by Andy Wallace
I’m often asked, why CCS isn’t FCA authorised? Quite simply, the FCA don’t need us to be. Only businesses in direct contact with the end-customer have to hold authorisation, and we, of course, provide a business-to-business service. This decision has, of course, been fully supported by our panel of lenders, including market-leading funders Barclays Partner Finance and Hitachi.
That doesn’t mean we’re not interested or concerned about FCA compliance. Indeed, quite the contrary. Right from the start, we’ve been behind the FCA’s key message of putting the customer at the heart of business. Our message over the last 18 months has been very consistent. We’ve also ‘walked the talk’ – training and supporting clients to make the necessary changes to their business and sales practices, which is why, when the changeover came on 1st April, our clients felt prepared.
In addition, this February Colin Macpherson joined CCS with specific responsibility for regulation and compliance. A key part of Colin’s role is to support you through the authorisation process and help you develop robust internal processes – aimed at ensuring compliance and, even more importantly, ensuring customers are always treated fairly.
We’re here to help you keep your business FCA compliant
We also provide, at no cost, a comprehensive and ongoing training programme for sales teams. This allows you to demonstrate to the FCA that your people have the skills, knowledge and expertise to competently offer credit to each and every customer in an ethical and compliant manner.
Providing evidence of training is a key FCA requirement, that’s why we’re currently enhancing our training materials and providing guidance on maintaining training records. In addition, we can also provide guidance on your credit advertising as part of our service.
A first rate service that’s second to none
I’m confident no other provider delivers the level of service the CCS team currently does. That’s why blue-chip lenders trust us to act as their intermediary – and why we’re the UK’s leading credit provider to the Home Improvement and Renewables Sectors.
If you need help with FCA Authorisation, have queries about compliance processes or need guidance on credit advertising, then please call the team today on 0845 120 6666…