FCA Launches 5-Year Strategy to Boost Growth, Trust & Tackle Financial Crime

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a new five-year strategy with the aim of deepening trust in financial services, rebalancing attitudes to risk, supporting sustainable economic growth, and ultimately improving lives. This ambitious roadmap sets out four strategic priorities that will guide the regulator’s efforts between 2025 and 2030, as it adapts to an evolving financial landscape and increasingly sophisticated threats.

A Smarter Regulator

The FCA is committed to becoming a more intelligent and streamlined regulator; one that is predictable, purposeful and proportionate. It plans to leverage technology and data more effectively to improve its supervisory approach, reducing the burden on well-intentioned firms while enabling faster and more targeted action where harm is greatest. Digitisation of the authorisation process will make it easier for firms to engage with the regulator, while efforts to simplify data collection could reduce the number of mandatory returns.

Supporting Growth & Innovation

Central to the strategy is a strong focus on enabling investment and innovation to maintain the UK’s position as a global financial services leader. This includes removing unnecessary friction in regulation and fostering an environment where firms can grow responsibly. The FCA’s recent reforms to the listing regime and support for fintech through Open Banking are expected to be expanded with the launch of Open Finance, designed to encourage seamless data sharing, fuel product innovation, and reduce costs for consumers.

Helping Consumers Navigate Financial Lives

The FCA will work closely with industry stakeholders to boost trust, improve transparency and ensure consumers have access to the information and support they need to make sound financial decisions. The regulator will continue to uphold the principles of the Consumer Duty, introduced under its previous three-year strategy, which mandates higher standards of care across the sector.

Fighting Financial Crime

Financial crime remains a major area of focus. The FCA is clear that regulation must not be exploited by those intent on causing harm. Its new strategy reinforces the role of the regulator as both a disruptor of criminal activity and a supporter of firms acting as the first line of defence. By improving data analytics, operational effectiveness and cross-sector collaboration, the FCA intends to act more quickly and assertively against those who misuse the financial system.

Senior Leadership Endorsements

Ashley Alder, Chair of the FCA, emphasised the need to shift the industry’s risk mindset:

“Too often the focus has been on the risks of a decision taken rather than the lost opportunity of taking none. We want to change that so we can spur growth and improve lives.”

Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi added:

“Our four priorities reinforce one another and we look forward to collaborating with our partners as we become a smarter regulator, support growth, help consumers and fight crime.”

Looking Ahead

The FCA’s new five-year strategy signals a step change in how it plans to regulate, supervise and protect. The regulator is set to invest heavily in people, systems and digital capability to handle its annual caseload (now exceeding 100,000 cases) more efficiently. As it integrates the Payment Systems Regulator and progresses towards Open Finance, the FCA’s role in shaping the UK’s financial ecosystem will be more pivotal than ever.

For firms, the message is clear: those who align with the FCA’s values and demonstrate a commitment to good conduct will benefit from a more collaborative and less burdensome relationship with the regulator. For bad actors, scrutiny will be swifter and sharper. This forward-looking strategy reflects the FCA’s intention to future-proof UK financial services, protect consumers, and bolster trust across the sector.

Read the press release here.