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.
Should clients take Abridged Advice?
Paul Caine Compliance 2018, abridged, DB Pension, FCA, MiFID, Pension, Pension Transfer, Switch, TCF, transfer
Assessing suitability has always essentially been based around the same overarching principles … The recommended product type should meet the client’s profile and needs? The actual product recommended should be the most suitable, taking account of features and costs. In relation to the second principle, the cliché about cheapest is not necessarily the […]