UK Financial Regulation
Made Simple
End-to-end FCA authorisation support from application to approval. Get authorised faster with our proven process and free regulatory technology tools.
Where are you on your regulatory journey?
Pick your situation and we'll point you to the right support.
Get Authorised
Launching a regulated firm or adding permissions? Scope what you need and build an application that gets approved.
Explore Get AuthorisedStay Compliant
Already authorised? Keep your obligations evidenced and your controls audit-ready, without a large in-house team.
Explore Stay CompliantRespond to the FCA
Facing a query, VREQ or supervisory intervention? Respond confidently with evidence-led remediation.
Explore Respond to the FCAPrefer to browse by your role? See who we help →
Firms Authorised
FCA-regulated firms trust our expertise
Submission-Ready
Typical MEMA prep from kickoff to FCA submission. The FCA's own determination then takes 6–12 months.
Ongoing Compliance Managed
Continuous monitoring and regulatory oversight
Not sure which support you need?
Answer five short questions and get a tailored recommendation in about two minutes.
Free Compliance Tools
Professional regulatory tools used by UK financial services firms. Free to use, no registration required.
Regulatory Perimeter Assessment
Discover your FCA regulatory requirements instantly with interactive assessment mapping.
- PERG/RAO mapping
- Sourcebook explainers
- Artefact templates
FCA Fee Calculator
Calculate your annual FCA regulatory fees instantly with our wizard-style calculator.
- Instant calculations
- Pre-defined firm types
- Accurate estimates
SM&CR Navigator
Build your SM&CR framework step-by-step with our comprehensive navigator tool.
- Six-step wizard
- SMF library
- F&P tracking
Consumer Duty Outcomes Checker
Rapid structured assessment against the four Consumer Duty outcomes.
- Four outcomes assessment
- Board report export
- Evidence tracking
Financial Promotions Quick Guidance
Media-neutral pre-clearance aid for financial promotions compliance.
- All channels covered
- Product-specific rules
- Prominence guidance
Vulnerability Support Checker
Proportionate adjustments for customers in vulnerable circumstances.
- Journey-specific prompts
- FCA's 4 drivers
- MI requirements
Complaints Checker (DISP)
Stay on track with DISP timelines, mandatory letter content, and root-cause analysis.
- Timeline calculator
- Letter templates
- Root cause tags
Financial Crime Assessment
Self-assess your AML/CTF controls against Dear CEO letter themes.
- Dear CEO aligned
- RAG scoring
- Expert recommendations
RegActions Enforcement Database
Search and analyse FCA enforcement actions and penalties, plus regulators worldwide.
- 10+ years of data
- Advanced filters
- Trend analysis
FOS Complaints Database
Financial Ombudsman Service complaints data by firm and sector.
- FOS case data
- Firm comparisons
- Sector analysis
Regulatory Perimeter Assessment
Discover your FCA regulatory requirements instantly with interactive assessment mapping.
- PERG/RAO mapping
- Sourcebook explainers
- Artefact templates
FCA Fee Calculator
Calculate your annual FCA regulatory fees instantly with our wizard-style calculator.
- Instant calculations
- Pre-defined firm types
- Accurate estimates
SM&CR Navigator
Build your SM&CR framework step-by-step with our comprehensive navigator tool.
- Six-step wizard
- SMF library
- F&P tracking
Consumer Duty Outcomes Checker
Rapid structured assessment against the four Consumer Duty outcomes.
- Four outcomes assessment
- Board report export
- Evidence tracking
Financial Promotions Quick Guidance
Media-neutral pre-clearance aid for financial promotions compliance.
- All channels covered
- Product-specific rules
- Prominence guidance
Vulnerability Support Checker
Proportionate adjustments for customers in vulnerable circumstances.
- Journey-specific prompts
- FCA's 4 drivers
- MI requirements
Complaints Checker (DISP)
Stay on track with DISP timelines, mandatory letter content, and root-cause analysis.
- Timeline calculator
- Letter templates
- Root cause tags
Financial Crime Assessment
Self-assess your AML/CTF controls against Dear CEO letter themes.
- Dear CEO aligned
- RAG scoring
- Expert recommendations
RegActions Enforcement Database
Search and analyse FCA enforcement actions and penalties, plus regulators worldwide.
- 10+ years of data
- Advanced filters
- Trend analysis
FOS Complaints Database
Financial Ombudsman Service complaints data by firm and sector.
- FOS case data
- Firm comparisons
- Sector analysis
Regulatory Perimeter Assessment
Discover your FCA regulatory requirements instantly with interactive assessment mapping.
- PERG/RAO mapping
- Sourcebook explainers
- Artefact templates
FCA Fee Calculator
Calculate your annual FCA regulatory fees instantly with our wizard-style calculator.
- Instant calculations
- Pre-defined firm types
- Accurate estimates
SM&CR Navigator
Build your SM&CR framework step-by-step with our comprehensive navigator tool.
- Six-step wizard
- SMF library
- F&P tracking
Consumer Duty Outcomes Checker
Rapid structured assessment against the four Consumer Duty outcomes.
- Four outcomes assessment
- Board report export
- Evidence tracking
Financial Promotions Quick Guidance
Media-neutral pre-clearance aid for financial promotions compliance.
- All channels covered
- Product-specific rules
- Prominence guidance
Vulnerability Support Checker
Proportionate adjustments for customers in vulnerable circumstances.
- Journey-specific prompts
- FCA's 4 drivers
- MI requirements
Complaints Checker (DISP)
Stay on track with DISP timelines, mandatory letter content, and root-cause analysis.
- Timeline calculator
- Letter templates
- Root cause tags
Financial Crime Assessment
Self-assess your AML/CTF controls against Dear CEO letter themes.
- Dear CEO aligned
- RAG scoring
- Expert recommendations
RegActions Enforcement Database
Search and analyse FCA enforcement actions and penalties, plus regulators worldwide.
- 10+ years of data
- Advanced filters
- Trend analysis
FOS Complaints Database
Financial Ombudsman Service complaints data by firm and sector.
- FOS case data
- Firm comparisons
- Sector analysis
Hover over any tool to pause • Use arrows to navigate
Expert Regulatory Support
End-to-end compliance services for UK financial services firms.
FCA Authorisation
Be ready to submit to the FCA in ~6 weeks.
Learn moreCompliance Outsourcing
Your external compliance team.
Learn moreSMCR Implementation
Senior Managers Regime expertise.
Learn moreConsumer Duty
Meet FCA's new standards.
Learn moreFinancial Crime
AML, CTF and sanctions controls for regulated firms.
Learn moreSelected client work
Examples of how we’ve helped firms get authorised, stay compliant, and respond to the FCA.
Our winning partners
FCA Authorisation, Explained in 2 Minutes
What the application actually involves, what the FCA is looking for, and where most firms lose time.
Supporting firms across 11 FCA sectors, from payments to pensions.
What Our Clients Say
Trusted by 100+ UK financial services firms for FCA authorisation and compliance.
During our payment services authorisation, we faced unexpected challenges with our case handler. MEMA advocated for us professionally, secured a case handler change, and supported us through personnel transitions. They even prepared our COO for the FCA interview. Authorised in 9 months despite the complexity - they went above and beyond.
Our compliance resource suddenly left, leaving us exposed to regulatory risk. MEMA stepped in immediately, conducted a full compliance review, and stabilised our operations over 6 months while we recruited. They prevented potential FCA scrutiny and got us back to a strong compliance footing.
We had compliance position issues flagged by the FCA during our investment authorisation. MEMA navigated the regulatory concerns with us, provided detailed supplementary evidence, and worked directly with the FCA to satisfy all queries. Their ex-regulator perspective was invaluable - we're now successfully authorised.
Regulatory Updates
Rapid intelligence on FCA policy statements, Dear CEO letters, and enforcement priorities, curated by the MEMA regulatory team.
Firms’ confidence, satisfaction and trust in the FCA rise
**What changed** - The FCA‑Practitioner Panel annual survey shows firm‑level sentiment improving: high satisfaction rose from 74% to 79%; rating the FCA as a highly effective regulator rose from 69% to 76%; and high trust increased to 75%. - Understanding of the Consumer Duty is now reported by 88% of firms (up from last year). - Awareness of the FCA’s “Secondary International Competitiveness and Growth Objective” jumped 27 percentage points, and confidence in its delivery rose 25 points. - The FCA has removed outdated or duplicated data‑return requirements for ≈90 % of firms, aiming to cut reporting burden. **Who is affected** - All FCA‑regulated firms (banks, insurers, investment firms, consumer credit firms, crypto‑asset firms, etc.) that submit regulatory data and are subject to the Consumer Duty. **Actions to consider (process steps only)** 1. **Review the latest FCA guidance on the Consumer Duty** to confirm that your firm’s policies, product design and communications meet the 88 %‑reported understanding benchmark. 2. **Map current data‑return obligations** against the FCA’s list of removed/duplicated returns; discontinue any now‑redundant submissions. 3. **Update internal dashboards** to reflect the FCA’s secondary competitiveness objective and document how your firm contributes to it. 4. **Document the firm’s satisfaction and trust metrics** for internal governance reporting, noting the improved industry benchmarks. **Deadlines** - No formal deadline is attached to the survey results, but firms should complete the above reviews **within the next 12 months** to align with the FCA’s ongoing simplification programme and upcoming regulatory reforms (e.g., BNPL, crypto‑asset regime). **Source** - FCA RSS feed – “Firms’ confidence, satisfaction and trust in the FCA rise” (RSS).
FCA Authorisations operating service metrics 2026/27 Q1
**What changed** – The FCA released its Q1 2026/27 Authorisations operating service metrics (April‑June 2026). Seven metrics are now “green”, two “amber” and three “red”. A new “Adjacent Variations of Permission” category is added, with a voluntary target of 3‑month processing for complete applications and 6‑month for incomplete ones (achieving 94.2% – amber). Overall, 97.9% of cases met the applicable deadline, up from 97.5% in Q4 2025/26. **Who’s affected** – Solo‑regulated firms applying for new authorisations, variations, 3/4‑MLD, 5‑MLD and payment‑services/e‑money authorisations. Dual‑regulated firms are measured by the PRA, not this FCA RSS release. **Actions to consider (process steps only)** 1. Review the detailed PDF to identify the specific metric(s) where your firm falls (e.g., New Firm Authorisation, Adjacent Variation). 2. Compare your current application processing times against the new voluntary targets (3 months complete, 6 months incomplete). 3. Adjust internal timelines and resource allocation to meet or exceed the published lower‑quartile calendar‑day benchmarks. 4. Document any incomplete applications early to trigger the 6‑month target pathway. **Deadline** – The metrics cover the period 1 April 2026 – 30 June 2026; firms should align processes for the next reporting period (Q2 2026/27) starting 1 July 2026. **Source** – FCA RSS feed, “Authorisations operating service metrics 2026/27 Q1” (PDF).
CP26/34: Preparing for the new transaction reporting regime
**What changed** – The FCA is consulting on a package of guidance, handbook amendments and transitional provisions to support firms under the new transaction‑reporting regime (PS26/15). The package includes a draft schema and validation rules, a proposed “Transaction Reporting User Pack”, and updates to reference MAR 13‑15. **Who is affected** – Investment firms, trading‑venue operators, approved reporting mechanisms, trade associations and any market participant that submits transaction reports, instrument reference data or order‑book data. **Actions to consider (process steps only)** 1. Review the consultation paper (CP26/34) and draft schema/validation rules on the Market Data Processor (MDP) site. 2. Map current reporting processes against the proposed changes (handbook amendments, MAR 13‑15 references). 3. Prepare internal comments on clarity gaps or needed examples; submit via the FCA online response form, email, or post. 4. Begin aligning systems to the draft schema to meet the 3 April 2028 implementation date. 5. Monitor the Q1 2027 consultation on the Transaction Reporting User Pack and plan to adopt the final pack by 3 April 2027. **Key deadline** – Submit consultation responses by **6 November 2026**. **Source** – FCA Consultation Paper CP26/34, “Preparing for the new transaction reporting regime” (CP). https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/cp/cp26-34.pdf
FCA Explainers
Plain-English guides to FCA Handbook requirements, compliance frameworks, and regulatory decisions.
DISP Complaints Handling
What the FCA expects from your complaints process, timelines, and root cause analysis.
Read guideHandbookConsumer Duty Outcomes
The four outcomes your firm must deliver under PRIN 2A and how to evidence them.
Read guideGovernanceSM&CR Responsibilities Map
Building an effective responsibilities map with prescribed responsibilities and gap analysis.
Read guideImplementationFinancial Crime Controls
Implementing an effective AML/CTF framework covering BWRA, CDD, monitoring, and SARs.
Read guideCompareDIY vs Consultant: FCA Authorisation
Side-by-side comparison of self-managing vs using a specialist for FCA applications.
Read guideDecisionSection 166 Readiness
How to prepare for and respond to an FCA skilled person review.
Read guideReady to Get Started?
Book a free consultation to discuss your FCA authorisation or compliance needs.
Book a Free Scoping Call