Strengthening trust and support in UK consumer investments
Lucy Castledine, FCA Director of Consumer Investments, outlined the regulator's priorities for the UK consumer investment market. Speaking at the TISA Inclusive Investing Conference, she highlighted building trust, securing good customer outcomes, and strengthening financial crime controls.
Four pillars for consumer investments
The FCA has published its new annual Regulatory Priority report, replacing previous portfolio letters, to provide a clear guide for firms in the consumer investment market.
This report details four key priorities: building a stronger investment culture, strengthening trust, securing good customer outcomes, and strengthening financial crime controls.
These priorities underpin the FCA's overarching strategic goals to help consumers, support growth, fight crime, and be a smarter regulator.
The consumer investment sector is a cornerstone of the UK economy, serving 19 million adults.
The FCA emphasizes that inclusive investing is essential to unlocking long-term prosperity, addressing the fact that many individuals are held back from investing by a lack of confidence or knowledge.
Firms are expected to read the report carefully and act where needed.
Navigating risk and expanding access
The FCA is clarifying rules around risk warnings for mainstream investments, encouraging firms to communicate risks and returns in an engaging and accessible way.
The targeted support regime is a major initiative, entering its final phase and going live on April 6, 2026.
The authorisations gateway opened on March 2, 2026, for firms to apply.
The FCA encourages engagement via its pre-application support service (PASS) and is developing a consumer-facing webpage with MaPS.
The regulator also issued a discussion paper on expanding consumer access to investments, with a response deadline of March 6, 2026, seeking feedback on empowering informed risk-taking and building confidence.
Proactive push for a healthier market
This comprehensive outline from the FCA signals a determined effort to reshape the UK's consumer investment landscape.
While the focus on collaboration is welcome, the sheer volume of new requirements presents a significant compliance challenge for firms.
The ultimate success hinges on firms' ability to translate these ambitious regulatory goals into tangible, consumer-centric outcomes.