Regulatory insights

Practical guidance on current FCA, PRA and wider UK regulatory developments for financial services and professional firms. Published when the landscape changes in ways that require firms to act, not on a schedule.

All articles

14 January 2024

Senior Managers and Certification Regime: a practical overview

SoR accuracy, annual certification cycles, and Conduct Rule breach reporting — the ongoing obligations that continue to generate FCA enforcement.

28 January 2024

Complaints handling: FCA expectations and FOS referral trends

Root cause analysis obligations, Consumer Duty alignment, and what FOS uphold rate data tells you about your compliance culture.

9 February 2024

UK GDPR in regulated firms: data protection by design

Lawful basis mapping, subject access request obligations, and the interface between financial services record-keeping rules and data protection principles.

22 February 2024

Consumer Duty: moving from policy to practice

From documentation to genuine embedding — what the FCA expects of firms now the initial implementation phase has passed.

5 March 2024

AML frameworks for wealth managers: current expectations

Risk-based CDD refresh, source of wealth evidential standards, and calibrating transaction monitoring to actual client risk profiles.

18 March 2024

Operational resilience: mapping your important business services

The March 2025 deadline has passed — what the FCA and PRA expect to see in firms' self-assessments and scenario testing records.

26 March 2024

Post-Brexit regulatory divergence: a practical tracking framework

UK EMIR, MiFID, AIFMD and SDR divergence from EU rules — building a register that keeps pace with the Edinburgh Reforms programme.

12 April 2024

ESG and sustainable finance disclosure: where the rules stand

SDR labelling regime, anti-greenwashing rule, and TCFD disclosure obligations — the UK's distinct sustainable finance framework explained.

30 April 2024

Anti-bribery and corruption controls: proportionate frameworks for advisory firms

Bribery Act 2010 adequate procedures, risk assessment, gifts and hospitality policy, and third-party due diligence for advisory businesses.

2 May 2024

Open banking: the regulatory legacy of PSD2 in the UK

From CMA order to Open Banking Limited, and the forthcoming Payment Services Regulation — what the transition means for AISPs, PISPs and ASPSPs.

16 May 2024

Senior manager conduct: what the FCA considers in enforcement

How the duty of responsibility operates in practice, what 'reasonable steps' means in FCA enforcement cases, and the importance of contemporaneous records.

29 May 2024

Market abuse surveillance: building a proportionate programme

UK MAR obligations, insider list management, STOR filing rates, and calibrating surveillance to actual trading activity and market exposure.

10 June 2024

CASS compliance: common failings and how to address them

Reconciliation methodology, resolution pack currency, and the oversight officer obligations that continue to generate s.166 reviews.

6 June 2024

Remuneration code compliance: current requirements by firm type

Dual-regulated, MIFIDPRU, AIFMD and UCITS remuneration regimes — deferral timelines, clawback, and MRT identification obligations by firm category.

4 July 2024

Pension scheme governance: trustee obligations and regulatory expectations

TPR General Code, own-risk assessment, value for money frameworks, and TCFD reporting obligations for occupational scheme trustees.

15 July 2024

Cryptoasset regulation in the UK: 2024–2026 timeline

From AML registration to full FSMA authorisation — the regulatory trajectory for UK crypto firms and what the transition requires in practice.

22 July 2024

Client suitability assessments: current FCA expectations

COBS 9A requirements, suitability report standards, risk profiling tool limitations, and ongoing monitoring obligations under Consumer Duty.

21 August 2024

SPACs and listed vehicles: current UK regulatory framework

The new Listing Rules (effective July 2024), SPAC qualifying conditions, and key changes to continuing obligations for UKLR commercial companies.

23 August 2024

Credit risk assessment for SME lenders: FCA expectations

Affordability obligations, forbearance for personal guarantors, model risk in SME credit scoring, and emerging climate risk considerations.

3 August 2024

Section 166 skilled persons reviews: what to expect and how to prepare

How the FCA uses s.166, negotiating Terms of Reference, managing the skilled person engagement, and what happens when the report is delivered.

12 August 2024

Product governance under PROD: key obligations and common gaps

Target market assessment, value assessment under PROD 4, distributor obligations, and the data-sharing requirements that firms frequently overlook.

14 September 2024

FCA consumer investment strategy: implications for distributors

Targeted support proposals, self-directed investor protections, and the retirement income advice quality agenda from TR23/3.

20 September 2024

DORA and UK firms: what the EU regulation means for your operations

DORA scope, the five pillars, CTPP designation risk for UK ICT providers, and UK-EU gap analysis priorities for cross-border financial groups.

19 September 2024

UK UCITS and NURS: governance and oversight obligations

Liquidity risk management under FG20/15, depositary oversight obligations, independent director governance, and SDR labelling for authorised funds.

7 October 2024

FCA enforcement trends: themes from recent final notices

AML enforcement patterns, individual accountability under SMCR, data-driven enforcement methodology, and the value of early settlement.

17 October 2024

Insurance distribution: conduct obligations and common review findings

Consumer Duty in the GI market, add-on product obligations, renewal pricing compliance, and commission conflict management under ICOBS.

25 October 2024

MIFIDPRU: capital and risk management for UK investment firms

K-factor calculation, ICARA process, wind-down capital buffer, and regulatory reporting obligations for MIFIDPRU in-scope firms.

4 November 2024

Vulnerable customers: building a credible identification framework

FG21/1 expectations, the four vulnerability drivers, proactive identification approaches, and evidencing outcomes under Consumer Duty.

11 November 2024

ICT risk under DORA: mapping controls to regulatory requirements

The five DORA pillars, incident reporting timelines, CIF contract mandatory provisions, and TLPT requirements for significant entities.

13 November 2024

FCA supervisory case studies: lessons from recent interventions

Cross-sector lessons from published supervisory case studies in consumer credit, asset management, insurance, and retail banking.

18 November 2024

Payments regulation: PSR priorities and FPS access obligations

APP fraud mandatory reimbursement, FPS access conditions, and the FCA's financial crime expectations for payment institutions and EMIs.

2 December 2024

UK EMIR trade reporting: common errors and remediation

The September 2024 revised standards, counterparty identifier errors, life-cycle event classification, and delegation oversight obligations.

19 December 2024

Board diversity and inclusion reporting obligations

FCA listing rule targets, data collection requirements, and the scope of mandatory D&I reporting following CP23/20's revised approach.

7 January 2025

Short-selling regulation: post-Brexit UK framework

Revised notification thresholds, net short position calculation, STOR interaction, and FCA enforcement approach under the reformed UK SSR.

8 January 2025

ICO enforcement in financial services: trends and priorities

ICO enforcement patterns in the sector, breach notification coordination with the FCA, and AI governance as an emerging enforcement priority.

14 January 2025

Financial promotions regime: recent changes and common breaches

High-risk investment rules, the s.21 approval gateway changes, social media guidance FG24/1, and the anti-greenwashing rule in practice.

16 January 2025

Wind-down planning: FCA expectations for smaller regulated firms

MIFIDPRU wind-down capital, CASS resolution pack adequacy, pre-defined triggers, and integrating wind-down planning into the ICARA cycle.

21 January 2025

FCA supervisory priorities Q1 2025: sector-by-sector summary

Retail investments, wholesale markets, banking, payments and insurance — what the FCA is focused on in each sector this quarter.

6 February 2025

RegTech in regulated firms: evaluating tools without adding risk

Delegation risk, model risk, data quality, and procurement due diligence — what to check before deploying compliance technology.

12 February 2025

Outsourcing and third-party service providers: oversight obligations

Materiality assessment, mandatory contract provisions, ongoing monitoring requirements, and exit planning under SYSC 8.

3 February 2025

Sanctions compliance: building a responsive monitoring programme

OFSI obligations, indirect availability risk, real-time screening requirements, and voluntary disclosure in the event of a potential breach.

27 February 2025

Annual report and accounts: regulatory review obligations

FRC Corporate Reporting Review, UK Corporate Governance Code 2024 internal controls changes, and ESG disclosure quality standards.

3 March 2025

Third-party risk management: the FCA's evolving expectations

Cloud outsourcing guidance, concentration risk, the Critical Third Parties regime, and ongoing oversight programme design.

15 March 2025

AI in financial services: FCA principles and supervisory expectations

Explainability, bias testing, accountability under SMCR, and the specific governance challenges posed by generative AI and LLMs.

24 March 2025

Insider dealing risk frameworks: policies, controls and training

Information barrier effectiveness, personal account dealing controls, watch and restricted lists, and STOR escalation procedures.

1 April 2025

Regulatory horizon scanning Q2 2025

Key consultation deadlines, implementation milestones, and legislative developments across FCA, PSR, ICO and HM Treasury workstreams.

8 April 2025

FCA Business Plan 2025/26: what regulated firms need to know

Strategic priorities, sector-specific signals, and how the competitiveness and growth objective is shaping the FCA's supervisory agenda.

10 April 2025

Cybersecurity incident response for regulated firms

FCA and ICO notification timelines, incident classification frameworks, and building a response capability that works under pressure.

17 April 2025

Whistleblowing frameworks: design, testing and culture

SYSC 18 obligations, channel design, annual board reporting, and how to test whether the speak-up framework is working in practice.

20 April 2025

Conduct risk frameworks: design principles and common gaps

Building a conduct risk framework that changes behaviour rather than generates documentation — design, governance, data and culture.