The Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it will be putting forward proposals for aligning the Financial Services Register with the expanded Senior Managers & Certification Regimes. The SM&CR has been in place for banks, building societies, credit unions and PRA-designated investment firms since March 2016, whilst certain insurers have been subject to the separate Senior Insurance Managers Regime. The remainder of authorized firms have continued to be subject to the Approved Persons Regime. The FCA recently consulted on expanding the existing SM&CR to all other authorized firms.
Under the SM&CR, the FCA only approves Senior Managers and it is only these individuals that appear in the FS Register. The Certification Regime requires firms to certify that all individuals in roles which pose a risk of significant harm are "fit and proper".
Feedback on the proposals to extend the SM&CR indicated that there would be public value in including details of certification of employees and other important individuals at firms in the FS Register. The FCA intends to consult in the Summer on implementing that feedback. If these proposals are implemented, non-executive directors, financial advisers, traders and portfolio managers would appear in the revised FS Register.
View the FCA's statement.
View the proposals to extend the SM&CR.
