Following its assessment of key harms and drivers of harm caused by appointed representatives (ARs) and introducer appointed representatives (IARs) who undertake credit broking, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published examples of good practice and areas for improvements for principal firms. The FCA says all principal firms who have ARs should consider these findings and address any gaps during their initial and ongoing monitoring of Ars, and that it will act where we identify firms that do not have adequate oversight of their ARs.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its guidance on the application of complex financial history and significant financial commitment rules under Article 18 of the UK version of Regulation (EU) 2019/980, as retained under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. This guidance is intended to assist issuers and their advisers in interpreting the UK Listing Rules, Prospectus Regulation Rules, and Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules when preparing a prospectus for equity securities. Issuers are advised to engage with the FCA early in the listing process to discuss judgments about the adequacy of their financial disclosures, particularly where acquisitions or binding agreements may materially affect the issuer’s business. The FCA assesses whether a complex financial history exists based on the accuracy and completeness of the issuer’s financial information, the size and timing of acquisitions, and their relevance to the issuer’s business strategy.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance on good and poor practice for using labels under the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) regime. The guidance, published on 27 February 2026, provides examples for each of the four sustainability labels: Sustainability Focus, Sustainability Improvers, Sustainability Impact, and Sustainability Mixed Goals. The examples are based on findings from the fund authorisations process for updating pre-contractual disclosures and engagement with industry stakeholders since firms became able to use sustainability labels in July 2024. The guidance is intended to help firms prepare pre-contractual disclosures and references rules in the Environmental, Social and Governance sourcebook (ESG) 4.2 and ESG 5.3, as well as the anti-greenwashing rule and guidance (FG24/3). The FCA noted that applications to update pre-contractual disclosures have improved as firms have become more familiar with the requirements and the number of labels on the market has increased, though it has not always been clear whether firms meet the labelling requirements or whether disclosures accurately reflect fund investments.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance outlining how to report suspected sanctions evasion, establishing three reporting channels for submitting information about firms listed on the Financial Services Register or companies with UK listed securities. The guidance specifies that confidential reports concerning current or previous employers should be directed to the FCA's Whistleblowing team, while authorised firms reporting issues within their own firm without requiring anonymity should follow Sup 15 procedures. Firms or professionals with information about potential or actual sanctions evasion by other firms or individuals should use the FCA's reporting form for wrongdoing or misconduct. The FCA seeks information on inadequate sanctions controls, suspected or actual breaches of the sanctions regime and methods used to circumvent sanctions requirements. The guidance also clarifies that reporting to the FCA does not replace statutory legal requirements under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 or the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. Firms operating in sectors overseen by other regulators are advised to notify their relevant supervisory authority in addition to the FCA.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance for the use of its Investment Advice Assessment Tool (IAAT), which is designed to assist assessors in evaluating whether investment advice provided to retail clients complies with regulatory requirements. The guidance outlines a structured process for completing the IAAT template, covering areas such as information gathering, suitability of advice, treatment of insistent clients, disclosure obligations, and adherence to Consumer Duty standards. The tool is intended for internal use and supports assessments based on relevant FCA rules, including those in the Conduct of Business Sourcebook (COBS) and PRIN 2A, with the aim of ensuring consistent and thorough evaluation of investment advice practices.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a webpage for firms affected by its review into the historical use of discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) in the motor finance industry. The FCA is using its powers under s166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to review sales of historical motor finance commission arrangements across several firms, and as part of this, has introduced new rules that came into force on 11 January 2024. Firms affected by these changes must ensure they comply with the rules in Appendix 5 of the Dispute Resolution: Complaints Sourcebook (DISP App 5) that are relevant to their business.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a webpage providing information on the Payment Services Regulations 2017, SI 2017/752 (PSRs 2017) and in particular the commercial agent exclusion.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has updated its ‘Skilled person reviews’ webpage by adding information on the number of skilled persons reports commissioned in 2024/25 Q1 (1 April – 30 June 2024).

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its review into the handling of internal whistleblowing communications by its chair, Ashley Adler. The review includes recommendations and actions relating to the FCA’s internal whistleblowing policy which the FCA’s whistleblowing champion and chair have accepted in full. A revised policy will be published shortly.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a webpage containing its insights, observations and key lessons from how firms responded to the CrowdStrike outage and their preparedness to respond to future incidents.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a letter from its chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, in response to a request from the chair of the Treasury Committee, Dame Meg Hillier MP, for updates following a recent evidence session. In the correspondence dated 30 June 2025, the FCA confirmed that it will announce within six weeks of the Supreme Court’s judgment whether it is proposing to introduce a redress scheme for motor finance. If so, the FCA will then set out timings for when it would issue a formal consultation. This would include detailed proposals for how a redress scheme would work in practice, alongside draft rules and proposed implementation timings. The FCA also addressed its work under the Consumer Duty, which requires firms to monitor whether particular groups of customers are experiencing different outcomes and to take action where appropriate if disparities are identified. This includes efforts to improve outcomes for consumers in vulnerable circumstances.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a letter, of 7 March 2025, from its Chief Executive ,Nikhil Rathi, to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds MP, relating to the FCA’s Mortgage Rule Review. The FCA confirms its support for the Government’s commitment to helping people own their own home and wants to ensure regulation supports sustainable home ownership. The FCA has also separately announced a series of steps to improve access to mortgages and support home ownership. These steps include reminding lenders of the flexibility in its rules to help more people access mortgages, especially as current interest rate stress testing may be overly restrictive. The FCA plans to launch a call for evidence on stress testing approaches, followed by a consultation in May 2025 to simplify mortgage rules and consult on retiring outdated regulatory guidance, making it easier for consumers to remortgage, reduce their mortgage term, and discuss options outside regulated advice. The FCA also expects to launch a public discussion in June 2025 on the future of the mortgage market and plans to work with relevant experts to explore how smart data can enhance mortgage products and services.