Compliance Consultant
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CategoryConduct & Culture

Focusing on the human side of compliance: SMCR, Consumer Duty, and training.

How Mid-Sized Firms Can Evidence Consumer Duty Outcomes for FCA Board Reviews

How Mid-Sized Firms Can Evidence Consumer Duty Outcomes for FCA Board Reviews

In the Financial Conduct Authority’s review of Year 2 Consumer Duty Board reports, a clear pattern emerged: having a vulnerable customer policy on file is entir

·7 min read
Beyond the Balance Sheet: Why the FCA Scrutinizes Your Regulatory Business Plan

Beyond the Balance Sheet: Why the FCA Scrutinizes Your Regulatory Business Plan

In early 2026, submitting a Regulatory Business Plan (RBP) that reads like a traditional commercial pitch is the fastest way to trigger a regulatory rejection.

·6 min read
Evidencing Reasonable Steps Under SM&CR: A Practical Framework for Senior Managers

Evidencing Reasonable Steps Under SM&CR: A Practical Framework for Senior Managers

When the FCA investigates a regulatory breach, "I didn't know" isn't a defense for a Senior Management Function (SMF) holder. Relying on a static compliance man

·7 min read
Why the FCA is Targeting Non-Financial Misconduct in 2026 Regulatory Audits

Why the FCA is Targeting Non-Financial Misconduct in 2026 Regulatory Audits

FCA enforcement actions increased by 24% in recent reporting periods, but the regulator is no longer just looking at spreadsheets and financial returns. In 2026

·5 min read
Why the FCA Expects External Peer Benchmarking for Fair Value Assessments

Why the FCA Expects External Peer Benchmarking for Fair Value Assessments

Grading your own homework will no longer satisfy the regulator's fair value requirements. If your firm’s latest Consumer Duty board report relies entirely on in

·5 min read
How to Evidence Fair Value Benchmarking in Your Consumer Duty Board Report

How to Evidence Fair Value Benchmarking in Your Consumer Duty Board Report

The FCA's scrutiny of fair value assessments has made one thing clear for 2026: stating your firm's pricing is "competitive" without hard benchmarking data is a

·6 min read
The Definitive Guide to Auditing Price and Value Assessments for UK Fintechs

The Definitive Guide to Auditing Price and Value Assessments for UK Fintechs

When the FCA reviewed the fair value assessment frameworks of 14 major firms across retail banking, consumer investments, and payments, they found a recurring,

·7 min read

How Fintechs Fail the Vulnerable Customer Test: A Practical 2026 Compliance Guide

Up to 67% of UK consumers could be classified as vulnerable under the Financial Conduct Authority's criteria, yet most digital financial journeys are designed e

·7 min read
2026 Consumer Duty Guide for Fintechs: Moving to Continuous Monitoring and AI Compliance

2026 Consumer Duty Guide for Fintechs: Moving to Continuous Monitoring and AI Compliance

The days of relying on a 1% manual Quality Assurance (QA) sample are over. If your fintech handles 10,000 customer interactions a month and your compliance team

·7 min read
Evidencing Consumer Duty Outcomes in Fintech: Moving Beyond Manual Spreadsheets

Evidencing Consumer Duty Outcomes in Fintech: Moving Beyond Manual Spreadsheets

In 2023, meeting the initial Consumer Duty deadline often meant updating policies, training staff, and spot-checking a few customer interactions in a spreadshee

·5 min read
Why Checklists Fail: The 2026 Guide to FCA Consumer Duty Audits

Why Checklists Fail: The 2026 Guide to FCA Consumer Duty Audits

In 2023, updating your policy documents and ticking off a Consumer Duty implementation checklist was enough to satisfy the FCA. In 2026, relying on that same ch

·6 min read
SM&CR Personal Liability Guide: Why Compliance Training Is Your Only Real Defense

SM&CR Personal Liability Guide: Why Compliance Training Is Your Only Real Defense

When the FCA investigates a governance failure under the Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR), they do not just look at the firm's balance sheet. They

·7 min read
Your Solicitor Can't Save You From the FCA: Legal Advice vs. Specialist Compliance Consultancy

Your Solicitor Can't Save You From the FCA: Legal Advice vs. Specialist Compliance Consultancy

When the FCA issued 496 final notices in a recent supervisory year, the majority of firms on the receiving end had legal representation. Having a solicitor didn

·8 min read
FCA Consumer Duty and the Fintech Product Lifecycle: A 2026 Compliance Roadmap

FCA Consumer Duty and the Fintech Product Lifecycle: A 2026 Compliance Roadmap

Over [60,000 UK firms](https://www.smaply.com/blog/fca-consumer-duty-journey-map) are subject to the FCA's Consumer Duty — described as the largest regulatory o

·8 min read