Compliance
What is a financial promotion under UK law?
Last reviewed 22 April 2026 · Reviewed by Jake McQuillan
Quick answer
What is a financial promotion under UK law?
A financial promotion is any invitation or inducement to engage in regulated investment or credit activity — including ads, landing pages, emails and social posts — restricted under FSMA s.21 unless issued or approved by an FCA-authorised person.
Want us to do this for your firm?
Get a compliant lead-gen plan tailored to your niche and compliance setup.
Under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, a financial promotion is any communication that invites or induces someone to engage in investment or regulated credit activity. This includes paid ads, organic social posts, landing pages, email, webinars and even LinkedIn messages. Unauthorised financial promotions are a criminal offence, so every piece of IFA marketing must be approved by an FCA-authorised firm.
Was this useful?
Related questions
Is Platinum Prospects FCA regulated?
Platinum Prospects is a marketing agency, not a regulated financial firm. All financial promotions produced by the agency are signed off by the client firm's a…
How does Consumer Duty affect financial adviser marketing?
Consumer Duty requires all marketing to be fair, clear, not misleading, aligned to target market and delivering good outcomes meaning claims, risk balance and…
How do I handle protected characteristics in financial marketing targeting?
Do not target or exclude on protected characteristics (age is protected only in limited contexts). Use proxies carefully and document rationale.
Can financial services firms send cold email in the UK?
Cold email to sole traders and limited company contacts is permitted under PECR for B2B, but consumer cold email requires soft opt in or consent.
How do I verify my Google or Meta ad account for UK financial services?
Google requires financial services verification via the FCA register (FRN). Meta requires authorisation via their Financial Products and Services policy. Both…