Blog
Practical thinking on outsourced reviews, regulatory change, and IFA operations.
The CP26/10 consultation closed on 22 May 2026. The policy statement is not due until Q4, and nothing in the rulebook has changed. Firms reading the consultation as permission to ease off the long tail face a board report on 31 July, six live fair-value investigations, and an evidence gap that compounds every month.
Read more →Pillar Client Services has filed its CP26/10 consultation response, ten days before the FCA deadline. Three arguments, two exhibits, one operational data point. Download the full PDF.
Read more →Targeted Support went live on 6 April 2026. Banks, platforms and asset managers can now make ready-made recommendations to consumers without giving regulated advice. For IFA firms carrying hundreds of sub-threshold clients on ongoing fees, this is a commercial threat that has not been priced in yet.
Read more →The FCA wants to replace annual reviews with periodic reviews. Most firms think that means less work. It means the opposite. Here's what the consultation actually proposes and what firms should do now.
Read more →The FCA isn't checking whether you have a process. They're checking whether your files contain actual evidence. A file note that says "annual review conducted, no changes" tells the FCA nothing.
Read more →Structured reviews running live at our launch client, an FCA-authorised IFA firm: 200 reviews completed, a 5% escalation rate, 90% QA pass, and £55,000 of new revenue handed to the firm.
Read more →The FCA found 17% of firms are not delivering annual reviews to clients paying ongoing fees. Section 165 data requests are already landing. If your files cannot evidence what was discussed, what changed, and what action was taken, your firm is exposed.
Read more →A 200-client firm spends up to six figures a year on adviser-led annual reviews that generate zero additional revenue. There is a structural fix that cuts that cost significantly without compromising compliance.
Read more →CP26/10 updates, Consumer Duty guidance, and practical advice for IFA firms. No spam.