UK Conduct Regulator Warns Firms About Misleading Financial Promotions

The Financial Conduct Authority has published a "Dear CEO" letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officers of all FCA-regulated firms. In the letter, the FCA highlights its concerns over the practice engaged in by some firms of issuing financial promotions which suggest or imply that all of the activities or investments undertaken by the firm are regulated by the FCA and/or Prudential Regulation Authority, when they are not.

Some regulated firms undertake both regulated and unregulated business. The FCA has identified that some of these firms are issuing financial promotions which do not make clear which aspects of its business are not regulated by the FCA and/or PRA. This breaches the requirement that all financial promotions are fair, clear and not misleading and that a firm cannot indicate or imply that it is regulated or otherwise supervised by the FCA for its unregulated business. The FCA encourages all firms to reflect on the letter and ensure that their actions comply with the FCA's rules relating to financial promotions.

View the letter. 

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