Hot topic: Suitability in wealth management
“Any successful wealth management service is entirely dependent on providing clients with suitable investment portfolios.
Helping firms to improve their standards on suitability is one of our priorities in supervising the sector.
… many firms still need to up their game – suitability remains one of our main concerns in the sector. “
So said the FCA in a recent regulatory roundup. The regulator has completed three separate phases of work on this aspect over the past six years, culminating in a Thematic Review in December 2015 – see our view here.
Suitability was also the theme of the investment roadshows that the FCA has been conducting around the country. See our summary here.



FCS Transitional Arrangements
Steve Bailey Compliance Update
As you will be aware the Financial Services Authority ceased to be and the Financial Conduct Authority took over the regulation of financial advice firms on 01 April 2013.
The FSA issued PS13/05 last week which includes updated rules and transition arrangements. The policy statement itself is 88 pages but the ‘appendix (3)’ that accompanies it is a mere 1990 pages so you must excuse us for not as yet absorbing every word. The document can be seen here.