What happened?
In an article featured in IFA Magazine, TCC Group CEO Joe Norburn explores how the FCA’s Consumer Duty is entering a mature phase. Compliance is moving beyond initial implementation to a stage where the regulator demands clear, demonstrable evidence of positive client outcomes in daily practice.
This shift requires boards and executive teams to apply deeper subjective judgement, actively interrogate their management information, and move away from over-reliance on process-based checklists.
Why does it matter?
The mature phase of Consumer Duty means firms cannot rely on the strength of their written policies alone. Boards must apply rigorous judgement to prove that customers are receiving fair value and appropriate support, requiring highly detailed, empirical management information to back up any compliance assertions.
Supporting sources
Frequently asked questions
How is the FCA's approach to the Consumer Duty changing?
The FCA is moving from evaluating implementation frameworks to checking for demonstrable, data-backed evidence of actual customer outcomes in day-to-day operations.
What is the board's responsibility in the mature phase of Consumer Duty?
Boards must move beyond reviewing process metrics and apply robust judgement, actively challenging management information to ensure and prove that customer outcomes are consistently positive.
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- BankingTCC helps retail banks, challenger banks, building societies and specialist banking providers strengthen governance, manage financial crime risk and demonstrate good customer outcomes. Our specialists support Consumer Duty, remediation, regulatory transformation, FCA intervention and compliance assurance programmes through advisory, managed services, specialist resourcing and technology-enabled compliance. With more than 25 years of experience supporting FCA-regulated firms, we help banks respond confidently to regulatory scrutiny while strengthening operational resilience and customer trust.
- General Insurance & ProtectionTCC helps insurers, brokers, MGAs and protection providers evidence fair value, strengthen customer outcomes and identify emerging customer harm. We assess product governance, claims performance, distribution oversight and vulnerability risks, helping firms create regulator-ready evidence, improve operational performance and demonstrate that products and services deliver value throughout the customer lifecycle.
- Lending & Consumer CreditTCC helps consumer credit firms evidence good outcomes, strengthen affordability and vulnerability frameworks, and manage complaints, remediation and regulatory risk. We support lenders with practical, regulator-ready compliance programmes that improve governance, customer treatment and operational resilience.
- Motor FinanceTCC helps motor finance lenders, brokers and providers assess redress exposure, prepare for large-scale customer reviews and strengthen complaints, affordability and Consumer Duty frameworks. We combine regulatory advisory, managed operations, specialist resource and technology-enabled assurance to deliver consistent customer outcomes, robust governance and regulator-ready evidence under heightened FCA scrutiny.
