UK FCA Increases Scrutiny of Unregulated Financial Firms Over Anti-Money-Laundering Risks

07:28 AM EDT, 08/07/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The UK's Financial Conduct Authority said Friday it will increase its scrutiny of unregulated lenders, safe custody providers, money brokers, and financial leasing companies amid concerns over their potential to facilitate financial crime. The regulator said firms carrying out Annex 1 activities without being registered should apply for registration and warned applicants to expect longer processing times as it increases scrutiny. It also sent out information requests to 900 Annex 1 firms to seek clarification on their activities, business models, and risks. The FCA added that individual firms must have financial crime controls tailored to their operations instead of relying on their parent company's systems or off-the-shelf procedures.