New FCA webpage to accompany NFM rules and guidance

The FCA has published a new webpage to help firms apply COCON and FIT in preparation for the new non-financial misconduct rules which come into effect on 1 September 2026. This highlights new Handbook guidance (PS25/23) aimed to assist firms in applying the new rules, first published in December (see further here). 

The FCA is encouraging firms to use the run-up to September to consider whether they need to update their approach to:

• Staff policies.
• Conduct breach reporting.
• Fit and proper assessments.
• Regulatory references.

Firms should also ensure staff and managers understand how the changes apply to them.

The FCA also clarifies that firms do not need to:

• Carry out retrospective analysis to check whether they correctly determined past conduct rule breaches.
• Revise past fitness and propriety assessments.
• Monitor employees’ private lives or social media accounts.
• Investigate allegations about employees’ private lives if they are trivial, implausible or irrelevant.
• Do anything contrary to privacy, employment or other relevant law.

These points were raised by a number of consultation respondents and further clarification here is welcome.