The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
FCA Says Only 12% of CFD Firms Changed Charges: How Does Overnight Financing Fees Work?
- The fee combines a benchmark rate with a broker mark-up on the full position value. Charging both legs of a hedge can cost twice the mark-up despite zero net exposure.
- Pricing and compliance teams face a regulator that calls mark-ups opaque, points firms to annual rates on deal tickets and questions charging both legs of a hedge.
Tuesday, 27/10/2026 | 05:30 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
How Far Should Crypto Firms Trace a Transaction? FCA Says Risk Should Decide
- Crypto firms should be able to explain the alerts and risk scores produced by their monitoring tools, including those supplied by third parties.
- Unhosted wallets or privacy tools may warrant closer checks; blockchain links to criminal or sanctioned activity require enhanced due diligence.
Friday, 23/10/2026 | 13:56 GMT by
Tanya Chepkova
FCA Asks AI Firms to Warn Users About the Limits of Chatbot Financial Advice
- Only 40% of consumers know there is no recourse if such guidance goes wrong, the regulator's data chief said.
- Incident reports must also cover significant model failures and near-misses, she told a Bloomberg event.
Monday, 19/10/2026 | 08:38 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
FCA to Review Complex-Product Risk Tests as AI Erodes Client Screening
- Online tests may show that clients can find the right answers, not that they understand the risks of a leveraged product.
- Failing a test does not always block a trade: some clients can proceed after a warning.
Friday, 16/10/2026 | 19:42 GMT by
Tanya Chepkova
FCA Flags High Overnight Fees as Only 12% of CFD Firms Change Charges
- The regulator surveyed 81 CFD firms and found limited pricing changes, opaque funding mark-ups and inadequate client disclosures.
- CFD firms are expected to make fee information more prominent and clearer across websites, apps and deal entry screens.
Friday, 16/10/2026 | 12:14 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Opens Five-Month Authorisation Window for UK Crypto Firms
- Crypto firms seeking to continue regulated UK activities after the new regime begins on October 25, 2027, should submit applications by February 28, 2027.
- Existing AML registrations will not convert automatically; firms that fail to show the ability to meet the FCA’s requirements won't be authorised.
Wednesday, 30/09/2026 | 15:00 GMT by
Tanya Chepkova
FCA Secures £851,000 Confiscation Orders for Crypto Fraud Victims
- Confiscation orders worth £851,402 could cover about 55% of the £1.54 million lost by at least 65 investors.
- Bedi and Mavanga have three months to pay, after which the FCA plans to distribute recovered funds to the victims.
Monday, 28/09/2026 | 19:50 GMT by
Tanya Chepkova
Polymarket Wants Financial Status in Europe, but It May Come with a Retail Ban
- Polymarket is discussing financial services regulation with EU and UK authorities, but it has not identified the licence or jurisdiction it will pursue.
- Contracts classified as financial instruments may remain unavailable to retail traders under binary options restrictions.
Wednesday, 23/09/2026 | 20:04 GMT by
Tanya Chepkova
The UK Banks and Payment Firms Shut 238K Suspected Money Mule Accounts Last Year
- Stolen funds usually pass through two to five mules before criminals cash out, the FCA found.
- Closures among customers aged 40 to 49 jumped 45% in a year, the sharpest rise of any age group.
Wednesday, 23/09/2026 | 08:51 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
FCA and Bank of England Target Permanent Tokenised Markets on Back of 123 Industry Responses
- The regulator will publish a tokenisation roadmap later this year with target dates.
- Post-trade activity, particularly collateral management, was identified as the main tokenisation opportunity.
Monday, 14/09/2026 | 11:21 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Revises IPO Listing Rules to Reduce Execution Risk for UK Issuers
- The regulator will remove the seven-day IPO research waiting period to simplify UK public listings.
- The reforms follow the FCA's April proposal to remove the IPO research waiting period.
Wednesday, 05/08/2026 | 10:25 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Advances UK Equity Consolidated Tape as ESMA Pushes Market Data Reform
- The regulator confirmed the UK equity tape framework, targeting launch within the next 18 months.
- ESMA recently authorised the EU's first consolidated tape provider for shares and ETFs.
Friday, 31/07/2026 | 13:27 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
Coinbase Expands Beyond Crypto in the UK with FCA Approval for Stocks and Derivatives
- Retail users can trade equities, while advanced traders gain access to regulated perpetual futures.
- The approval follows Coinbase's European rollout of regulated OTC derivatives under its Cyprus MiFID II licence.
Tuesday, 07/07/2026 | 15:07 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Reconsiders 7-Day IPO Research Delay Amid Concerns Over Costs and Market Risk
- IPO information-sharing rules are being reviewed after feedback on the 2018 framework’s outcomes.
- The regulator is planning changes to connected IPO research-sharing requirements for banks and analysts.
Monday, 27/04/2026 | 14:07 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA and 16 Regulators Coordinate Action Against Finfluencers as 1,267 Illegal Ads Reach 2.3M UK Users
- 120 requests made to social media platforms to remove accounts linked to illegal promotions, FCA says.
- UK regulator says 66% of adverts originated from Warning List entities.
Friday, 24/04/2026 | 11:06 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
74 Brokers in the UK Can Offer CFDs to Retail Clients
- Responding to a Freedom of Information request from Finance Magnates, the FCA revealed that there were 105 firms in its CFD portfolio as of 1 December 2025.
- There were 2,547 firms authorised to act as principals and/or agents, with permission to offer CFDs, rolling spot forex, or spread bets.
Wednesday, 08/04/2026 | 11:03 GMT by
Arnab Shome
FCA and Bank of England Form Taskforce Amid Tightened Retail CFD Reporting Rules
- UK authorities seek industry input on wholesale transaction and post-trade reporting requirements.
- Firms are invited to join UK taskforce on MiFIR, EMIR, and SFTR reporting.
Thursday, 02/04/2026 | 15:07 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Fines DMBL £338K After Surveillance Gaps Left $3 Billion in CFD Trades Undetected
- The firm stopped offering CFDs in May 2025 following regulatory enforcement action.
- The company delayed fixing system flaws for months, limiting detection of suspicious CFD trading.
Friday, 27/03/2026 | 12:18 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
FCA Plans 1% Fee Rise; AI and Sandbox Expansion Could Impact CFD Oversight
- The regulator’s perimeter report flags risks: AML-only firms, AI financial guidance, speculative markets.
- It expands overseas presence, adjusts IPO rules, and consults on pension charge caps.
Thursday, 26/03/2026 | 12:07 GMT by
Tareq Sikder
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