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.



Pension Transfer charging
Alistair MacDougall Compliance abridged, FCA, P1, Pension, Pension Transfer, PI, transfer
Policy Statement PS 20-06 stated that a firm providing pension transfer advice “… may also not charge less than it would charge for investment advice of the same value”. That seems clear enough, but the rule that gives effect to this statement is subtly different. COBS 19.1B.7 states: “A firm should not charge less […]