More than 7 in 10 financial advisers (71%) believe it is getting harder for smaller independent financial advice firms to survive, according to a new survey.

Two thirds (65%) of complaints made by whistleblowers to the FCA last financial year included allegations related to compliance.

Some financial advice firms are not adequately collecting and recording client information when offering retirement income advice, according to the FCA.

The FCA has issued a public apology for delays in its investigation into peer-to-peer lending firm FundingSecure, its second apology issued in two weeks.

The FCA has this week stripped permission to carry out regulated business from a London Docklands-based financial adviser called Wise Decisions Ltd (FRN 832056).

The FCA has publicly apologised to clients of two failed mini-bond firms for the way it dealt with their complaints about the firms and will pay compensation.

The FCA is to consolidate its complaints returns in a move which it claims will ease unnecessary red tape burdens on firms.

The number of appointed representatives continued to fall in 2024/25, according to the latest data from the Financial Conduct Authority.

In this special Guest Column for Financial Planning Today, SSAS expert Martin Tilley looks at the need for SSAS regulation and asks whether we are moving closer to new rules. Martin writes regularly for Financial Planning Today's sister website SIPPs Professional which can be viewed here: https://www.sippsprofessional.co.uk/

Nikhil Rathi has been reappointed as chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority for a second five-year term and will be CEO until 2030.