UK Investor Rights

Last updated: July 2026

Regulator: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) 🇬🇧

The UK has one of the world’s most comprehensive investor protection frameworks, overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you’ve invested with an FCA-authorised firm and suffered losses due to misconduct, you have significant legal rights and access to free dispute resolution.

FCA Authorisation

Any firm offering financial services in the UK must be authorised by the FCA. You can verify a firm’s authorisation status on the FCA Register at register.fca.org.uk, or using the FCA’s newer Firm Checker tool. If a firm isn’t on the register, it’s operating illegally.

  • Check the FCA Register or Firm Checker before investing
  • Clone firms copy real FCA numbers — always navigate directly to register.fca.org.uk yourself, never via a link the firm provides
  • Unauthorised firms can’t be pursued through FCA channels, but should still be reported

Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)

The FSCS protects consumers when FCA-authorised firms fail, covering up to £85,000 per person, per firm for investment claims — free to claim, at fscs.org.uk. See our full Compensation Schemes guide for the complete picture, including what it doesn’t cover.

Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)

The FOS provides free, independent dispute resolution for complaints against FCA-authorised firms. If a firm hasn’t resolved your complaint within 8 weeks, you can escalate to the FOS.

  • Free service for consumers
  • Can award up to £455,000 in compensation (as of April 2026 — this limit rises annually with inflation)
  • Covers most retail financial products
  • Visit financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Section 75 Credit Card Protection

If you paid for an investment using a credit card and the amount was between £100 and £30,000, you may be able to claim a refund from your credit card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

  • Applies to purchases between £100 and £30,000
  • Your card provider is jointly liable with the seller
  • Contact your card provider directly to initiate a claim
  • Act quickly — time limits apply

Reporting to the FCA

Report suspected fraud or unauthorised firms to the FCA via their online reporting tool or by calling 0800 111 6768. The FCA will never call you asking for money or your bank details — if someone claiming to be the FCA does, hang up and call this number to verify. Reports help the FCA take action and warn other consumers, even though the FCA itself can’t recover your money directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if a firm is really FCA-authorised? Search the exact firm name and registration number directly on register.fca.org.uk, or use the FCA’s Firm Checker tool. Never trust a link or number provided by the firm itself — clone firms specifically rely on you not checking independently.

What’s the difference between the FSCS and the FOS? The FSCS pays compensation when an authorised firm has actually failed (gone out of business). The FOS resolves disputes with firms that are still operating but haven’t handled your complaint properly — you go to the FOS first if the firm exists, and the FSCS applies if the firm has since collapsed.

Can the FCA get my money back for me? No. The FCA can investigate and take action against a firm, and reporting helps protect other consumers, but it doesn’t have the power to recover your individual losses. For that, you’d use the FOS (if the firm still operates), the FSCS (if it’s failed), a Section 75 claim (if you paid by credit card), or legal action.

What if the firm that scammed me was never FCA-authorised at all? None of the schemes above apply — FSCS, FOS, and most FCA channels only cover authorised firms. Report it to the FCA and Action Fraud regardless, since reports still help build cases and warn others, and consider a Section 75 claim if you paid by credit card within the eligible range.

Related Reading

Back to Investor Rights