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Pillows, sleeping bags and feeders subject to safety notices were found on sites including Amazon and TikTok.

How to find lost bank accounts

The water firm took "genuine accountability" after breaching wastewater obligations, Ofwat says.

The new assessment was required by the industry regulator, after it found several areas had not been adequately addressed in a previous submission.

The tech giant said people can opt out - but privacy campaigners called it a "recipe for disaster".

Richard Bloomfield has been charged by the FCA with 5 counts of insider dealing. The FCA alleges that in his role as a solicitor at a law firm, Mr Bloomfield worked on an acquisition of Seraphine Group PLC and used inside information obtained through his role to deal in securities of Seraphine Group PLC on 5 occasions between 28 March 2022 and 10 January 2023.Mr Bloomfield appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court and gave no indication of plea. The case was sent to Southwark Crown Court, and his next appearance will be on 5 August 2026. Mr Bloomfield has been released on unconditional bail.The FCA is not investigating the law firm or Seraphine Group PLC in this case.Notes to editorsRichard Bloomfield was born on 23 May 1988.Insider dealing is an offence under section 52 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993.

Speech by Sarah Pritchard, deputy chief executive, at a Breakfast Briefing at The Whitehall Industry Group. As everyone who has wrestled with a problem knows, getting to the right answer is about more than just understanding the question.It’s about having a firm grasp on your constants.We’re working with 2. And they are, admittedly, significant. The first is our vision: deepening trust, rebalancing risk, supporting growth and improving lives.We want to see a fair, thriving financial services market that works for consumers and the wider economy.The second is our priorities: supporting growth, fighting financial crime, helping consumers and being a smarter regulator.We’re now in the second year of our 5-year strategy (PDF), which shapes how we engage, prioritise and make decisions.But it isn’t a fixed formula. Markets are always shifting. New threats and opportunities emerge daily, and with AI, faster than ever.So, while our strategy to 2030 provides consistency and predictability in our focus and work, we know good regulation means being both principled and agile – willing to pivot when we need to.

The FCA has appointed members to its advisory committee on secondary markets for the period July 2026 to July 2028. The committee will increase from 25 to 27 members. The Secondary Markets Advisory Committee supports the FCA’s work in wholesale secondary markets in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, and commodities markets across securities, futures, swaps, and options markets. The committee includes representatives from firms operating from across the different segments of financial markets. It supports the work of the FCA by:Helping to develop reforms that improve market competition, increase consumer protection, and enhance the integrity of markets.Identifying market changes, trends, and risks that may affect the proper functioning of secondary markets.Providing data and analysis to support policy reforms.The Secondary Markets Advisory Committee members are: Jamie Turner (Chief Operating Officer & Head of Trading at London Metal Exchange)Gary Chia-Hsing Li (Head of Regulatory Affairs, EMEA & APAC at MarketAxess)Laurence Walton (Head of Regulation and Compliance at ICE Futures Europe)Laetitia Visconti (Head of Market Structure and Product Innovation at Aquis Exchange Ltd)Simon McQuoid Mason (Head of New Products, Market Structure & Business Development at London Stock Exchange Group)Jennifer Keser (Managing Director, Head of Regulation and Market Structure at Tradeweb)Nick Dutton (Chief Regulatory Officer at CBOE Europe Ltd)Maria Salamanca Mejia (Head of Market Structure, EMEA at Morgan Stanley)Kate Finlayson (Head of FICC Market Structure & Liquidity Strategy at J.P. Morgan Securities Plc)Avery Later (Head of EMEA & APAC CIO, UK at BNY CIO)Michael Kucharski (Head of Electronic Trading Risk and Control Strategy at Barclays Bank Plc)Mario Muth (Global Head of Platform Sales and Fixed Income Market Structure at Deutsche Bank AG)Eleanor Beasley (Global Head of Equity Market Structure & COO at Goldman Sachs International)Christos Nifadopoulos (Chief Legal Officer at Rokos Capital Management LLP)Frances Ritter (Senior Index Equity Portfolio Manager and Trader at Vanguard Asset Management)Adam Conn (Head of Trading at Baillie Gifford Overseas Ltd)Alexandre Roubaud (Head of ETF Markets, EMEA at Blackrock UK)Dean Shoosmith (Global Chief Risk Officer at Marex)Carla Grundy (EMEA Head of Trading Venues and Market Infrastructure at TP ICAP)Arran Rowsell (Head of Strategy at BGC)Peter Whitaker (Head of European Market Structure at Jane Street Financial)Lara Shevchenko (Senior Market Structure Manager at Optiver)Virginie Saade (EMEA Head of Government and Regulatory Policy at Citadel)Joanna Boyle (Financial Regulatory Policy & Advocacy at BP Plc)Louise Carter (Market Structure & Regulatory Strategy at Electronic Trading at Bloomberg LP)Rebecca Healey (Managing Partner at Redlap Consulting)Kirston Winters (Head of Legal, Risk, Compliance and Government and Regulatory Affairs at OSTTRA Group) The committee will be chaired by Jon Relleen (Director of Infrastructure & Exchanges) and the Trading Policy team provides secretariat support.Notes to editorsThe Secondary Markets Advisory Committee was established in 2022 and each term runs for 2 years.FCA looks for members for its advisory committee on secondary markets.Find out more information about the FCA.

People struggling should find it easier to access basic bank accounts, after nine banks committed to improving widespread poor practice identified by the FCA. Nine of the biggest UK banks and building societies are legally mandated to offer basic bank accounts. They exist to serve people who may not otherwise be able to access standard current accounts - providing access to essential services with no fees and no overdraft.A mystery shopping exercise by the FCA found a third of experiences with basic bank accounts rated as poor or very poor. The mystery shop revealed that the bank account providers were not consistently offering these accounts to customers who could benefit from them. This included people facing financial hardship or without standard identification, and especially those with no fixed address. The firms often failed to mention basic bank accounts at all and pushed customers in vulnerable circumstances towards online applications unsuitable for their needs. To address this, the banks and building societies have agreed to individual improvement plans and we’ve worked with UK Finance to secure a collective commitment for the firms to: Provide the right account for customers, first time, with clear communication and minimal friction.Make it straightforward for customers without standard ID or a fixed address to open an account.Spot vulnerability early and offer accessible alternatives to online-only journeys.Emad Aladhal, director of retail banking at the FCA, said: 'Progress has been made with over 97% of UK adults having a current account, but our latest work shows that all too often banking firms’ engagement with customers still needs improvement. Bank accounts are important for financial inclusion, and this is about making sure the very people who could benefit from basic bank accounts are not missing out.'That’s why the biggest banks have now committed to improving how they are offered – and we’ll be holding them to account to make sure change happens.'Peter Tyler, director of personal banking at UK Finance, said: 'A basic bank account can be an important first step towards financial independence, and while most customers who hold one have positive experiences, we recognise that more can be done to ensure consistently good outcomes for everyone. That is why UK Finance and our members are committed to raising industry standards and expanding access.'The recently expanded Breaking the Cycle initiative is a key part of this work, providing practical support to those facing barriers to accessing essential banking services, such as individuals without a fixed address'Notes to editorsRead the mystery shop findings here.The nine banking institutions that are legally required to offer Basic Bank Accounts are Barclays UK, The Co-operative Bank, HSBC UK, Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands), Nationwide Building Society, NatWest Group (including RBS and Ulster Bank brands), Santander UK, TSB and Virgin Money UK (now a brand of Nationwide Building Society).The mystery shopping exercise covered 298 interactions across branches and telephone. The exercise tested two scenarios: a person experiencing financial hardship with non-standard ID, and someone who had been through bankruptcy but had standard ID. Both showed characteristics of vulnerability.Across 298 mystery shops, the FCA rated 28% of interactions as good or very good, 38% as fair, 20% as poor and 14% as very poor.As revealed in the FCA’s Financial Lives survey, in 2024, over 97% of UK adults having a current account. While 4.3 million UK adults had a basic bank account, around 0.9 million adults were unbanked (they had no current account). The survey also found that in the two years to May 2024, 10% of the 1.3m adults who recalled applying for a basic bank account said they were declined.The FCA enables a fair and thriving financial services market for the good of consumers and the economy. Find out more about the FCA.

On Monday 6 July 2026, Eldens Finance Limited (Eldens) was placed into administration. Antony Batty and Hugh Jesseman of Antony Batty & Company Ltd were appointed as Joint Administrators. Eldens provided pawnbroking loans, primarily secured against high-value and luxury assets.The Joint Administrators are responsible for winding down the firm in an orderly way in the interests of its creditors.On 19 June 2026, Eldens agreed to enter into a voluntary requirement to restrict its ability to deal and dispose of assets and its permissions to carry out regulatory activities. More information about these requirements can be found on the FS Register.Eldens holds a number of customer items that were used as security for pawnbroking loans (these are known as pledged assets). We are engaging with Eldens and the Joint Administrators to support appropriate outcomes for customers in relation to these items.Customers who are struggling financially can get free and impartial guidance from MoneyHelper.