Supervisory correspondence

Find out how we communicate with the firms we supervise.

Why we communicate with firms we supervise

We regularly communicate with the firms we supervise to set out our view of how firms and markets are performing. Our communications set out our approach and priorities and make clear our expectations of firms.

We issued some of the letters on this page before the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, so our approach may change accordingly.

How we communicate

We use a range of different channels to communicate with firms. These include:

  • sending letters to senior individuals in firms
  • using social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn
  • publishing our monthly 'Regulation Round-up' email or 'Market Watch' newsletter
  • proactively calling from our Contact Centre and supervisory teams
  • hosting industry roundtable events
  • senior FCA staff making speeches and
  • engaging with firms at public events such as our 'Live and Local' programme

Portfolio letters

We supervise all firms as members of a portfolio of firms that share a common business model. For portfolio communications, we will set out our view of the main risks of harm in a portfolio, the action we expect firms to take, and what we will be doing to reduce the level of harm in that sector. 

Where firms’ activities span multiple regulated sectors, they will receive a letter for the main portfolio they operate in. But firms should also review letters for other portfolios that may be relevant to their business and act on the expectations we set out.

To help them do this, here are the letters we have published so far by sector. We have not yet written to all portfolios.

We regularly review our portfolios and will make changes to our approach where appropriate.

Portfolio letters published by sector

 

Sector Portfolio Portfolio letter
Wholesale Buy-Side

Asset Management

 

 

 

Alternatives

 

 

 

Custody and fund services

Our Asset Management & Alternatives Supervisory Strategy – interim update (2024)

Asset management (2023)

Asset management, custody & fund services and alternatives (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Asset management (2020)

Alternatives, 2022

Alternatives, 2020
 

Custody and fund services supervision strategy

Wholesale Sell-Side

Contracts for Difference (CFD) providers

 

Wholesale Brokers

 

Principal Trading Firms

Wholesale banks
 

CFD providers (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

CFD providers
 

Wholesale brokers 2023

Wholesale brokers

Principal Trading Firms

Wholesale banks

Infrastructure & Exchanges

Benchmarks

 

Credit Rating Agencies

Repositories

Exchanges

Corporate Finance Firms

Multilateral Trading Facilities and Organised Trading Facilities

Benchmarks, 2022

Benchmarks, 2020

Credit Rating Agencies

Repositories

 

Corporate Finance Firms, 2023

Enforcement and Market Oversight Data Reporting Service Providers Data Reporting Services Providers

Retail lending

Consumer lending

  • Credit unions
  • High cost lenders
  • Mainstream consumer credit lenders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit brokers
High cost lenders

Motor finance providers

Retail finance providers

Peer-to-peer lending platforms

Building societies

Credit unions

Retail mortgage lenders

Mortgage third party administrators

Mortgage intermediaries

Lifetime mortgage providers

Credit reference agencies, and providers of credit information services

Debt purchasers, debt collectors, and debt administrators

Debt advice firms

Mainstream consumer credit lenders

Claims Management Companies

Non-bank lenders

 

Credit unions, high cost lenders and mainstream consumer credit lenders (2024)

Historic letters:

High cost lending products (2022)

Portfolio Strategy Letter to firms providing high cost lending products (2019)

Mainstream consumer credit (2020)

Implementing the consumer duty in mainstream consumer credit lenders (MCCL), (2023)

Strategy for credit unions (2022)

Implementing the consumer duty in credit unions (2023)

 

 

Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms

Mortgage Third Party Administrators

Outsourcing to Third Party Mortgage Administrators

Credit brokers

Credit brokers (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

High cost lenders, 2020

High cost lenders, 2022

Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) and Credit Information Service Providers (CISPs) (2020)

Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) and Credit Information Service Providers (CISPs) (Consumer Duty and portfolio letter, 2023)

Debt advice firms, 2020

Claims Management Companies (CMCs) 2020

Claims Management Companies (CMCs) 2023

Mortgage Intermediaries

Mortgage Intermediaries (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Mainstream Consumer Credit Lenders

Mainstream Consumer Credit Lenders (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Debt purchasers, Debt collectors and Debt Administrators

Debt purchasers, Debt collectors and Debt Administrators (Consumer Duty portfolio letter, 2023)

Credit unions

Credit unions (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Building societies

Retail mortgage lenders

Non-bank mortgage lenders

Debt advice firms, 2022

Debt advice firms (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Credit lenders

Mortgage lenders and administrators (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Retail finance providers (Consumer Duty portfolio letter, 2023)

Motor finance providers (Consumer Duty portfolio letter, 2023)

 

General insurance and protection

Personal and commercial lines insurance

  • Personal and commercial lines insurers (incl. EEA insurers)
  • Personal and commercial lines insurance intermediaries
  • Price comparison websites

Wholesale insurance

  • Lloyd’s managing agents & London market (re)insurers (incl. P&I Clubs)
  • Lloyd’s & London market intermediaries (including managing general agents)

Life insurance

Funeral plans

Personal and commercial lines insurance (2023)

Wholesale Insurance (2023)

Life insurance (2023)

Funeral plans (2023)

Historic letters:

Personal and commercial lines insurers (incl. EEA insurers) - 2020

Personal and commercial lines insurers (incl. EEA insurers) - 2021

Personal and commercial lines insurance intermediaries

Lloyd’s & London market intermediaries (including managing general agents)

Life insurance

Price Comparison Websites (PCWs)

Lloyd’s & London market insurers and others - 2020

Lloyd’s & London market insurers and other - 2021 

Supervisory strategy for life insurers

General insurance and pure protection firms (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Life insurance (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Pensions & retail investments

Advisers and intermediaries

Platforms

Wealth management
SIPP operators

Crowdfunders (investment)

Investment-based crowdfunding

Platforms, 2023

Platforms update, 2021

Advisers and intermediaries

Financial advisers and intermediaries

Platforms, 2020

Wealth management

SIPP operators (2023)

SIPP operators

Consumer investments (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Retail banking and payments

Retail banks

E-Money issuers

Payment services firms

Payment services firms and e-money issuers

Payment services firms and e-money issuers (Consumer Duty portfolio letter, 2023)

Retail banks

Retail banks and building societies (Consumer Duty letter, 2023)

Other correspondence

We also write to the chief executives of firms when we need to address senior people in regulated firms about very significant issues that require quick action from the firms. 

Search our Dear CEO letters.

Page updates

: Document added Credit unions, high cost lenders and mainstream consumer credit lenders portfolio letter
: Information added Our Asset Management & Alternatives Supervisory Strategy – interim update
: Editorial amendment Link to letter updated
: Information added Principal Trading Firms letter
: Information added SIPP operators (2023) letter
: Editorial amendment update to table of portfolio letters published by sector
: Publication added Consumer Duty letters to firms
: Editorial amendment Updates to page features for website refresh.
: Link added Data Reporting Services Providers letter added to Wholesale financial markets sector.
: Information added Credit Rating Agencies added to Portfolio column in Portfolio letters published by sector table.