The FCA employs a principle based approach to regulation. Principle 7 states that “A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading.”
This is a fundamental cornerstone required of all client communication.
While some degree of technical information is inevitable, your suitability reports should nevertheless be easily understood. One effective way to test the clarity of your suitability reports is to ask a friend or family member, who has no financial services experience, and who is more likely to provide frank observations, to read and to provide critical feedback.



British Steel Transfers – Asset Retention
Shirley McKenzie Compliance 2016, 2018, FCA, Pension, transfer
The FCA has made the following announcement. “This morning we have announced that we are using emergency powers to prevent certain financial advice firms, who advised members of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS), from disposing of assets to avoid paying compensation. This follows our previous announcement on proposals for a redress scheme for former BSPS members. […]