Guides & Support

We aim to make it easy for personal finance professionals to share and learn from consumer duty and vulnerability good practice, and support them in meeting the regulator’s expectations. 

This page brings together Consumer Duty Alliance and Financial Vulnerability Taskforce publications plus relevant and practical resources from other organisations.

  • Latest additions

    CDA Guide to Economic Abuse
    We’re all likely to know someone who’s experiencing economic abuse, whether a friend, family member, colleague or client. This guide explains what it is and highlights useful resources.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (November 2023).

    Dear CEO letter - Action required: Expectations for wealth management and stockbroking firms
    FCA letter setting out their assessment of this sector’s key harms and their updated supervisory priorities: preventing financial crime and meeting Consumer Duty outcomes. Letter was sent to those accountable for ensuring their firm meets FCA requirements and expectations in full and at all times.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    The 2023 Nucleus UK Retirement Confidence Index
    This first of its kind annual index will track UK retirement confidence over time and act as a basis for, and measure of, the success of collaborative change across the industry. 
    The inaugural Index score is 6.9/10 with a negative outlook. This outlook is based on the decline of defined benefit pension provision and inadequate defined contribution pots, combined with cost of living worries and low expectations around investment returns.
    Produced by Nucleus Financial Platforms with adviser research by the lang cat (November 2023).

    FCA webinar - Consumer Duty: The next steps
    The FCA is hosting a webinar on 6 December 2023 to help firms understand our expectations now the Duty is in force. This will focus on: Our supervision and enforcement approach, Sector specific areas of focus, Examples of good practice and Next steps for firms.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    Consumer Duty: Not once and done
    A speech by Nisha Arora, Director of Cross Cutting Policy and Strategy, marking three months since the Duty came into force.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    Vulnerability in retirement
    A new guide ‘written by Tim Farmer, Clinical Director at Comentis, and Martin Lines, Development Director at Just, that explores the key areas of vulnerability and how a wide range of vulnerabilities may present themselves as people age.
    Produced by Just (October 2023).

    Annual Consumer Duty board reports - preparation tips
    The clock’s already counting down to the 31 July 2024 deadline for firms to produce their first annual Board Report. This guide includes five tips to help you prepare.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (October 2023).

    The financial wellbeing of disabled people in the UK
    A study of 815 disabled people looking at what ‘financial wellbeing’ means to them and the difficulties they face in trying to improve their financial wellbeing. 
    Produced by Personal Finance Research Centre (University of Bristol) and Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (September 2023).

    Seen yet sidelined
    Report reveals that every 20 minutes a victim-survivor of economic abuse reports to the police. Also calls on government to consider how the financial services sector could support criminal prosecutions of controlling or coercive behaviour.
    Produced by Surviving Economic Abuse charity (September 2023).

    FVT Good Practice Guide - Supporting bereaved clients and their families
    Providing over 30 examples of practical actions financial advice firms might consider to help clients, and links to almost 100 organisations offering specialist support.
    Produced by The Financial Vulnerability Taskforce (FVT) with support from Legal & General
    (August 2023).

  • Consumer Duty - Adviser support

    CDA Guide to Economic Abuse
    We’re all likely to know someone who’s experiencing economic abuse, whether a friend, family member, colleague or client. This guide explains what it is and highlights useful resources.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (November 2023).

    The 2023 Nucleus UK Retirement Confidence Index
    This first of its kind annual index will track UK retirement confidence over time and act as a basis for, and measure of, the success of collaborative change across the industry. 
    The inaugural Index score is 6.9/10 with a negative outlook. This outlook is based on the decline of defined benefit pension provision and inadequate defined contribution pots, combined with cost of living worries and low expectations around investment returns.
    Produced by Nucleus Financial Platforms with adviser research by the lang cat (November 2023).

    Annual Consumer Duty board reports - preparation tips
    The clock’s already counting down to the 31 July 2024 deadline for firms to produce their first annual Board Report. This guide includes five tips to help you prepare.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (October 2023).

    The financial wellbeing of disabled people in the UK
    A study of 815 disabled people looking at what ‘financial wellbeing’ means to them and the difficulties they face in trying to improve their financial wellbeing. 
    Produced by Personal Finance Research Centre (University of Bristol) and Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (September 2023).

    Consumer Duty and the Thematic Review: The impact on retirement income advice (45 min webinar)
    What could advice firms consider as part of the Consumer Duty, and its close relative, the Thematic review of retirement income advice?
    With Tom Carroll, Business Development Manager, Legal & General Retail Annuities and Tony Miles MBA, DipPFS, Secretariat of the Consumer Duty Alliance.

    Produced by Legal & General (July 2023).

    Alliance publication - Establishing a framework for fair value
    This means firms being able to clearly demonstrate and evidence how any product or service they provide offers fair value. It is not about the absolute level of fees charged.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (June 2023).

    Alliance publication - Establishing your target markets
    The Duty's Products and Services outcome requires firms to prove that the products and services they distribute are designed to meet client needs, characteristics and objectives in identified target markets.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (June 2023).

    Alliance publication - Consumer Duty makes vulnerability work even more important
    How has Consumer Duty upgraded the approach firms should take when considering vulnerability?
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (May 2023).

    Alliance publication - How ready are you for Consumer Duty?
    Key milestones for financial advice firms ahead of Consumer Duty’s implementation date 31 July 2023.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance (May 2023).

    Consumer Understanding Report
    Consumer Duty requires firms to test, monitor and evidence how well communications are understood by consumers. This report shows how the Money Alive educational toolbox and customer surveys can help firms meet this requirement.
    Produced by Money Alive (May 2023).

    Alliance publication - Combining Consumer Duty and Retirement Income
    Comment and analysis for financial advice and planning firms.
    Produced by The Consumer Duty Alliance in partnership with Legal & General (March 2023).

    Consumer Duty Best Practice Guide
    This guide sets out proposed industry good practice, together with a list of resources in the Appendix.
    Produced by TISA (March 2023)

  • Consumer Duty - Regulatory and government publications

    Dear CEO letter - Action required: Expectations for wealth management and stockbroking firms
    FCA letter setting out their assessment of this sector’s key harms and their updated supervisory priorities: preventing financial crime and meeting Consumer Duty outcomes. Letter was sent to those accountable for ensuring their firm meets FCA requirements and expectations in full and at all times.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    FCA webinar - Consumer Duty: The next steps
    The FCA is hosting a webinar on 6 December 2023 to help firms understand our expectations now the Duty is in force. This will focus on: Our supervision and enforcement approach, Sector specific areas of focus, Examples of good practice and Next steps for firms.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    Consumer Duty: Not once and done
    A speech by Nisha Arora, Director of Cross Cutting Policy and Strategy, marking three months since the Duty came into force.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (November 2023).

    PS22/9: A new Consumer Duty
    Policy Statement and Finalised Guidance
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (July 2022).

    Consumer Duty – information for firms
    FCA explanations, prompted by enquiries from firms, on areas of the Duty which are relevant for the wider market. 
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (updated regularly).

    FCA sets out 14-point action plan on cash savings
    The plan aims to ensure banks and building societies are passing on interest rate rises to savers appropriately, communicating with customers much more effectively and offering better savings rate deals.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (July 2023).

    Ten key questions for firms to consider
    With one month to go until the Consumer Duty comes into force, these questions can help you to identify and remedy gaps or areas for improvement in your implementation of the Duty.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (June 2023).

    Consumer Duty: Survey of smaller firms – Spring 2023
    Read the results of the FCA's survey into the preparedness of 1,230 smaller firms.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (June 2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: Explaining Consumer Duty outcomes monitoring
    Hear why the FCA put these requirements in place, how firms should go about monitoring outcomes, and the processes they should use to ultimately ensure they achieve good outcomes for their customers.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (June 2023).

    Consumer Duty: Findings from review of fair value frameworks
    Read the findings of the FCA's review into firms’ approaches to fair value assessments under the Consumer Duty.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (May 2023).

    Countdown to the Consumer Duty
    Speech by Sheldon Mills, Executive Director, Consumers and Competition: Less than three months to go until the Consumer Duty Implementation.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (May2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: Consumer Duty information sharing and the April milestone
    Hear about the FCA's expectations for manufacturers to complete and share their products and services reviews by 30 April 2023, and the reasons behind this milestone. 
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (March 2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: The consumer support outcome
    Learn more about the principles behind this, its impact on the channels of support firms should offer, what 'sludge' and 'appropriate friction' mean, and how firms should review their customer journeys to help achieve good outcomes for consumers.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (February 2023).

    Consumer Duty implementation plans
    Findings from FCA review of implementation plans of larger ‘fixed’ firms, which have a dedicated supervision team at the FCA.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (January 2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: The products and services outcome
    This outcome is designed to ensure all products and services for consumers are fit for purpose. Get the detail behind the outcome, the FCA's expectations (including how firms should test target markets) and the importance of identifying vulnerable customers.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (January 2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: The price and value outcome
    This outcome is an upfront examination of price and value through the lifecycle of a product as it evolves.
    Learn how the FCA expects firms to assess their products and services, to ensure a reasonable relationship between the price paid for a product or service and its overall benefit.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (January 2023).

    Inside FCA Podcast: The consumer understanding outcome
    Learn why this outcome is needed, FCA expectations on tailoring and testing of firm communications, and what firms should be doing to monitor and evidence understanding.
    Produced by Financial Conduct Authority (January 2023).

    FCA events and on-demand webinars

     
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