How to Check Your Financial Adviser Is FCA Authorised
Search for the firm on the FCA's Firm Checker or Financial Services Register, make sure the firm reference number (FRN) and contact details you were given match the entry, and check that the firm has permission for the service it is offering. The FCA says that if you deal with an unauthorised firm you will not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service, and you will not be protected by the FSCS if the firm fails. This guide covers the UK position and is correct as at 23 October 2026.
Why does it matter whether an adviser is FCA authorised?
Authorisation decides which complaint and compensation routes are open to you. The FCA states that if you deal with an unauthorised firm you will not be covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service if you want to complain, and you will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if the firm fails, so you are unlikely to recover your money.
The FSCS describes its protection as applying when a UK-authorised financial firm fails. That is why checking before you invest or transfer a pension is worth the few minutes it takes. For how the two routes differ once you have a problem, see FOS or FSCS: which route applies and our FSCS guide.
How do I check a firm on the FCA Register?
The FCA's consumer guidance is to check the firm on the FCA Firm Checker and make sure the firm reference number (FRN) and the contact details you have been given match the entry. Type the address of the Firm Checker or Register into your browser yourself rather than clicking links in emails or on a company's website.
The FCA also advises checking that the firm is authorised and has permission for the specific service it is offering. A firm can be on the Register and still not be permitted to do the activity you are being sold. Our FCA guide explains what the Register records and what authorised means for a claim.
Why should I use the Register's contact details, not the ones I was given?
The FCA warns that some firms pretend to be authorised firms. Its advice is to use the contact details shown on the Firm Checker, not the ones you were given. If the Firm Checker lists no contact details, or the firm tells you the listed details are out of date, the FCA says to call its consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 or use its contact form, and the FCA can check the firm for you.
What is the FCA Warning List?
The FCA publishes a Warning List of firms and individuals that it has been told are running scams or providing regulated products or services without the correct authorisation. The FCA advises checking it as well as the Register. A firm appearing on the Warning List is a reason to stop and not proceed.
If you have already paid money to a scam rather than to a failed authorised firm, a different route may apply. See investment scam bank refund claims and APP fraud reimbursement rules.
What about appointed representatives and individual advisers?
The Register also lists appointed representatives (ARs) and the firm, called the principal, that is responsible for them. The FCA says the principal determines what an AR is permitted to do, and that you should check with the principal if you have concerns about an AR or the products and services it offers.
The FCA also says you should check the details of any individual carrying out regulated activities on your behalf, including their current roles and any regulatory action. It warns that if an AR goes beyond the activities its principal permits, you may not be protected by the Ombudsman or the FSCS.
What should I do if I already took advice and the firm is not authorised?
Keep every document, email, statement and call note, and write down when and how the firm contacted you. Then check the Register for the firm, for any previous name, and for the principal if the adviser was an appointed representative. Our guide to evidence for a mis-selling claim lists what to gather.
Whether a claim route exists depends on the facts, including whether the firm or its principal was authorised at the relevant time. This page gives general information only and is not advice on any individual case, and no outcome is guaranteed. You can use our free claim check to talk through your situation.
Sources
FCA, ScamSmart (check the Firm Checker, match FRN and contact details, use Register contact details, Warning List, helpline 0800 111 6768): fca.org.uk/scamsmart. Checked 23 October 2026.
FCA, Unauthorised firms and individuals (no Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS protection when dealing with an unauthorised firm; check permissions on the Firm Checker): fca.org.uk/consumers/unauthorised-firms-individuals. Checked 23 October 2026.
FCA, Financial Services Register (what the Register records, appointed representatives and principals, individuals, unauthorised firm reports): fca.org.uk/firms/financial-services-register. Checked 23 October 2026.
FSCS, What we cover (protection applies where a UK-authorised financial firm fails): fscs.org.uk/what-we-cover. Checked 23 October 2026.