​Credit Broking

Appointed Representatives and Principal Firms

Firms that become authorised by the FCA may extend authorised permissions to third party firms. These are known as ‘Appointed Representatives’.

Firms that become authorised by the FCA may extend authorised permissions to third party firms. These are known as ‘Appointed Representatives’. In having an AR, an authorised firm would be understood as the Principal firm. Many firms start as Appointed Representatives before seeking direct authorisation from the FCA.

How can MEMA help you?

Interested in becoming authorised by the FCA or maintaining compliance as an FCA authorised firm? MEMA can help, whether it is for FCA authorisations, or ongoing compliance needs.

FCA Authorisation

If you are looking to become authorised by the FCA, MEMA can help.

Each applicant who works with MEMA is assigned a dedicated Regulatory Adviser who will support you throughout your application, answering queries you may have relating to the application and providing you with guidance and support.

The process starts with a fact find between yourself and one of our Regulatory Advisors where we’ll get to know you and your business and how you intend to provide your services.

We will provide you with advice and guidance on how to comply with the FCA’s requirements and identify any risks.

We will then produce for you a series of documents to support your application and help ensure that you become authorised. These documents include a Regulatory Business Plan and Compliance Monitoring Plan. We also produce a compliance manual for you containing documentation for you to implement into your business upon authorisation to help enable you to comply with the FCA’s requirements.

An online application will then be completed along with all relevant forms, which will then be submitted to the FCA. Should there be any FCA questions, your Regulatory Adviser will work with you to draft a full response.

In short, we’re here for our clients every step of the way. We provide our clients with the benefit of our knowledge and experience to not only help ensure that your application is successful, but that your business has the right foundations to ensure positive customer outcomes.

Appointed Representatives and Principal Firms

Some firms that are authorised by the FCA can enter into an agreement enabling one or more non FCA-authorised firms to conduct regulated activity without first obtaining permission from the FCA. The FCA Authorised firm in this type of relationship is known as the Principal Firm whilst the other party is known as an Appointed Representative.

The nature of these relationships means that the Principal Firm is accountable to the FCA for ensuring the Appointed Representative complies with the FCA’s rules. For that reason, it normally comes at a cost to the Appointed Representative.

Many firms start as Appointed Representatives before seeking direct authorisation from the FCA, although this is not required.

For more information on Appointed Representatives and Principal Firms please click here.

Ongoing FCA Compliance

As an FCA authorised person or firm, you might need help to ensure you comply with the FCA’s rules.

We provide our clients with support they need to maintain compliance and avoid breaching the rules. Our bespoke service is individually tailored to each of our client’s requirements and objectives to help them meet in the best way possible.

Whether you need documentation to help you remain compliant, want ongoing advice or support, impartial monitoring of your activities or anything else, MEMA may be able to help.

Why Choose MEMA?

Get started!

MEMA has been supporting firms through the FCA compliance process since 2019. In that time, we have helped hundreds of businesses to successfully gain and retain FCA authorisation.

We have a unique blend of experience from ex-regulators, big 4 consultants and fin/regtech specialisation. Our team is highly experienced and expertly skilled. We specialise in providing our clients with solutions to often complex regulatory requirements and compliance needs.

Our unique industry insight and comfort with compliance enables our team to support you to the fullest extent possible, helping to develop your business model and compliance.

Contact us

August 29, 2022

Who would be considered a Politically Exposed Person (PEP)?

“A Politically Exposed Person (PEP) is a natural person who is or has been entrusted with prominent public functions and includes his/her immediate family or persons known to be close associates of such persons, but shall NOT include middle ranking or more junior officials.”

More about us

Navigate the New Financial Crime Landscape with FCA's Updated Guide and MEMA Consulting's Expertise

In response to evolving regulatory landscapes and recent global events, the Financial Conduct Awareness (FCA) has unveiled proposed updates to its Financial Crime Guide, CP24/9. The revisions aim to enhance sanctions systems, address proliferation financing, and refine transaction monitoring with a focus on modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence and cryptoassets. With these updates, the FCA seeks to fortify financial crime prevention measures and ensure firms are well-equipped to meet new challenges. As firms adapt to these changes, MEMA Consulting stands ready to offer expert guidance and tailored support, helping businesses align with FCA's stringent standards and navigate this complex regulatory terrain effectively.

More about us

September 26, 2022

How much are the FCA fees?

The common question we receive when firms are deciding whether to get authorised or not as an FCA regulated firm is how much will it cost?

More about us

Insights

April 11, 2021

Claims Management Companies and High Cost Lenders

In a recent post, the FCA has released its views urging Claims Management Companies and High Cost Lenders to work better together
More about us
April 11, 2021

Understanding the FCA thematic review (part1)

The Financial Conduct Authority carries out regular ‘thematic reviews’ into areas requiring further review by firms in the financial services industry.
More about us
October 19, 2021

Regulatory considerations for Consumer Credit Firms

The FCA's Director of Consumer and Retail Policy has recently provided its view on where changes are required in the Consumer Credit market.
More about us
March 24, 2025

Preparing for Future Challenges: Emerging UK Crypto Regulations and Strategic Planning

In the concluding part of our series, we shift focus to tomorrow’s regulatory environment—including pending legislation, potential expanded authorisation requirements, and international alignment trends.
More about us
August 12, 2022

The UK Financial Crime Legislation framework

MEMA has produced this financial crime series for firms, to understand the steps they can take to reduce their financial crime risk. It does not include all the financial crime risks a firm may face but provides an understanding of FCA expectations in this complex field.
More about us
April 25, 2022

What to take away from the FCA's Business Plan 2022-2023

The FCA has released its new business strategy for the next 12 months.
More about us
June 11, 2021

FCA Financial Promotions Quarterly Review

In our first of the series on regulatory smarts, we alert you to the quarterly financial promotion release issued by the FCA
More about us
December 7, 2022

Are you aware of the FCA rules to protect consumers from rogue financial promotions

Did you know that the FCA has published a consultation paper and press release setting out how it proposes to operate a new authorisations gateway for firms wanting to continue approving financial promotions for unauthorised persons.
More about us
May 2, 2021

Estate agency guidance for money laundering supervision- Part 1

If you are supervised by the HMRC for anti-money laundering purposes, you will need to meet requirements under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017.
More about us
January 28, 2022

What are regulatory controls and how do you conduct control monitoring

As a regulated firm or a firm wishing to become regulated, you will need to ensure you have a robust control plan and can conduct effective monitoring of controls. In this article, we will detail what a control plan is and the steps you can take to conduct effective control monitoring.
More about us
March 8, 2023

Buy now pay later agreements to become regulated in the UK

Currently, BNPLs and STFC companies benefit from the exemption under Article 60F of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (RAO). Firms providing BNPL products benefiting from the 60F Exemption do not have to be FCA authorised and the agreements do not need to be in a prescribed form under the CCA.
More about us
August 22, 2022

What is terrorist financing in simple terms

In the UK, Part 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000 criminalises terrorist financing and makes it an offence to:
More about us
January 9, 2023

What are the FCA Fit & Proper Requirements and Conduct rules?

Following on from our previous article about the Senior Manager regime, we provide more detail about the FCA Fit & Proper Requirements and Conduct rules.
More about us
June 12, 2022

How to write a FCA business plan

We intend on launching a range of How-To articles to help you understand and resolve your ongoing regulatory compliance matters. Our first instalment is a guide on how to write a regulatory business plan.
More about us
July 26, 2021

Regulation of the funeral plan market

On 5 July 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a consultation (CP21/20) on its proposals for regulating the pre-paid funeral plan sector. This is part of an extensive regulatory change in the pre-paid funeral plan market. Under the proposals, the FCA will take over regulation from the Funeral Planning Authority (FPA) on the 29th July 2022.‍
More about us

Your key contacts

ADEMOLA OMOSANYA

Ademola is an accomplished consultant with over a decade of experience across regulation, banking, and consumer credit. As MEMA Consultants co-founder, he leverages extensive regulatory expertise to guide clients through critical processes and full compliance. His experience across sectors enables tailored solutions to complex business challenges. Ademola partners with clients as a strategic advisor to help futureproof their business through an in-depth understanding of the regulatory landscape.

MISAH MARAGH

Misah is a director at MEMA Consultants with over a decade of experience in financial services. Holding a legal background and postgraduate qualification, she previously worked at the Financial Conduct Authority. Misah has led compliance transformation for global consumer services organisations across Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Her expertise includes implementing compliance frameworks for financial regulations, FCPA, UK Bribery Act, data privacy, and Sarbanes-Oxley. Misah is skilled at advising clients on operational and strategic projects, leveraging her in-depth knowledge of regulatory environments to deliver solutions tailored to complex business needs.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

​Credit Broking