Journey

Set up a financial services intermediary business

Professional & Financial Services Updated 3 September 2026
references 7 guides

Financial intermediaries — the firms that distribute, advise, deal, manage and administer — almost all need FCA authorisation, and every authorised firm shares a core of conduct duties before its own rulebook starts. This path takes you through it in order: work out which rules apply to what you do, put the shared regulated-firm duties in place, then follow the rules for your activity, and finish by checking you have covered everything.

Step 3 — Follow the rules for what you do

Now work through the guide for your activity. If you carry on more than one, follow each relevant guide.