MEMA Insights
Clear, practical commentary on FCA regulation, enforcement and sector change, for the people who have to act on it.
Explore by topic
Featured article · Payments & Crypto
The FCA cryptoasset gateway opened on 30 September 2026 and closes on 28 February 2027, with the regime starting on 25 October 2027. What to prepare.
10 min read
Featured article · Regulatory Change
Ten compliance priorities for 2026 drawn from the FCA's 2026/27 Business Plan and Regulatory Initiatives Grid, and what each means operationally.
14 min read
Featured article · Consumer Credit
Handling motor finance commission complaints now the FCA's pause on the eight-week deadline has ended, with the July 2026 Upper Tribunal update on PS26/3.
14 min read
Consumer DutyComplaints root cause analysis: what the FCA expects from firms
Governance & SM&CRCore, enhanced or limited scope: which SM&CR category is your firm
Consumer CreditComplaints data 2026 H1: 1.85m complaints and reporting duties
Consumer DutyThe FCA's drivers of vulnerability: a practical guideTopic hubs
Every article and the tools behind it, grouped by the questions firms ask us most.
Regulatory intelligence that keeps you ahead
FCA fines in 2026, by month
£19.8m
across 19 final notices, January to September 2026. The largest month is highlighted.
| Month | Fines | Total value |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | £2.5m |
| February | 1 | £238k |
| March | 2 | £13.3m |
| April | 0 | None |
| May | 1 | £755k |
| June | 0 | None |
| July | 0 | None |
| August | 5 | £1.1m |
| September | 5 | £1.9m |
Share of 2026 fine value, by breach theme
Fraud is 66% of the total
Themes are the FCA breach categories recorded against each of the year’s fines (£19.8m in all).
Upcoming FCA deadlines
6 dates to plan around, to August 2027
Articles by topic
151 articles across 10 regulatory topics
Fines: FCA final notices in the RegActions database. Deadlines: FCA publications with a deadline date, filtered to firms we advise. Articles: MEMA Insights.
Showing 1–12 of 151 articles
The FCA's root cause analysis report links DISP 1.3.3R to firms' management controls. This guide explains what the FCA found, what good practice looks like, and how to decide when a formal analysis is needed.
Core is the FCA's default SM&CR category for solo-regulated firms. This guide explains the enhanced thresholds, limited scope and sole traders, and the SMFs each category needs.
See the FCA's January to June 2026 complaints figures, what they cover and exclude, and how your firm's six-monthly reporting feeds into them.
The FCA's four drivers of vulnerability from FCA guidance on fair treatment of vulnerable customers, what the FCA's 2025 and 2026 reviews found about identifying vulnerable customers, and how to build the drivers into MI and support.
See how the FCA proposes to split consolidated tape income among data contributors, who the paper is relevant to, and what to do before responses close on 17 December 2026.
The FCA expects firms to maintain effective financial crime systems and controls, set out in SYSC and the Financial Crime Guide. This guide explains what applies to advice firms and how to build a fraud framework from the FCA's own findings.
What FCA case officers ask founders and approved-person candidates in authorisation interviews, a question bank by theme, common traps, possible outcomes including a VREQ, and a preparation checklist.
What an MLRO's legal and regulatory role covers (MLR 2017 reg 21, SYSC 6.3.9R, SMF17, POCA), what the FCA tests, an MLRO question bank with strong-answer outlines and a two-week preparation plan.
How to test Consumer Duty outcomes rather than just collect MI: defining good outcomes, setting and explaining thresholds, acting on results and showing the change worked, using the FCA's 27 July 2026 review.
The FCA has contacted the full Annex 1 population and begun restricting firms where AML controls are not good enough. We explain the areas unregulated lenders and other Annex 1 firms should review now.
Learn what the FCA expects of mortgage brokers, what the £2,820 application fee covers, and which Consumer Duty and disclosure evidence the FCA reviews when it assesses an application.
The FCA’s final cryptoasset perimeter guidance clarifies which activities will need FSMA authorisation from 25 October 2027, outlines the transitional application window and sets out practical steps for firms across the crypto, payments and traditional finance sectors.
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