FCA — Financial Conduct Authority

FCA

The UK's financial services regulator, responsible for ensuring that financial markets work well and consumers are protected.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the conduct regulator for financial services firms and financial markets in the UK. It regulates approximately 50,000 firms and sets standards for around 18,000 additional firms. The FCA operates independently of the UK government and is funded by fees charged to the firms it regulates.

The FCA maintains the Financial Services Register, a public record of firms authorised to provide financial services. This register includes banks, insurers, investment firms, mortgage lenders, payment services providers, and consumer credit firms. Each firm is assigned a unique Firm Reference Number (FRN).

The FCA's objectives are to protect consumers, protect financial markets, and promote competition. It has extensive enforcement powers including the ability to fine firms, withdraw authorisation, and prosecute market abuse and financial crime.

BORSCH.AI integrates FCA register data covering over 430,000 firms, linking authorisation status, permissions, and regulatory actions to company records. This enables compliance verification and regulatory risk assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if a firm is FCA regulated?

You can check the FCA's Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk, or search for the company on BORSCH.AI where FCA registration status is shown alongside 52 other data sources.

What does FCA authorisation mean?

FCA authorisation means a firm has been approved to conduct specific regulated activities such as accepting deposits, arranging insurance, or managing investments. Different permissions allow different activities.

What happens if a firm operates without FCA authorisation?

Operating a regulated financial service without FCA authorisation is a criminal offence. Consumers who deal with unauthorised firms lose protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS compensation scheme.

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Data sourced from 53 official UK government and regulatory bodies including Companies House, FCA, HMRC, and Land Registry. Updated daily.