Financial Conduct Authority
(FCA)
The Financial Conduct Authority is the UK's regulator for financial services firms and markets. It regulates over 50,000 firms, setting standards for how they treat customers and function in financial markets. Firms providing regulated activities (banking, insurance, investment advice, consumer credit) must be authorised by the FCA. Consumers can check whether a firm is regulated using the FCA register.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the conduct regulator for financial services in the UK, overseeing over 50,000 firms under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Firms carrying out regulated activities (including consumer credit, insurance, investment advice, mortgage lending, and payment services) must be authorised or registered by the FCA before operating. Consumers can check whether a firm is authorised using the FCA Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. Using or dealing with an unauthorised firm voids your protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects deposits up to £85,000 and investments up to £85,000. Complaints about FCA-regulated firms that remain unresolved after 8 weeks (or on receipt of a final response letter) can be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) free of charge. The FCA can fine firms, ban individuals, and prosecute serious financial crime.