In this month’s episode, David Morrey and Ben Farmer unpack the latest twist in the motor finance remediation programme, with multiple legal challenges now putting key customer communication timelines on ice and pushing firms towards contingency planning.

They talk through what the Financial Conduct Authority is signalling firms should do now, from identifying impacted complaints and agreements to pulling together the data needed on commission and disclosure practices, including where broker engagement is required. They also explore the regulator’s “plan for no scheme” scenario, and what it could mean if complaint pauses are not extended and firms must revert to business-as-usual complaint handling timescales.

Beyond motor finance, the episode covers the latest Regulatory Initiatives Grid, including the direction of travel on simplification, plus a watch list of consultations and policy updates. That includes phase one changes to SMCR, the direction of Consumer Credit Act reform as requirements shift into the FCA handbook, and the FCA’s consultation on slimming down consumer credit financial promotion rules, alongside wider questions on whether representative APR still supports consumer understanding. There is also a look at the ICO’s developing guidance on sharing personal information for fraud and scam prevention, an FCA review into bereavement handling by investment firms, and an early read on the strategy towards tokenised assets.

This month David Morrey and Ben Farmer unpack the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) final motor finance redress scheme rules — including the decision to run two schemes and what that signals about potential legal challenge and delivery timelines.

They also cover the regulators’ operational incident and third‑party reporting final rules (and what firms should be doing now, ahead of the March 2027 start date), plus the FCA’s consultation on simplified advice and what “limited scope” could mean in practice.

Finally, they round off with a rapid scan of AI in regulation — from the FCA’s own use of AI to triage and review information, to the Prudential Regulation Authority's (PRA) expectations on governance, and the Financial Ombudsman’s early observations on AI‑generated complaints — before closing on the PRA’s fine against Direct Line and what the “early account” approach tells us about regulatory engagement.

David Morrey and Ben Farmer unpack the FCA’s new sector priority reports and what they really signal for financial services firms in 2026. From insurance and consumer investments to payments, appointed representatives and motor finance redress, we explore how the regulator is shifting away from fragmented Dear CEO letters towards a more consolidated, outcomes‑focused approach — and what that means in practice for boards and senior leaders.

They also examine where regulatory expectations are tightening, where simplification and growth are being actively encouraged, and how themes such as Consumer Duty, AI adoption, financial crime, disclosures and market resilience are converging across sectors. The discussion also covers upcoming consultations, enforcement trends — including the crackdown on unauthorised financial promotions — and why firms may need to rethink how they respond to regulatory change, rather than defaulting to business‑as‑usual compliance.