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Latest News

16
Oct

Good Governance Begins With Better Questions

October 16, 2026
Every Board receives reports. Performance updates, complaints analysis, financial results, compliance monitoring, Consumer Duty reporting and operational risk all arrive neatly packaged within Board papers, often accompanied by recommendations and assurances from management. The temptation is to focus on the answers. Increasingly, however, the quality of governance is determined by something else entirely: the questions...
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12
Oct

FCA Authorisation: What the Regulator Really Wants to See

October 12, 2026
Applying for FCA authorisation is often viewed as a documentation exercise. Policies need to be written. Application forms completed. Business plans drafted. Senior Managers identified. Financial forecasts prepared. While each of these elements is important, they are not what determines whether an application is successful. Increasingly, the FCA is looking beyond the documents themselves. It...
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07
Oct

Data Is Becoming Your Most Important Regulatory Asset

October 7, 2026
For many organisations, data has traditionally been viewed as an operational necessity. It supports lending decisions, produces management information, satisfies regulatory reporting requirements and helps firms understand business performance. Increasingly, however, data is becoming something much more valuable. It is becoming one of the most important regulatory assets an organisation possesses. Across Open Finance, Consumer...
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02
Oct

Cyber Resilience Is No Longer Just an IT Issue

October 2, 2026
Ask most Boards what cyber resilience means and the conversation will usually turn to firewalls, ransomware, phishing attacks and IT infrastructure – those risks are real and deserve attention. Increasingly, however, cyber resilience is becoming something much broader. For consumer credit firms, it is no longer simply an information technology issue. It is a governance...
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30
Sep

Are Your Compliance Reports Driving Decisions or Simply Recording Activity?

September 30, 2026
Every regulated firm produces compliance reports. Monthly monitoring updates, audit findings, complaints analysis, breaches, regulatory developments, Consumer Duty reporting and risk registers all form part of the governance framework. By the time they reach senior management or the Board, they often represent hours of careful review and analysis. Yet one important question is rarely asked...
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25
Sep

AI Is Changing Consumer Behaviour. Is Your Governance Keeping Up?

September 25, 2026
Artificial Intelligence is changing the way consumers make decisions. Only a few years ago, customers researching financial products were likely to visit comparison websites, read online reviews or speak directly to a business before making a decision. Today, many are turning to AI. Recent FCA research found that younger consumers increasingly trust AI when making...
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23
Sep

Governance Doesn’t Start With an FCA Information Request

September 23, 2026
For many regulated firms, governance becomes a priority when the regulator asks questions. A Section 165 request arrives. An information request lands in the inbox. A supervisory review begins. A site visit is initiated. Attention naturally turns to policies, procedures, management information and historic decision-making. The reality is however that governance should already have been...
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18
Sep

AI Governance: Why Human Oversight Matters More Than Ever

September 18, 2026
Artificial Intelligence is no longer something consumer credit firms are planning to adopt. It is already here. Whether used to support affordability assessments, identify customer vulnerability, monitor complaints, enhance fraud detection or improve operational efficiency, AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday financial services. For many firms, the question is no longer whether AI should...
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16
Sep

The 2026 Consumer Credit Reform: Navigating the Modernisation of the CCA

September 16, 2026
If your compliance team had set aside time this autumn to review a standalone Phase 2 consultation paper on Consumer Credit Act reform, you can clear your calendar. HM Treasury published its landmark Policy Statement on 18 May 2026, confirming that it already holds sufficient evidence to push ahead without an extra consultation round. The...
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