Pensions and financial crime spearhead FCA priorities

Pensions top the list of seven priority themes for the Financial Conduct Authority this year, in its 2016/17 Business Plan. This is followed by financial crime and anti-money laundering, wholesale financial markets, advice, innovation and technology, firms’ culture and governance, along with treatment of existing customers. These topics will form the primary focus of the FCA’s discretionary work, as it explained: “These priorities do not represent the totality of our work, but will be used to drive our decisions about our thematic projects and market studies, and also inform the areas we will pay particular attention to in conducting our core activities.”