The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published Occasional Paper 65. The paper explains the results from research into whether a communication’s timing makes it more likely pension customers would engage with their pensions. The research used behavioural insights to create and test different email designs and subject lines to see what would encourage more engagement from customers.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has updated its Consumer Duty webpage to remind firms that their board, or the equivalent governing body, need to review and approve a report on the outcomes received by retail customers. This assessment needs to be done at least once a year, so for firms with new and existing products and services the first report is due by 31 July 2024.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a reminder for firms about the expected cessation of the remaining synthetic US dollar LIBOR settings after publication on 30 September 2024. In line with its April 2023 announcement and further to its recent decision, the FCA has required ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (IBA) to continue to publish the 1-, 3- and 6-month US dollar LIBOR settings in synthetic form until the end of September 2024. The FCA says it has ‘no intention to use its powers to compel IBA to continue to publish the settings beyond this date’.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has updated its webpage on applying to approve financial promotions for unauthorised persons, to note that as of 7 February 2024, firms need FCA permission (‘approver permission’) to approve financial promotions for unauthorised persons under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). That is unless an exemption applies or they applied for approver permission before 7 February 2024 and thereby benefit from a transitional regime.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has updated its coronavirus (Covid-19) webpage to remind firms of the new rules on holding general meetings of unitholders in a virtual or hybrid format.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has updated its webpage on the sustainability disclosure and labelling regime, with information for firms on how to notify the regulator about their use of an investment label for a fund. The webpage sets out the notification process along with details of how to apply to make associated changes to a fund’s name, investment objectives or policy.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the removal or reduction of a number of regulatory data returns as part of its Transforming Data Collection programme, aimed at making data reporting more proportionate and reducing unnecessary burdens. From 28 August 2025, around 36,000 firms will no longer need to submit a nil return for REP008  (Notification of Disciplinary Action relating to conduct rules staff – other than senior manager functions). The FCA also announced plans to decommission REP022 (General Insurance Pricing Attestation) and retail investment adviser complaints reporting and to reduce the frequency of reporting for REP009 (Consumer Buy-To-Let Mortgage Aggregated Data). These changes follow the removal of three other returns earlier in 2025.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has partially reopened its discussion paper: Regulation of commercial and bespoke insurance business to gather more feedback about the impact of the FCA’s proposals. Responses to the reopened questions are sought by 10 January 2025.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a comprehensive report examining the impact of its regulatory interventions on consumer wellbeing. Conducted by Oxford Economics, the study employs longitudinal data and robust econometric methods to monetise the potential benefits of FCA interventions. The report offers recommendations on applying the monetized wellbeing values in practice, including using low, central, and high scenarios. Overall, it provides valuable insights to inform the appraisal and evaluation of the FCA's interventions aimed at improving consumer financial wellbeing.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it blocked or removed over 1,600 websites in 2024 that were suspected of promoting unauthorised financial services, as part of its broader efforts to address financial crime. In its annual report, the FCA also noted that it worked with major technology platforms to remove more than 50 apps, intervened in nearly 20,000 non-compliant financial promotions, and cancelled over 1,500 firm authorisations. Additional measures included issuing 2,240 alerts about unauthorised firms and individuals, taking action against illegal financial promotions by social media influencers, and introducing new rules aimed at improving consumer outcomes, such as reforms to GAP insurance and access to cash. The report outlines how the FCA has used data and technology to identify and respond to risks earlier and at greater scale, as part of its strategy to support a well-functioning financial services market.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a letter outlining developments in the sustainability-linked loans (SLL) market since its 2023 review. The FCA reports improved market practices, including more robust product structures and a shift towards core sustainability performance targets that are material to borrowers' business models. The March 2025 Loan Market Association's (LMA) updated Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles have helped raise baseline standards. Banks are now using declassification as a sanction for breaches, while multiple sustainability coordinators are increasingly common in syndicated loans. The changes aim to support the UK government's estimated £200bn financial services opportunity by 2030. The FCA will continue monitoring the market while working with the Transition Finance Council to promote the UK as a transition finance hub.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published findings from its data collection exercise following the Federation of Small Businesses' (FSB) super-complaint on personal guarantees (PGs) for business loans. The FCA's found a low proportion of PGs in regulated lending and no significant compliance issues with the Consumer Credit sourcebook. The FCA suggested practices for firms to consider, such as providing post-contractual information to guarantors and setting minimum borrowing thresholds for PGs.