Financial Conduct Authority — STATUS

A note on regulation

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I am not authorised by the FCA because I do not provide regulated debt advice.

I have confirmed this directly with the FCA on two separate occasions:

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First contact — 19th June 2026 (Reference: 212365616) The FCA confirmed that generic, non-specific, publicly available information does not constitute regulated debt counselling. Regulated debt counselling requires an individual assessment of someone’s specific financial circumstances and a personalised recommendation of a course of action. I provide neither.

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Second contact — 22nd June 2026 Following further queries about my content, the FCA directed me to PERG 17.2 and PERG 17.5 of their handbook — the sections closest to my activities — as guidance on the boundary between education and regulated debt counselling. I have read and applied this guidance in full.

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Under PERG 17, the key test for regulated debt counselling is whether a person is advising on someone’s specific debt situation. My content does not meet this test because:

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All information I share is generic and publicly available, not tailored to any individual’s circumstances — I do not assess anyone’s personal financial situation — I do not make personalised recommendations — I do not adjust, negotiate or manage anyone’s debt — I receive no payment, commission or referral fee for directing people to free debt charities

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My guide £20 -  From Debt Crisis To Clear Guide is payment for my time spent researching and collating publicly available UK debt information into one accessible resource — not payment for advice or recommendations. It is a knowledge-based educational product. Readers make their own decisions about what course of action to take.

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For advice specific to your individual situation, please contact StepChange on 0800 138 1111 — completely free.