The FCA publishes dozens of documents a month, but only some create work for your firm. Knowing the publication type tells you instantly whether something is a binding rule, an early proposal, an enforcement outcome or a supervisory signal.
A Policy Statement sets out the FCA's final rules after a consultation. It usually includes the finalised Handbook text and an effective date. When a PS lands in your sector, implementation work is confirmed and the clock is running.
A Consultation Paper proposes new or amended rules and invites responses by a stated deadline. It is the earliest reliable signal of a coming change — the time to influence the outcome and to start scoping impact before rules are final.
A Handbook Notice records the exact amendments made to the FCA Handbook, the definitive rulebook. It is where you confirm precisely which rule references changed and when they took effect.
A Final Notice is a published enforcement outcome — a fine, ban or censure. Beyond the specific firm involved, Final Notices reveal the control failures the FCA is actively penalising, making them a leading indicator of supervisory focus.
A Dear CEO letter is addressed to firm leadership across a portfolio or sector and sets out the FCA's supervisory priorities and expectations. It rarely creates new rules but signals where scrutiny is heading — and boards are expected to act on it.
FCA Radar monitors every FCA feed and emails you when a relevant publication lands — filtered to your sector.
Subscribe — £49/mo