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.
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.