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Latest News

24
Jul

The FCA Is Looking for Evidence of Challenge, Not Just Governance

July 24, 2026
Good governance has never been about producing more paperwork. Policies, Board packs and committee terms of reference all have an important role to play, but they are only part of the picture. Increasingly, the Financial Conduct Authority is looking beyond governance structures and asking a more fundamental question. How effectively are those structures actually working?...
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20
Jul

Operational Resilience Isn’t Just for Banks Anymore

July 20, 2026
Mention operational resilience to most consumer credit firms and the response is often the same. “That’s something the banks have to worry about.” It’s an understandable assumption. Much of the regulatory discussion around operational resilience has focused on larger financial institutions, critical business services and extensive resilience testing. For many lenders and brokers, it can...
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17
Jul

Is Your Compliance Monitoring Plan Still Looking in the Right Places?

July 17, 2026
There was a time when a compliance monitoring plan was largely built around the FCA Handbook. Testing financial promotions.  Reviewing complaints.  Checking disclosures.  Sampling customer files.  Reporting breaches. Those activities remain important; the challenge is that regulation has moved on. Consumer Duty, data-led supervision, evolving governance expectations and greater scrutiny of customer outcomes have changed...
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13
Jul

Consumer Credit Firms Should Expect More Questions, Not More Rules

July 13, 2026
If you ask most compliance professionals what has changed over the past few years, many will point to Consumer Duty, Buy Now Pay Later regulation or the Data (Use and Access) Act. Those developments have undoubtedly reshaped the regulatory landscape. Yet perhaps the biggest change has received far less attention. The FCA is not simply...
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10
Jul

Consumer Duty Annual Reviews: Building a Board Report That Stands Up to FCA Scrutiny

July 10, 2026
For many FCA-regulated consumer credit firms, preparation for the next annual Consumer Duty Board Report should already be underway. The first round of Board Reports focused largely on implementation. Firms established governance frameworks, identified management information, embedded Consumer Duty into policies and began monitoring customer outcomes. This year’s reporting cycle is different. Recent publications and...
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07
Jul

Buy Now Pay Later Regulation Has Arrived: What Firms Should Be Focusing on Now

July 7, 2026
The countdown is over. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) lending is now entering a new regulatory era, bringing millions of consumers and a rapidly growing sector firmly within the FCA’s regulatory framework. While much of the discussion over the past year has focused on what the legislation would look like, the emphasis now shifts to...
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29
Jun

FCA Authorisation Readiness: Are You Actually Ready to Apply?

June 29, 2026
Many firms approach FCA authorisation with a simple objective. Submit the application and move forward.   In practice, the question is more fundamental. Are you actually ready to operate as a regulated firm? The Financial Conduct Authority is not assessing whether a business idea is viable. It is assessing whether the firm is capable of delivering...
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23
Jun

Data Accuracy Is Becoming a Conduct Risk

June 23, 2026
For many years, data accuracy was viewed primarily as a compliance or operational issue. If customer records were inaccurate, credit reporting was inconsistent or information was missing, the consequences were generally considered through the lens of data protection, operational resilience or customer service. That position is changing. Increasingly, regulators are viewing poor data quality not...
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20
Jun

Consumer Duty Year 3: The FCA Wants Evidence, Not Assurance

June 20, 2026
Consumer Duty is entering a new phase. For many firms, the first two years have been focused on implementation. Frameworks have been built, policies updated, governance structures enhanced and management information developed. Boards have received their first annual reports and firms have invested significant time and resource in embedding the requirements across their businesses. The...
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