Check a UK financial firm before sharing documents

Check the particular firm and activity

Before considering a financial product or service, use the responsible UK regulator’s firm-checking service to check authorisation and the relevant permissions. Search for the responsible entity rather than relying only on a familiar trading phrase. A similar name or copied reference number does not establish that the sender is the firm shown in the result.

Keep the particular activity in view as well as the firm’s name. Having permission for one service does not establish permission for every other service, and an identity check does not remove every risk. This website’s London focus and domain name do not establish lender or broker authorisation; this article is not a finding about any particular provider.

Use an independent contact route

Compare the contact details in the approach with those available through the official check. If something differs, do not resolve it simply by asking the original sender to reassure you. Locate the official source independently and use an appropriate verified route to ask whether the proposal and contact are genuine.

Separate the question about identity from the question about whether the product meets your needs. An identity check does not calculate affordability, explain every charge or make a proposal suitable. Keep a copy of the written terms and record any feature or cost that you still do not understand.

Control what you share and when

Before uploading documents, establish who receives them, why they are needed and which secure process is intended. A general enquiry can often ask about a missing term without including full statements or identity records. Never provide account passwords or security codes to demonstrate that an application is serious.

If the firm or activity cannot be checked confidently, pause and use an appropriate official consumer-verification route rather than improvising a workaround. Keep the original approach as evidence without forwarding private information unnecessarily. This is a verification checklist, not personalised financial advice, a loan application, an offer or a promise of regulatory protection.

• Use the official FCA route to check the responsible entity.
• Match permissions to the particular service being offered.
• Verify contact details independently of the original message.
• Understand the document process before sharing personal records.