GRC Report Staff

FCA Issues Warning on Unauthorized Firm Secure Beacon Finances

The FCA has flagged "Secure Beacon Finances" as an unauthorized entity potentially soliciting UK consumers for financial services without permission. Compliance teams should note this warning for financial crime monitoring, customer due diligence, and fraud prevention purposes, as consumers dealing with this firm have no recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

FCA Issues Warning Against Unauthorized Firm MPay Global

The FCA has added MPay Global to its Warning List as an unauthorized entity potentially providing or promoting financial services in the UK without permission. Consumers dealing with this firm have no access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS protection, and compliance teams should ensure this entity is screened against onboarding, payments, and third-party due diligence systems.

ASIC Grants Deposit Product Issuers Relief from Interest Rate and Termination Value Disclosure

ASIC Instrument 2025/509 exempts deposit product issuers from disclosing specific interest rates in Product Disclosure Statements and termination values in periodic statements, provided alternative access methods are offered. The relief, effective the day after registration and repealed on 1 October 2030, reduces disclosure burden but requires issuers to implement compliant alternative disclosure mechanisms.

FCA Issues Warning Against Unauthorized Firm Velomarkets

The FCA has issued a consumer warning identifying Velomarkets as an unauthorized firm operating in the UK without regulatory permission. Financial institutions and compliance teams should ensure this entity is screened against onboarding, payments, and third-party due diligence systems to prevent exposure to fraudulent or unauthorized activity.

ASIC Reissues RG 146 Guidance on Training Standards for Financial Product Advisers

ASIC's Regulatory Guide 146 sets out minimum training standards for AFS licensees and representatives who provide financial product advice to retail clients, outlining Tier 1 and Tier 2 education requirements based on advice type and product category. Compliance teams must ensure adviser training, assessment, and continuing education policies align with these standards, as licensees bear ultimate responsibility for adviser competency.

FCA Issues Warning Against Unauthorized Firm Legacy Trading Global

The FCA has added Legacy Trading Global to its Warning List for providing or promoting financial services in the UK without authorization. Compliance teams should treat this as a consumer protection alert, ensure internal watchlists are updated, and reinforce due diligence procedures around unauthorized entities and potential scam activity.

ASIC Consults on New Access Settings for Companies Register Information

ASIC has released Consultation Paper 391 proposing a new framework for accessing company and officeholder information on the companies register, balancing transparency with privacy and security concerns. Compliance teams at firms that rely on register data for due diligence, KYC, or AML purposes should review the proposed access tiers, as changes to residential address and date-of-birth availability could materially affect verification processes from mid-2027 onward.