Compliance
What is foreseeable harm in Consumer Duty marketing?
Last reviewed 22 April 2026 · Reviewed by Jake McQuillan
Quick answer
What is foreseeable harm in Consumer Duty marketing?
Foreseeable harm is any reasonably predictable negative outcome a customer could suffer from a product, service or communication — firms must identify and mitigate it across the product lifecycle, including marketing.
Want us to do this for your firm?
Get a compliant lead-gen plan tailored to your niche and compliance setup.
Under Consumer Duty, "foreseeable harm" captures any negative outcome a reasonable firm could anticipate — poor investment fit, excessive cost, misleading communications, inappropriate product for a vulnerable customer. In marketing, this means testing creative for whether it could lead customers to make poor decisions (e.g. implying DB transfer is always beneficial), and logging that assessment in the firm's MI for the Board Duty report.
Was this useful?
Related questions
Can I run paid ads for pensions in the UK?
Yes, but with strict conditions. All pension ads are financial promotions and must be approved by an authorised approver. Defined benefit transfer marketing is…
How does Consumer Duty fair value apply to marketing?
Fair value means marketing must not disguise total cost, must be aligned to target market, and must deliver real outcomes meaning "free" offers and opaque fees…
What FCA rules apply to financial adviser advertising?
Financial promotions must be fair, clear and not misleading (FCA COBS 4 and the Financial Promotions Regime). All regulated activity adverts must be approved b…
How does Consumer Duty affect my marketing?
Consumer Duty requires every stage of the customer journey — including marketing — to deliver good outcomes. Your ads and landing pages must be clearly underst…
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…