TradePeak (FX Exchange Markets): Unlicensed Platform Flagged by ASIC

Brits nearly twice as likely to spot pressure tactics in horror films as investment red flags

Investors are almost twice as likely to recognise pressure tactics in a horror film as they are when those tactics are used to promote an investment opportunity, new FCA data suggests. A survey of UK 18 to 40-year-olds who own or are considering investments found 65% spotted ‘this is your only chance’ as a classic horror warning sign. But when faced with a ‘last chance to buy’ investment opportunity, only 36% said it would make them more cautious, while 37% said they would feel pressure to buy quickly or risk missing out. The pattern also holds for other pressure tactics. While 59% recognised countdowns like the ticking clock in 'Saw' as a tactic designed to make characters act rashly, just 5% said they would be suspicious of the pressure created by a rising investment price graph.Blind spots show up with novelty, too. Nearly half (47%) recognised that horror sequels often bring back familiar threats disguised as something new. Yet only 12% were similarly sceptical of a 'groundbreaking new' investment product, while 1 in 10 said being new would actually make them more likely to invest. Peer pressure and hype also influenced attitudes towards investment. While 80% recognised ‘trust me, it's fine, everyone's doing it’ as a warning sign in a horror scenario, almost 3 in 10 (29%) said excitement from friends or group chats about an investment would reassure them or make them trust the opportunity rather than doing their own research. Lucy Castledine, director of consumer investments at the FCA, said: 'Many people can spot a horror movie trap a mile off, but this survey suggests they’re far less likely to recognise the same tactics when they're used to influence investment decisions. Hype, urgency and fear of missing out can all influence how people invest, so before acting on an opportunity, do your research and make sure it's right for you.'The FCA's InvestSmart campaign helps consumers make more informed investment decisions. Its Hype Type Revealer helps people unders

No change to the policy rate and reflections on the IMF Global Meetings

In his latest blog, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf discusses ECB Governing Council's decision to not change interest rates, as well as the IMF Annual Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

FCA stops HTX's crypto promotions

The FCA has secured High Court undertakings to ensure that HTX (formerly Huobi), a global crypto exchange, will not knowingly promote cryptoasset services unlawfully to UK consumers. The FCA took legal action against HTX in October 2025 for breaking UK financial promotion rules. HTX had failed repeatedly to engage with the FCA. Following the commencement of proceedings, HTX took steps to exit the UK. The FCA and Huobi Global S.A. have now reached a settlement in the case. HTX is no longer active in the UK. Consumers can no longer make deposits, and new UK users cannot sign up to the platform. HTX will not target, solicit or actively seek to engage UK consumers.UK users of HTX should read the information published on HTX's website about the availability of its services in the UK and the arrangements for withdrawing any residual assets.Steve Smart, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: 'Crypto firms should be under no illusion: being based overseas does not put them beyond the reach of UK law. Our action means HTX is leaving the UK and can no longer target UK consumers. The message to other firms is clear: follow the rules or face the consequences.'Consumers should check a firm's permissions using the FCA Firm Checker and remember that cryptoassets are high-risk investments.Notes to editorsRead details of the proceedings and relevant court documents. Huobi Global S.A. is the first defendant in the proceedings.View the court order (PDF) containing the undertakings. Huobi Global's undertakings to the court include that it will not knowingly, directly or indirectly, communicate or cause to be communicated a financial promotion in contravention of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This covers the HTX website, software applications and social media platforms.The proceedings were commenced in the Business and Property Division of the High Court on 21 October 2025.The FCA publicly announced its enforcement action on

What does 'fair value' look like in practice? Three years into the Consumer Duty, here’s what we’ve learned.

Fair value is a simple yet important principle at the heart of the Consumer Duty: the price customers pay should be reasonable, relative to the benefits they get. But applying that principle in practice requires judgement.Three years into the Consumer Duty, we’re seeing clear differences between firms that have embedded fair value into their approach and those that still need to strengthen their assessments, evidence and monitoring.We recently reviewed how firms across the consumer finance market assess, evidence and monitor fair value. We also carried out focused work on fees and charges across a range of credit products, and supervisory work on consumer hire and third-party ownership agreements for home energy infrastructure.Many firms are getting it right, building fair value into how they design, price and monitor their products. Others are missing things that, in hindsight, could have been avoidable. Where firms fell short, a recurring issue was the evidence supporting their conclusions.Here are 3 areas that separated the 2, and questions firms can use to challenge their approach to assessing and monitoring fair value.Does your evidence actually tell you something, or just describe your product?Across the firms and products we reviewed, stronger fair value assessments showed a clear, evidenced relationship between what customers paid and the benefits they could reasonably expect to receive. One credit card provider, for example, quantified the cashback, foreign exchange savings and other account benefits customers received, and set these directly against the fees and interest they paid. That gave them a clear evidence base for their fair value conclusion, not just a description of the product's features.Weaker assessments tended to rely on assumptions rather than actual customer data. Some had relevant evidence, but it was scattered across different documents and never brought together into a coherent picture. This made it hard for anyone, including us, to see