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nid 91072
Mar 04, 2026
csoo@vixio.com
United Kingdom
Financial Conduct Authority
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2124 charsUK Financial Conduct Authority Publishes Consumer Investments Regulatory Priorities for 2026
On March 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its Regulatory Priorities report for the consumer investments sector, replacing more than 40 portfolio letters with a consolidated guidance document. The report sets out the FCA's supervisory focus areas for advisers, wealth managers, Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) operators, investment platforms, crowdfunding platforms, peer-to-peer lending platforms, and Contract-for-Difference (CFD) providers.
The FCA has identified four key priority areas. Building a stronger investment culture focuses on enabling consumers to make informed investment decisions through clear communication and jargon-free information. The FCA will support firms implementing the Consumer Composite Investments (CCI) framework and advance its Advice Guidance Boundary Review, with targeted support rules coming into force in April 2026. Strengthening trust emphasises robust governance, risk systems, and responsible innovation, with support for firms testing artificial intelligence applications through the FCA's sandbox. Securing good consumer outcomes requires firms to design products meeting consumer needs, demonstrate fair value, and provide good service, including timely investment transfers. The FCA will consult on clarifying Consumer Duty application across distribution chains and publish guidance for finfluencers. Strengthening financial crime controls addresses the significant fraud threat, with the FCA noting 24,621 reported victims of investment scams and fraud in 2024, resulting in £553 million in reported losses. The FCA will collaborate with regulators including Ofcom and international bodies to tackle online scams and enforce against finfluencers promoting fraud.
The report indicates the consumer investments sector comprises over 5,000 firms and more than 7,000 appointed representatives, managing £1.49 trillion of UK retail investment funds in 2024. Key upcoming actions include consultations on simplifying advice rules and client categorisation proposals in the first half of 2026, and implementation of the CCI regime commencing April 2026.
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2826 charsUK's Financial Conduct Authority Publishes Consumer Investments Regulatory Priorities for 2026
On March 4, 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its regulatory priorities report on consumer investments. This report will be published annually and replaces the portfolio letters the FCA used to issue.
The report focuses on four priorities and sets out expectations of firms beneath each:
Building a stronger investment culture Communicate clearly and honestly: Give consumers clear, jargon-free information. Ensure products are suitable: Offer consumers products and services appropriate for their needs, ensuring timely access where needed. Build confidence: Enable consumers to make informed choices.
Communicate clearly and honestly: Give consumers clear, jargon-free information.
Ensure products are suitable: Offer consumers products and services appropriate for their needs, ensuring timely access where needed.
Build confidence: Enable consumers to make informed choices.
Strengthening trust Act promptly to address emerging risks. Assess new technologies and products to ensure good consumer outcomes and strengthen financial resilience through stress testing and contingency planning.
Act promptly to address emerging risks.
Assess new technologies and products to ensure good consumer outcomes and strengthen financial resilience through stress testing and contingency planning.
Securing good customer outcomes Design products and services that meet consumers’ needs, including consumers in vulnerable circumstances, and monitor outcomes. Demonstrate fair value by clearly assessing costs and benefits. Only opt clients out of retail protections in line with rules. Provide good service including transferring investments promptly and accounting for characteristics of vulnerability.
Design products and services that meet consumers’ needs, including consumers in vulnerable circumstances, and monitor outcomes.
Demonstrate fair value by clearly assessing costs and benefits.
Only opt clients out of retail protections in line with rules.
Provide good service including transferring investments promptly and accounting for characteristics of vulnerability.
Strengthening financial crime controls Maintain robust controls to prevent financial crime, strengthen surveillance and enhance their reporting. Oversee appointed representatives effectively.
Maintain robust controls to prevent financial crime, strengthen surveillance and enhance their reporting.
Oversee appointed representatives effectively.
The report also highlights other areas of focus such as operational resilience, financial resilience and market structure, cryptoassets and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime.
This report will be relevant to financial advisers, wealth managers, SIPP operators, investment platforms, crowdfunding platforms, peer-to-peer lenders and contract for difference providers.