Operating a financial services business in the UK without the required authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a serious breach of regulations. Here are the potential consequences if you provide services that should be regulated by the FCA but are not: Legal Penalties : Engaging in regulated activities without authorisation is a criminal offence under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. You could face prosecution, which might result in a fine or i

Our clients are typical experienced professional who have worked for investment banks, corporate finance firms, private equity firms or investment managers and who want to venture out on their own. The businesses may have just one or several professionals and there may be support or administrative staff. Although it is difficult to generalise, the typical total number of staff at an Appointed Representative of ours would be between one and six staff. The majority of the activ

You will almost certainly need to be regulated/authorised if: you are giving financial advice to someone and your advice is specific to them; and if you are paid on the basis of the success of a transaction in which you are somehow involved.

As an AR of Expert Analysis Group you can: advise on investments, arrange (bring about) deals in investments and make arrangements with a view to transactions in investments.

We were recently asked whether a firm that is not regulated could partner with a firm that is regulated such that the regulated and unregulated firms could both give investment advice or arrange/bring about deals? The answer is almost certainly no! When two UK-based firms are jointly giving investment advice, both advisors need to be regulated. Some of the requirement and implications are listed below: Regulation requirements Both must be regulated: Each advisor must be au

A management consultant working with a corporate client on an acquisition, may need to be regulated by the FCA!

In the UK, bringing investors together to invest collectively in an investment opportunity typically involves regulated activities such as arranging deals in investments or managing a collective investment scheme. Both of these activities require authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), according to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). There are many things that you need to consider when bringing people together to invest and the list below giv