FCA Enforcement Watch 2: The Consumer Duty moves into a new phase of scrutiny

The FCA has escalated Consumer Duty enforcement from forbearance to active scrutiny, with 11 open investigations (up from six in January 2026) and 382 supervisory interventions in the last financial year. The regulator's focus is shifting from policy compliance to demonstrating that frameworks deliver good outcomes in practice, using tools like VREQs and OIREQs to restrict firm activities until deficiencies are remedied.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Fintech. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur reasons over.