Concept Capital Group Update: Administrators Appointed
On 9 March 2026 the High Court appointed BTG as administrators of Concept Capital Group (CCG) after an application filed in February. The FCA had previously frozen roughly £23 million of CCG assets and launched High Court proceedings in July 2025 over an alleged unauthorised investment scheme that promised government‑backed, fixed‑return rentals to social‑housing tenants. Administration pauses the FCA’s case against CCG but the regulator’s actions against six other defendants continue. Administrators will now assess CCG’s finances and determine the prospects for investor fund recovery.
Stepping Back, Staying Safe: A Joined-Up Approach to Growth
At the MoneyLIVE Summit 2026, FCA executive David Geale outlined the planned consolidation of the Payment Systems Regulator into the FCA, promising a single, coordinated payments oversight body. He highlighted recent pro‑growth reforms, including the removal of the £100 contactless...
Renaissance at Market Speed: UK Wholesale Finance in 2026
At the Goldman Sachs EMEA Head of Trading conference, FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi outlined a sweeping reform agenda aimed at cementing the UK’s position as a global wholesale‑finance hub. He highlighted recent regulatory wins – from tighter market‑abuse enforcement...
Tribunal Upholds Bans and Fines for Reckless Adviser and Fund Manager
The Upper Tribunal upheld the FCA's bans on Stephen Joseph Burdett and James Paul Goodchild, senior advisers at Synergy Wealth and Westbury Private Clients, for recklessly exposing pension holders to unsuitable, high‑risk investments. The pair were fined £265,071 and £47,600...
FCA Exchanges Letters on Cooperation with India Regulator, IFSCA
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has signed an Exchange of Letters with India’s International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), the regulator for GIFT City. The pact commits both bodies to share regulatory knowledge and best‑practice insights, aiming to strengthen links...
OFSI and Partners Clamp Down on the Abuse of Cryptoassets
UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced a coordinated crackdown on the misuse of cryptoassets for money‑laundering and sanctions evasion, working alongside law‑enforcement agencies and regulatory partners. The initiative includes heightened monitoring, enforcement actions, and the release of updated...
FCA Seeks Views on How to Help Close the Protection Gap
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released interim findings from its competition review of pure protection insurance, highlighting that while the market functions well for existing policyholders, 58% of adults remain uninsured. The review notes stable premiums, a wide...
Next Steps for Establishing a Bond Consolidated Tape Provider
The FCA has signed a contract with Etrading Software (ETS) to build a UK bond consolidated tape, aiming to deliver a high‑quality data stream for investors. The tape will improve price discovery, liquidity, and market transparency, supporting the UK’s competitive...
Emil the Seal Hijacks Waterloo Station to Warn Commuters About Investment Scams
The FCA staged a pop‑up ATM at London Waterloo featuring its mascot Emil the Seal to promote its new Firm Checker tool. The stunt highlighted that around 700,000 adults lost money to investment scams in the past year. The interactive...
AI Live Testing: How It Can Support Safe and Responsible AI Deployment
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened a second application window for its AI Live Testing programme, inviting firms to trial AI‑driven services in real‑world market conditions with regulatory oversight and technical support from Advai. The initiative targets companies...
The FCA’s Long Term Review Into AI and Retail Financial Services: Designing for the Unknown
Sheldon Mills announced that the FCA is undertaking a long‑term review of artificial intelligence in retail financial services, with findings to be presented to the board this summer. The review will explore how generative AI, multimodal models and autonomous agents...
Falling Cost of Premium Finance Saving Consumers Around £157m a Year
UK insurers have reduced the cost of premium finance, saving consumers about £157 million a year. Interest rates on financed insurance dropped an average 4.1 percentage points since 2022, cutting typical motor policy costs by £8 and home policies by £3...
Regulators Announce First Firms to Join Scale-Up Unit
The Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority have unveiled the first cohort of their joint Scale‑up Unit, targeting fast‑growing financial firms. Six institutions – Allica Bank, ClearBank, Monument Bank, Nottingham Building Society, OakNorth Bank and Zopa Bank – will...
Upper Tribunal Finds that Banque Havilland Devised a Plan to Harm the Qatari Economy
The Upper Tribunal upheld the FCA’s ruling that Rangecourt S.A., formerly Banque Havilland, and former executives Edmund Rowland and Vladimir Bolelyy acted without integrity by devising a scheme to devalue the Qatari riyal. The Tribunal confirmed fines of £4 million for...
FCA and SRA Joint Message to Professional Representatives on Motor Finance Commission Claims: Dealing with Multiple Representation and Excessive Termination...
The FCA and SRA have jointly warned claims‑management firms and law firms handling motor‑finance redress that clients must not be represented by multiple agents on the same claim and should not face excessive termination fees. They cite cases where up...
FCA and SRA Issue Joint Warning to Firms Representing Motor Finance Commission Claims
The Financial Conduct Authority and the Solicitors Regulation Authority have issued a joint warning to claims‑management companies and law firms handling motor‑finance commission claims, demanding verification that consumers are not already represented and prohibiting excessive termination fees. Any exit charge...
FCA Stops Advantage Wealth Management Ltd From Carrying Out Regulated Activities and Imposes Assets Restriction
The Financial Conduct Authority has placed Advantage Wealth Management Ltd (AWM) under strict restrictions, requiring written FCA consent before any asset disposal or regulated activity. The regulator cited concerns over how customers' investments were shifted into cash, inadequate financial resources,...
Gemini Payments UK Ltd and Gemini Intergalactic UK Ltd Exit the UK Market
Gemini Payments UK Ltd and Gemini Intergalactic UK Ltd announced a complete market exit, closing all UK customer accounts on 6 April 2026. The e‑money arm will operate normally until 4 March, after which accounts shift to withdrawal‑only mode from 5 March. Crypto‑asset services...
Independent Assessment to Support Establishment of a Future Entity
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released a letter to trade associations announcing KPMG’s appointment to conduct an independent assessment of proposals for a Future Entity that would set standards for UK open‑banking APIs. The assessment will evaluate governance, technical...
FCA Fines Two Individuals a Combined £108,731 for Insider Dealing
The FCA fined Dipesh Kerai (£52,731) and Bhavesh Hirani (£56,000) for insider dealing in Bidstack Group Plc shares, totalling £108,731 in penalties. Hirani, then interim CFO, leaked confidential details of a major advertising deal to Kerai, who bought 1.3 million shares before the...
HTX (Formerly Huobi): Legal Proceedings Information
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) initiated legal proceedings on 21 October 2025 against Huobi Global S.A. and several unidentified individuals linked to the HTX cryptocurrency exchange. The case was filed in the Chancery Division of the High Court, and on 4 February 2026...
