digital asset activities under its established regulatory framework

Scope of this Practice Note This Practice Note outlines the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) custody rules found in the Client Assets sourcebook (CASS), which forms part of the FCA Handbook, with which regulated firms must comply when they are safeguarding and administering investments. The rules apply to custody assets, which include safe custody investments (which are designated investments which a firm receives or holds on behalf of a client), and any other assets that are held in the same portfolio as safe custody investments for the same client. What do the FCA custody rules cover? The custody rules contained in chapter 6 of the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Client Assets sourcebook (CASS) provide details on what a firm must do when it carries on the regulated activity of safeguarding and administering investments. See Practice Note: Safeguarding and administering investments for more information on this activity. The rules apply to custody assets, which include safe custody investments (which are designated investments which a firm receives or holds on behalf of a client), and any other assets that are

Background to the FCA’s client money requirements in relation to debt management firms In December 2012, the Financial Services Act 2012 (FSA 2012) received royal assent and enabled the transfer of consumer credit regulation from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The government published a consultation on 6 March 2013 which set out the detail underpinning the new regulatory framework for consumer credit under the FCA. As a result, the Financial Services Act 2012 (Consumer Credit) Order 2013 (FSA (CC) Order 2013) was made on 25 July 2013 and largely came into force on 1 April 2014. In March 2013, whilst developing policies for consumer credit, the FCA’s predecessor, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), published a consultation paper (the March 2013 consultation) in which it examined the stages in the lifecycle for consumers using consumer credit. They found debt management to be a higher-risk activity. The illustration below describes the firm-level risks that can arise at various stages in the product cycle. Initially

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a decision notice to Crispin Odey of Odey Asset Management LLP (OAM). The FCA has decided to impose a fine of £1.8m on Mr Odey pursuant to section 66 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA 2000) and ban him from the UK financial services industry due to a lack of integrity pursuant to section 56 FSMA 2000. The FCA considers that Mr Odey deliberately sought to frustrate OAM's disciplinary processes into his conduct to protect his own interests. Mr Odey has referred the decision notice to the Upper Tribunal, where he and the FCA will present their cases. The findings in the decision notice are therefore provisional and reflect the FCA's belief regarding what occurred and how it considers Mr Odey's behaviour should be characterised. OAM is currently winding down and is no longer authorised by the FCA.