Compliance Advisory
Regulatory strategy, perimeter analysis and compliance framework design for payment institutions, EMIs, MSBs, money transmitters and cryptoasset firms.
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Tell us the business, the markets and your timing. Every enquiry is answered the same business day, with a written proposal: the licence, the requirements, the cost and the timeline.
Your enquiry
What we do
Compliance advisory answers the questions that come before, and sit above, day to day compliance operations: what regulatory perimeter the business sits inside, which permissions the model requires, how the framework should be designed, and what a supervisor would expect to see given the risks the firm actually runs.
We advise on perimeter and permission analysis for new products and markets, target operating model design for the compliance function, governance and senior management accountability, policy architecture, and the control framework needed to support authorisation or a change in the business model.
Our approach is proportionate. A framework that is heavier than the business needs will not be operated, and a framework that is lighter than the risk profile will not survive supervision. Where a firm needs continuing operational support once the design is in place, that is delivered through our ongoing compliance support service.
Perimeter & Permission Analysis
We determine what the activity is in regulatory terms and which permissions it requires in each market served.
Gap Analysis
We assess current arrangements against the standard the regulator applies to a firm of this type and scale.
Framework Design
We design governance, policies, controls and management information proportionate to the business model.
Implementation Roadmap
We sequence the build with owners, evidence requirements and deadlines the board can track.
What's Included
Regulatory Perimeter Assessment
A documented view of which activities are regulated, under which regime, in each market served.
Compliance Framework Design
Target operating model for the compliance function, including resourcing and escalation routes.
Policy Architecture
A coherent policy and procedure suite mapped to the rules that apply to the firm.
Governance & Accountability
Board and committee structures, terms of reference and clear allocation of regulatory responsibilities.
Risk-Based Control Design
Controls designed against the firm's own risk assessment rather than a generic template.
Board Advisory
Practical advice to boards and senior managers on regulatory expectations and supervisory risk.
Who this service is for
Firm types
- - Firms preparing for authorisation
- - Authorised firms entering new markets or launching new products
- - Groups rationalising compliance across entities
- - Firms whose framework has not kept pace with growth
Situations & Triggers
- - Assessing whether a new product falls inside the regulatory perimeter
- - Designing a compliance framework before launch
- - Restructuring the compliance function after growth or investment
- - Preparing the governance case for a regulatory application
Why firms choose Regulatory Counsel
200+ licence and registration engagements
Applications taken through regulators in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and Asia.
Senior-led
The same senior practitioners run your engagement from the first assessment to the last regulator question.
Every regulated sector
Payment, e-money, money transmission, crypto, banking, lending, insurance, mortgage and investment firms.
In writing, the same day
Every enquiry is answered the same business day, and scope, timeline and fees are set out in writing before work begins.
Related insights
Consumer Duty for Banks and Payment Firms: What the FCA Now Expects
The FCA Consumer Duty is now fully in force: what banks, payment institutions and EMIs must deliver across the four outcomes, and what the FCA has criticised so far.
Compliance Audit for FCA-Regulated Firms: Planning, Scope & Best Practice
How FCA-regulated firms plan, scope, test and report a compliance audit, including the mandatory annual safeguarding audit for payment and e-money firms.
Common FCA Compliance Audit Findings and How to Remediate Them
The findings that recur in compliance audits of FCA-regulated firms, from AML and CASS 15 safeguarding to the Consumer Duty and complaints, and how to fix each one.
More guides
- FCA Regulatory Reporting Requirements: A Complete Guide for Firms
- Post-Acquisition Compliance Integration for FCA-Regulated Firms
- Agent and Distributor Due Diligence for Payment Firms: FCA Requirements
- Third-Party and Outsourcing Due Diligence Under FCA SYSC 8: Requirements and Best Practice
- UK Stablecoin Regulation in 2026: What Issuers and Payment Firms Must Prepare For
- From MLR to FSMA: How to Transition Your Cryptoasset Business to Full FCA Authorisation
- FCA Regulatory Priorities 2026: What Payment Institutions Should Focus On
- FCA Retail Banking Regulatory Priorities 2026: Key Themes for Banks and Building Societies
- Consumer Duty Outcomes Monitoring: How the FCA Is Testing Payment Firms in 2026
- Lessons from FCA Enforcement Actions in 2025: What Payment Firms Can Learn
- AML Compliance Failures: Why the FCA Is Issuing Large Fines and How to Avoid Them
- Operational Resilience for Payment Firms: Meeting FCA Expectations in 2026
- Critical Third-Party Oversight: What the New UK Regime Means for EMIs and PIs
- Open Banking and PSD3: What UK Payment Firms Should Prepare For
- MiCA vs UK Cryptoasset Regime: A Practical Comparison for Firms Operating in Both Markets
- Appointed Representative Regime: FCA Crackdown and What Principals Must Do
- Becoming an EMI Agent: Updated FCA Requirements and Compliance Obligations
- Does SM&CR Apply to Payment Institutions and EMIs? Senior Management Accountability Explained
- FCA Expectations for Complaints Handling in Payment Firms: A Practical Guide
- Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR): Ongoing Obligations and Common Compliance Gaps
- EMD3 and PSD3: What the EU's New Payment Framework Means for UK EMIs
- Crypto Travel Rule Compliance in the UK: A Practical Guide for Firms
- FCA Skilled Person Reviews (Section 166): What Firms Should Expect
- Consumer Credit Act Reform 2026: Key Changes Every Lender Must Know
- FCA Appointed Representative Regime: Obligations for Payment Institution Principals
- Open Finance in the UK: The FCA's Smart Data Roadmap and What It Means for Firms
- FCA Whistleblowing Obligations for Payment Institutions and EMIs
- RegTech Adoption for Payment Institutions: A Practical Guide
- Cross-Border Payment Regulation in the UK: A Framework Guide for Payment Firms
- AML Risk Assessment for Payment Institutions: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide
- FCA Annual Fees for Payment Institutions and EMIs: What Firms Pay and Why
- Outsourcing Obligations for Payment Institutions and EMIs Under FCA Rules
- Wind-Down Planning for FCA-Authorised Payment Institutions: A Comprehensive Guide
- Dormant Account Management for Payment Institutions: A Regulatory Deep Dive
- Systems and Controls Requirements: A Deep Dive for Payment Institutions
- Navigating Operational Resilience: A Comprehensive Guide for UK Payment Institutions
- Complaint Handling Requirements for Payment Institutions: A Comprehensive Guide
- PSD2 Strong Customer Authentication for Payment Institutions: A Comprehensive Guide
- Understanding Method D for Electronic Money Institution Own Funds Calculations
- Navigating EMI Distribution Networks and Agent Management in the UK
- FCA Compliance for UK Wholesale Banking: Requirements, Supervisory Priorities and Practical Framework
- FCA Compliance for UK Mortgage Providers: Requirements, Supervisory Priorities and Practical Framework
- FCA Compliance for UK Payment Institutions: Requirements, Safeguarding and Supervisory Expectations
- FCA Compliance for Electronic Money Institutions: Requirements, Safeguarding and Supervisory Expectations
- FCA Compliance for UK Insurers: Requirements, Supervisory Priorities and Practical Framework
- FCA Compliance for UK Cryptoasset Firms: Authorisation, Regulated Activities and the New Regime
- FCA Financial Crime Compliance: Requirements, Supervisory Expectations and Framework Design
- Principal Self-Assessment and Appointed Representative Review: Obligations and Practical Framework
- FCA Regulatory Health Checks and Thematic Review Preparation
- FCA Policy and Compliance Monitoring Remediation
- PRA Compliance Support for Dual-Regulated Firms
- SEC Compliance Support for UK and International Firms
- FCA Compliance Consultant: Scope, Costs and How to Choose
- Mortgage Compliance Monitoring Programme 2026: What Should Firms Actually Test?
- Vulnerable Mortgage Customers in 2026: A Practical FCA Framework for Brokers and Lenders
- Mortgage Financial Promotions, Referral Arrangements and Conditional Selling in 2026
- FCA Review of a Mortgage Firm in 2026: How to Prepare and Respond
- Consumer Duty for Consumer Credit Firms in 2026: What Firms Need to Evidence
- Appointed Representative Oversight for Consumer Credit Principal Firms in 2026
- Consumer Credit Complaints and Redress in 2026: What FCA-Regulated Firms Need to Get Right
- Consumer Credit Regulatory Reporting in 2026: CCR009, Product Sales Data and FCA Expectations
- Consumer Credit Compliance Audits in 2026: What Should an FCA Review Cover?
- FCA Regulatory Change Management in 2026: A Practical Framework for Regulated Firms
- FCA Section 165 Information Requests in 2026: How Firms Should Respond
- FCA Principle 11 and SUP 15 Notifications in 2026: When Should a Firm Notify?
- SM&CR Statements of Responsibilities and Management Responsibilities Maps in 2026
- FCA Non-Financial Misconduct Rules 2026: What Firms Must Do Now
- FCA Material Third-Party Reporting 2027: How Firms Should Prepare
- FCA Operational Incident Reporting 2027: New Rules and Implementation
- FCA AI Governance for Financial Services Firms in 2026
- FCA Compliance Function in 2026: SYSC 6.1, Independence, Resources and Oversight
- Consumer Duty for Investment and Wealth Firms in 2026: What Firms Need to Evidence
- COBS Suitability for Investment Advice and Wealth Management in 2026
- Investment Firm Compliance Monitoring Programme 2026: What Should Firms Test?
- FCA Review of an Investment or Wealth Firm in 2026: How to Prepare and Respond
- FCA Mini-Bond and Loan Note Warning 2026: What Regulated Firms and Introducers Need to Review
- ASIC Online Broker Review 2026: DDO, Onboarding and High-Risk Investment Compliance
- Safeguarding Requirements by Jurisdiction: UK, EU, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia
- Regulatory Reporting for Multi-Licence Payment Firms
- RPAA Annual Report 2027: What Payment Service Providers Must File With the Bank of Canada by 31 March
- FINTRAC MSB Registration Revoked or Expired: Causes, Consequences and How to Re-register
- Canada's Stablecoin Act: Who Must Register With the Bank of Canada, Reserve Rules and Timing
- BNPL for Retailers and Marketplaces: When You Need FCA Permission After 15 July 2026
- ESMA's 8 January 2027 Deadline for Non-MiCA Stablecoins: What EU CASPs Must Do
- NMLS Annual Renewal for Money Transmitters: The 2026 Checklist
- Unlicensed Money Transmission: When Crypto, Stablecoin and Payments Firms Need State Licences
- GENIUS Act for Exchanges and Custodians: What Digital Asset Service Providers Must Do Before 18 July 2028
Ready to get started?
Every enquiry is answered the same business day, with a written proposal.
Speak to a licensing expertFrequently asked questions
Compliance advisory designs the framework and answers the strategic regulatory questions: perimeter, permissions, governance and control design. Ongoing compliance support operates and maintains that framework after it is in place, including monitoring, reporting and regulator engagement.
Yes. Perimeter analysis is one of the most frequent reasons firms engage us. We assess the activity against the applicable regime in each market served and set out the permissions required, with the reasoning documented so it can be shown to a bank, an investor or a supervisor.
Yes. We advise on board and committee structures, allocation of regulatory responsibilities, terms of reference and the management information senior managers need to discharge their responsibilities credibly.
Proportionality is a regulatory principle, not a concession. We design to the risk profile and scale of the firm, which for a smaller business usually means fewer, better evidenced controls rather than a large policy suite nobody operates.
Yes. We advise firms regulated in the European Union, Canada, the United States, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and groups that hold permissions in more than one of those markets.
Through a defined scope with fixed deliverables, senior-led throughout. Where continuing support is required after the design work, that transitions to a retained ongoing compliance arrangement.
Typically within one to two weeks of engagement, beginning with a scoping session and a gap analysis of current arrangements.