Would you allow AI to help choose your insurance or make financial decisions on your behalf? The level of consumer appetite may already be greater than many expected. Following publication of the FCA’s Mills Review, the regulator’s head of insurance market analysis and policy has reportedly expressed surprise at consumers’ willingness to use AI in financial purchasing decisions. The Review found that one in five UK adults is already open to AI making financial decisions for t

AI could fundamentally reshape financial services by 2030; but the technology may be only part of the challenge. Our analysis of the FCA’s newly published Mills Review highlights the growing importance of governance, accountability and oversight as artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in retail financial services. The Review considers a future in which AI increasingly influences how firms operate, how consumers make financial decisions and how financial products are

FCA Mills Review, published 6 July 2026. The review follows the FCA’s January 2026 call for input into the long-term impact of AI on retail financial services, looking towards 2030 and beyond. The FCA describes the review as examining how AI may reshape “consumers, firms, markets and regulators”. For Watchdog, the relevance is clear. AI is not just an efficiency story. It is becoming a monitoring, accountability and consumer-risk issue. Customer journeys, complaint ha

The FCA’s direction of travel is clear: earlier intervention, stronger deterrence, and greater focus on individual accountability. In its recent consultation on penalty and decision-making policies, the FCA is proposing targeted changes including: • raising the minimum penalty for the most serious individual market abuse cases from £100,000 to £150,000 • making clear that penalties for wealthier individuals may be increased for deterrent effect • clarifying how deferred bonus

The FCA’s Chief Executive, Nikhil Rathi, has warned that AI is moving faster than the law. That matters because this is not a general technology debate. It is coming directly from the head of the UK financial regulator, in the context of how artificial intelligence may affect financial services, consumers, markets and financial crime. The immediate issue is whether regulation can keep pace with rapidly developing AI tools. But the wider point is just as important. Financial s

From April 2028, small companies and micro-entities will need to file profit and loss accounts with Companies House, although they will be able to opt out of having that P&L information published on the public register. The reform is intended to improve Companies House data, transparency and oversight, while addressing smaller firms’ concerns about commercial sensitivity. The change is part of wider Companies House reforms aimed at improving transparency, data quality and

The National Law Review has highlighted recent FCA commentary on the future of the Senior Managers & Certification Regime. The FCA’s intention is to simplify the framework, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining clear accountability for senior managers. The direction of travel is towards a more proportionate regime, with less emphasis on process and documentation, and greater focus on practical oversight and responsibility. This reflects ongoing feedback that SM&CR

The FCA has just highlighted weaknesses in due diligence across firms in a recent supervisory review (via AML Intelligence). Not a data problem.An interpretation problem. Firms are still: Over-relying on automated tools Missing complex ownership structures Failing to challenge red flags Treating due diligence as a one-off check 👉 The FCA’s message is clear:Due diligence must be ongoing, connected, and judgement-led. That’s where most firms fall short. They have the data — bu

FCA Modernises Authorisation Amid Growth Push The Financial Conduct Authority is modernising its authorisation process to better support innovation and growth across UK financial services, while maintaining robust regulatory standards. Speaking at its “Gateway to Growth” event, the FCA highlighted a clear shift in tone: authorisation should be seen as an enabler of growth, not just a regulatory hurdle. Key developments include: Faster and more predictable authorisation timeli

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 long-term review into AI and retail financial services The FCA has announced a forward-looking review into how artificial intelligence could reshape retail financial services over the next decade. The review will examine how rapidly advancing AI capabilities may affect consumer behaviour, market dynamics, competition, and the way firms design, distribute and monitor financial products. Importantly, the FCA has been clear that there is no immediate change to regul

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

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a pioneering “AI Live Testing” initiative — the first of its kind in the UK financial sector — giving select major firms a controlled environment to trial and refine responsible AI tools for real-world deployment. The goal: help firms navigate evaluation frameworks, ongoing monitoring, governance and risk management — enabling use cases such as debt-resolution, financial advice, customer engagement, complaints handling and

The FCA h as announced a major simplification of the complaints reporting process for regulated firms. From 2025, firms will no longer need to submit detailed twice-yearly complaint returns. Instead, the FCA will use smarter data collection and risk-based oversight to reduce the reporting burden—particularly for smaller firms—while still maintaining strong consumer protection standards. This is part of the FCA’s wider move to streamline regulatory processes, remove unnecessa

FCA Authorisations Update: 2025–26 Q2 – What You Need to Know The FCA has released its Q2 service-metric performance, showing a mixed picture across authorisations: 🔹 Most applications are still being processed within statutory deadlines, but some areas remain under pressure due to case complexity and increased scrutiny. 🔹 Higher-risk and more complex applications are taking longer, reflecting the FCA’s continued focus on robust assessments, operational resilience, fina

The FCA’s latest thematic review highlights major shortcomings in how UK firms assess financial-crime risk. Many Business-Wide Risk Assessments (BWRA) and Customer Risk Assessments (CRA) are still too generic, poorly evidenced, or disconnected from real-world controls. Key gaps identified include: • Risk assessments not tailored to the firm’s actual products, customers or exposure. • Weak links between BWRA findings and monitoring/testing. • Senior management focusing heav

FCA Warns: Weak Risk Frameworks Won’t Cut It — Time for Smarter Oversight and AI-Driven Insight The FCA’s latest multi-firm review has highlighted major weaknesses in how regulated firms assess and manage risk. The regulator found that many firms: Still use underdeveloped risk frameworks that don’t reflect their size or complexity Fail to stress-test liquidity risks or model realistic scenarios Overlook group-level interdependencies, missing how parent companies or affiliates

Big news from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – they’re sharpening their fraud prevention toolkit. The regulator announced it will now have the power to cancel or amend a firm’s permission within 28 days if the firm fails to take appropriate action after a warning. Key highlights: Firms must now prove they are actively using the regulated activity they’re authorised for — or risk losing that permission. The move is aimed at tackling impersonation and cloning of authoris

FCA extends car finance compensation plan as lenders push back The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a consultation on an industry-wide compensation scheme for motor-finance customers who may have been mis-sold deals between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. Key points: The issue centres on hidden or undisclosed commissions (including discretionary commission arrangements) that may have inflated costs for borrowers. Around 14.2 million agreements — roughly 44% of

AI Growth, Human Cuts: What Big Tech’s Job Losses Signal for Financial Services Big tech is doubling down on AI—but not necessarily on people. IBM, despite beating expectations on revenue and profit, announced cuts to its global workforce as it pivots toward high-margin software and AI-driven growth. Similarly, Salesforce and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) have cut hundreds of UK jobs even though their profits have soared—reflecting the collision between “AI obsession