FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the UK's financial services regulator. It authorises and supervises financial services firms, including banks, lenders, insurance companies, and credit brokers. FCA authorisation requires firms to meet ongoing standards of conduct, financial resilience, and consumer protection.

For business finance, FCA authorisation is particularly relevant for credit brokers and lenders offering regulated products (such as business loans to sole traders and small partnerships, consumer credit, and certain types of invoice finance). The FCA's consumer duty (effective July 2023) requires firms to act to deliver good outcomes for retail customers.

Spark Finance is registered with the FCA (FRN 958123) as a credit broker. It is important to note that most business finance arranged for UK limited companies is not a regulated activity under FCA rules - regulation primarily applies to credit provided to sole traders, small partnerships, and consumer lending. You can verify any firm's FCA registration at register.fca.org.uk. Regardless of whether a specific transaction is technically regulated, working with an FCA-registered firm reflects a commitment to operating to the FCA's ethical standards, including transparent fees and a genuine focus on suitability.

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