FCA unveils new changes to the UK’s financial advice market

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) unveiled plans to allow companies to offer consumers generic recommendations without complying with all the expensive rules around providing personalised advice.

This is one of the biggest shake-ups of investment advice for a decade. Millions of British savers will be granted access to “targeted support” under wide-ranging new rules to aid people’s quest for better returns on their money.

Barclays’ analysis shows that around 13 million adults in the UK are keeping about £430 billion in cash,  based on the savers who currently have more than six months’ income in savings, which could be invested.

Meanwhile, companies such as Hargreaves Lansdown and Vanguard have already started offering these services.

FCA unveils new changes to the UK’s financial advice market

The FCA described “a once-in-a-generation change” to the UK’s financial advice market. This change will allow companies to suggest to a group of people sitting on so much cash to consider investing some in shares to earn better returns over time.

The move comes more than a decade after the FCA’s Retail Distribution Review, which was intended to increase the quality of financial advice but has also made it more expensive for the population. This left many people unable to afford such services, resulting in an “advice gap”.

The FCA said the new regime is a remedy created to help more than half of British savers, who said in a recent survey that they needed further assistance investing their money.

Based on the regulator’s argument, 7million British adults have more than £10,000 in cash savings and no investments. Hence, people between 13.5 million and 30.6million might gain from this focused assistance. 

The regulator also said it would consult on developing rules for this new activity of targeted support by December, enabling companies to make generic offers to groups of consumers with similar characteristics.

This would no longer be caught by the burdensome requirements to give customers a “personal recommendation,” such as undertaking a fully detailed suitability assessment.

Apart from these new changes, the FCA also plans to introduce a second, more focused, category called “simplified advice.” In this category, firms will be able to make a suggestion on a financial product to a customer, subject to a short document detailing their “essential relevant facts” – without having to conduct the full suitability assessment.

Several prominent figures acknowledged the importance of the FCA’s proposal 

Several prominent figures have commented on FCA’s proposals. Dan Olley, chief executive of Hargreaves Lansdown, the UK’s largest “DIY” investment site, said the proposals will be genuinely transformational in cementing a healthy retail investment culture in the UK.

According to Olley, it was obvious that there are important moments in life when several people find themselves in the advice gap. He further elaborated that in this situation, one cannot afford financial advice but needs more help than the rules permit.

James Daley, a leader of the consumer group Fairer Finance, said the changes were moving in the right direction. However, he insists that these proposals must be put in place with strong consumer protections – and that customers should have confidence that these options will not lead to their exploitation.

Jon Cleborne, the leader of Vanguard in Europe, also commented on the topic of discussion. Cleborne highlighted that FCA’s proposals are important for helping more people enjoy the benefits of long-term investing and reach their financial goals.

Lastly, Verona Kenny, the chief distribution officer at Aberdeen Adviser, reported that over 40% of individuals acknowledged that they have done little to prepare financially for retirement. Based on her argument,  the new changes appear to be the best opportunity in a generation to address this issue.

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