FCA definition

The FCA is the United Kingdom's financial regulator, responsible for supervising the conduct of financial firms, financial markets, and the products they sell to consumers and businesses. The acronym stands for Financial Conduct Authority.

The FCA authorises firms such as brokers, banks, asset managers, and payment providers, sets the conduct rules they must follow, and monitors their behaviour. When a firm breaches those standards, the FCA can fine it, restrict its activities, or withdraw its authorisation.

The FCA shares UK oversight with the Prudential Regulation Authority, which supervises the financial soundness of large banks and insurers while the FCA focuses on conduct. Traders often check whether a broker is FCA-authorised as a signal of its supervision and client-protection standards.