FCA updates on high-risk products and retail investors

FCA has added its own views on selling high-risk speculative investments to retail clients. It fully supports ESMA’s measures and notes that ESMA has also recognised the risks of products similar to CFDs. However, it is concerned firms will try to get around the ESMA product intervention restrictions by selling to retail investors products that are similarly complex. All European regulators will be working together to monitor and assess the risks of such products and will take action if appropriate. In the meantime, FCA reminds firms of their obligations under COBS and product governance requirements.