New FCA Guidelines Impact
With the recent FCA guidelines update, I'm curious how everyone is adapting their processes. Specifically:
- How are you documenting the new affordability requirements?
- What changes have you made to your fact-finding process?
- Are you using any specific tools to ensure compliance?
- How are you explaining the changes to clients?
Would be great to share best practices and learn from each other's approaches.
Mark Wilson
45 minutes ago
We've updated our processes in several ways:
- Created a new section in our fact-find specifically for the enhanced affordability assessment
- Implemented a checklist system to ensure all new requirements are met
- Updated our client documentation to include clearer explanations of the changes
- Using Etty's compliance tools to automate much of the process
Happy to share our checklist template if anyone's interested.
Sarah Smith
30 minutes ago
Adding to Mark's excellent points, we've also found success with:
- Recording client meetings (with permission) to ensure we capture all affordability discussions
- Creating a simplified one-page summary of the changes for clients
- Weekly team meetings to discuss any challenges with the new requirements
The key has been transparency with clients about why we need more detailed information than before.
David Thompson
15 minutes ago
Quick question for Mark - could you share more details about the checklist system you've implemented? We're struggling with ensuring consistency across our team of 6 advisers.
Also, has anyone had any pushback from clients about the additional documentation required? How are you handling those conversations?
Lisa Chen
5 minutes ago
@David - Regarding client pushback, we've found success by:
- Explaining the changes during the initial call/meeting
- Emphasizing that this is for their protection
- Providing a clear timeline of what's needed and when
- Using Etty's client portal to make document submission easier
Most clients appreciate the thoroughness once they understand the reasoning behind it.