How effective have new Consumer Duty protections been since being introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2023? How have financial services firms responded? And what kind of enforcement risks should firms be concerned about?

Now that the dust has somewhat settled, this podcast looks at the impact of new consumer protections introduced by the FCA in 2023. For many financial services firms this has been a huge shift; requiring a fresh approach to regulation, governance, management information, and more.

In this episode, Ashurst colleagues Nathan Willmott, Jake Green and Adam Jamieson offer a balanced view of the relative highs and lows of the Consumer Duty so far. They discuss the FCA’s focus on vulnerable customers, analyse the regulator's communications explaining its expectations to firms, and reflect on the FCA’s broadly positive view of how firms have responded.

While acknowledging the administrative burden on firms, Adam and Jake agree that the Duty has had a positive cultural impact. And Nathan points out that the Duty is one way in which the FCA is using a broader toolkit to get firms to do what it wants them to do.

Our expert panel also point out some areas of concern (including hidden costs and the unpredictability of where enforcement may occur), and they highlight some of the FCA’s learning experiences to date. The trio discuss what “doing the right thing” means in practice and how much risk this carries for regulated firms. And finally, they suggest some modifications that the FCA could make to its approach, which would ensure the Consumer Duty has the most effective impact going forward.

To hear this (and to subscribe to future episodes in season two of our enforcement mini-series) search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast player. And to find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts, visit ashurst.com/podcasts.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

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