FCA Takes Next Steps Toward Enforcement Action Against Hartley Pensions and an Individual
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued warning notices to Hartley Pensions Limited and a senior individual, signalling the next phase of potential enforcement. The regulator alleges the pension firm supplied false information and withdrew customers' SIPP funds without consent to benefit the individual, who then misused the money to finance a personal company. The notices are preliminary; the FCA may later issue a Decision Notice and impose sanctions after the Regulatory Decisions Committee reviews any representations. Final findings will be published if enforcement proceeds.
FCA Introduces Clearer and Simpler Short Selling Rules
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has finalized a streamlined short‑selling regime that replaces individual seller disclosures with aggregated net‑short data. The new rules extend the reporting timetable, giving firms more time to calculate positions, and simplify market‑maker notifications to an...
Year 2 Consumer Duty Board Reports: Progress and What Comes Next
The FCA’s second‑year Consumer Duty board reports reveal that firms are tightening governance, with boards formally reviewing and signing off on outcomes and action plans. Data usage has broadened, incorporating both quantitative trends and qualitative insights, especially for vulnerable customers....
FCA Bans CMC's Misleading Adverts
The FCA ordered claims management firm Conclusive Financial Ltd, trading as PCP Refunds, to remove or amend its advertising after it ran misleading claims about motor‑finance compensation. The adverts promised an average payout of £1,846 (about $2,300) without explaining the...
Spotting Risk Earlier by Tracking Consumer Credit Journeys
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is piloting a data‑driven framework that uses credit‑file information from a major credit reference agency to forecast consumer distress earlier than traditional metrics. By applying advanced statistical techniques, the FCA classifies borrowers into five...
FCA Imposes Restrictions on Bazar Money Transfer Limited
On 21 November 2025 the FCA imposed restrictions on Bazar Money Transfer Limited, preventing it from providing regulated payment services. The firm failed to meet registration conditions as a small payment institution, prompting the regulator’s protective action. After BMTL’s representations,...
Shojin Financial Services Limited Enters Administration
Shojin Financial Services Limited, an FCA‑regulated crowdfunding platform that financed property‑development loans, entered administration on 23 March 2026. Joint Administrators Simon Carvill‑Biggs and Ian Corfield of FRP Trading Advisory were appointed to manage the process. The FCA is working with the administrators to safeguard...
My FCA Marks First Year with a Single, Streamlined Sign in for All Firms
My FCA celebrates its first year, offering a single sign‑on that consolidates RegData, Connect and the Online Invoicing System into one homepage. All existing links now automatically redirect to My FCA, eliminating the need for multiple logins. The platform is...
Equity for Growth (Securities) Limited Enters Liquidation
Equity for Growth (Securities) Limited was ordered into liquidation by the High Court after the FCA filed a winding‑up petition in October 2024. The regulator cited a surge of investor complaints, including mini‑bond scams promoted by the firm’s appointed representatives,...
FCA Responds to Complaint Commissioner’s Report on the British Steel Pension Scheme
The FCA announced a £106 million (≈$135 million) redress package for 1,870 former members of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) who received unsuitable advice on defined‑benefit transfers. More than 6,500 ex‑members have lodged complaints, prompting enforcement actions against over 20 advisers...
FCA Sets Out Next Phase of Smarter, More Effective Regulation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) unveiled its 2026/27 work programme, emphasizing AI‑driven authorisations, generative‑AI document review and a new sandbox for automated data feeds. The regulator plans to keep fee increases to just 1%, the smallest rise since 2017, while...
FCA Highlights Risks when Dealing with Unregulated Lenders
The FCA reminded regulated firms to conduct proper due diligence when dealing with unregulated lenders, safe‑custody providers, money brokers and financial leasing companies, known as Annex 1 firms. About 1,200 Annex 1 firms are registered solely for anti‑money‑laundering (AML) purposes and are...
Creating a Redress System that Works Better for Consumers and Firms
The FCA announced a joint initiative with the Financial Ombudsman Service and the UK government to modernise the financial redress system, introducing a new complaint registration stage, updated dismissal grounds and clearer guidance on the fair‑and‑reasonable test. The reforms aim...
Man Jailed for Running Illegal Sale-and-Rent-Back Scheme Targeting Struggling Homeowners
Rajinder Gill was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for operating an unauthorised sale‑and‑rent‑back scheme that defrauded vulnerable homeowners of £925,233. The scheme, run through Secure Property Consultants Ltd, forced owners to sell below market value, pay...
Second Charge Mortgage Firms Told to Raise Standards for Consumers
The FCA has warned second‑charge mortgage lenders and brokers to raise standards after a review uncovered weak affordability checks, inappropriate debt‑consolidation advice, poor record‑keeping and opaque fees. The sector, which serves borrowers with high debt and low resilience, accounts for...
