FCA Finalises Rules for New Advice Regime The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has finalised its new “targeted support” regime, designed to close the UK’s long-standing financial advice gap. The framework allows authorised firms to provide regulated recommendations to groups of consumers with shared characteristics, without carrying out a full individual suitability assessment. Targeted support sits between generic guidance and full personalised advice. The FCA’s aim is to m

The FCA has significantly stepped up its crackdown on so-called finfluencers. New figures show enforcement action increased by 174 percent in 2025, with 74 interventions compared to 27 the previous year. The focus is on tackling misleading or unauthorised financial promotions across social media and other online platforms, as the regulator responds to growing consumer harm in the digital advice space. This sharp rise reflects a wider problem. A large volume of financial conte

FCA launches review as non-human intelligence could surpass human reasoning The FCA has launched a major forward-looking review into the impact of advanced artificial intelligence on retail financial services, looking out to 2030 and beyond. Led by Executive Director Sheldon Mills, the review will examine emerging technologies such as agentic AI, neuromorphic computing and the possibility of non-human intelligence exceeding human reasoning capabilities. Prompted by concerns f

Summary — Regulatory Outlook for 2026 As we look ahead to 2026, the UK regulatory landscape is shaping up to be one of significant evolution and strategic change. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is expected to continue focusing on consumer outcomes, leveraging existing frameworks like the Consumer Duty rather than introducing entirely new AI-specific rules — emphasising enforcement and good conduct over prescriptive regulation. Key themes advisers and firms should watch

FCA Review: Consolidation in the Advice & Wealth-Management Sector The FCA has released its review into consolidation across the financial advice and wealth-management sector — and the message is clear: growth through acquisition is not inherently positive. The outcomes depend on how well firms manage governance, financial resilience and post-acquisition integration. The review highlights that consolidation can bring benefits — including scale and operational efficiency — whe