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1000+

Successful FCA applications

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Winner of Best Financial Services Compliance Consultancy 2020 - 2024

2000+

Happy customers served

Types of investment compliance services

As an FCA regulated firm in the investment sector, your regulatory responsibilities can often feel like a burden. We make keeping compliant a lighter lift.

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Applications

Know if you’re ready for the FCA and what to expect from the authorisation process, with support from an investment compliance expert the whole way

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Compliance support

As your firm grows and changes, we’ll be beside you to offer commercially-focused and risk-balanced investment compliance services, advice and hands-on delivery

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Audits and advisory

From due diligence for a merger or acquisition, to FCA investigations or changes in your regulatory responsibilities, we deliver technical advice, in plain English

Wondering how long it’ll take? What your options are? Where to start? Or whether you’re ready to become authorised?

Read the FAQs

Who we support

We support these types of organisations to keep innovating
  • Agency Brokerages
  • Family Offices
  • FX & CFD brokerages
  • AIFMs
  • Hedge Funds
  • Robo Advisors
  • Commodity Futures & Options Brokerages
  • Retail & Institutional Wealth Managers
  • Social Trading Platforms
  • Corporate Finance Advisors
  • Investment Advisors
  • Stockbrokers
  • Discretionary Fund Managers
  • Investment Managers
  • Trading Signal Providers
  • Exchanges and Trading Platforms
  • Private Equity & Venture Capital
  • Consumer Credit
  • General Insurance
  • IFAs
  • Investments Product Providers
  • Mortgage Brokers / Lenders
  • Pension Scheme Operators/Providers
  • Restricted Financial Advisers
  • System Providers
  • Trade Associations
And many more...

What our investment clients have to say

"The team at Thistle provided their specialist knowledge and expertise throughout the FCA application process from start to finish, including assisting with responding to the FCA’S detailed questions after submission. Suffice to say, we’re very happy."
Ely Place Partners logo
Ely Place Partners
“Thistle Initiatives provided us with a high level of support during our FCA application for authorisation, including meeting FCA expectations around CASS and assisting us in preparing our ICARA document. Additionally, they provided us invaluable expertise when answering challenging questions from the regulator and assisted us to achieve FCA authorisation quickly.”
Upvest
Upvest

“Thistle Initiatives provide us with invaluable expertise with their ongoing compliance support and delivered end-to-end assistance with our FCA application to add Alternative Investment Fund Management to our permissions. The service from the team is always on-point and efficient; we highly recommend them.”

London & Oxford Group
London & Oxford Group

“Our experience of working with Thistle Initiatives to add our CASS permissions has been great. Thistle helped to create the application to vary our FCA permissions and helped to respond to the FCA’s detailed questions following submission. Thistle assisted quickly and clearly at all times, including during the more complex aspects of the process.”

Cirdan Capital
Cirdan Capital

“Our experience of working with Thistle Initiatives has been exceptionally good. After due consideration and comparison of various service providers, WMG Advisors engaged Thistle to perform an external review of our systems and controls, our policies and procedures and to provide ongoing training to meet our compliance needs. Thistle deployed serious resources to the project, and provided comprehensive analysis and recommendations. Thistle has responded quickly and clearly to all of our requests to date. We continue to be impressed with both the methodology and the people that we deal with throughout their organisation.”

WMG-Funds
WMG Funds LLP
“From end to end, Thistle’s assistance with our discretionary and advisory application for FCA authorisation was fantastic. They provided a professional and efficient service assisting with all aspects; we are very satisfied with the outcome.”
Topstone-Capital-Limited
Topstone Capital

Acquisition due diligence

We have been helping UK and overseas firms acquire FCA regulated businesses since 2012. Over that time we have handled regulatory due diligence on more than 85 regulated entities, advising on transactions worth over £8 billion.

If you are looking at acquiring a regulated firm, our expert team can help. We offer a range of acquisition due diligence services to help you fully understand the regulatory risk any transaction poses.

View our guide
Wren Sterling - City Financial
City Financial logo

Wren Sterling acquisition of City Financial

Find out more ⮕

27 June 2025
Lee Equity - Shackleton
Shackleton Advisors logo

Lee Equity Partners acquisition of Shackleton

Find out more ⮕

24 June 2025
Knights - Birkett Long
Birkett Long IFA logo

Knights acquisition of Birkett Long IFA LLP

Find out more ⮕

15 May 2025
MKC Wealth - Yodelar
Yodelar logo

MKC Wealth acquisition of Yodelar

Find out more ⮕

17 April 2025
Shackleton Advisors - PK
PK Financial Planning logo

Shackleton Advisors acquisition of PK Financial Planning and PK Wealth

Find out more ⮕

15 April 2025
Titan-Wealth
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Titan Wealth acquisition of Independent Wealth Planners

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18 December 2024
Connection Capital
Hood Group

Connection Capital acquisition of Hood Group Ltd

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7 November 2024
CBPE
Clifton-Asset-Management

CBPE investment in Clifton Asset Management

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4 November 2024
Saltus
Tavistock

Saltus acquisition of Tavistock

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9 October 2024
Oaktree
Close Brothers Asset Management

Oaktree acquisition of Close Brothers Asset Management

Find out more

2 October 2024
Wren Sterling
In Focus

Wren Sterling acquisition of In Focus Group

Find out more

16 August 2024
Skerritts
black-swan-logo

Skerritts acquisition of Black Swan Financial Planning

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11 July 2024
My Pension Expert
Tenet&You

My Pension Expert acquisition of Tenet&You

Find out more

5 June 2024
Titan-Wealth
Loveday & Partners

Titan Wealth acquisition of Loveday & Partners

Find out more

24 April 2024
Pollen Street
Mattioli-Woods

Pollen Street Capital acquisition of Mattioli Woods

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8 March 2024
Charlesbank
Perspective

Perspective Financial Group Limited being acquired by Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC

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12 February 2024
The level of assistance and advice Thistle provide is first rate. Thistle’s help was key in all of our applications to the FCA; all have been successful quickly.
Jefferson Capital Ltd

Financial crime prevention

Financial crime compliance is under intense regulatory scrutiny. At Thistle Initiatives, we help firms act swiftly and respond with confidence.

Our experts deliver audits, advisory, and managed resources that are fast, practical, and effective. With former regulators and industry specialists on our team, we bring experience from multiple sectors and major enforcement programmes. We combine deep regulatory expertise with commercial insight, tailoring solutions to each client’s business model, risk profile and maturity.

 

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Case studies

IFPR MIFIDPRU Gap Analysis Case Study:  Key Challenges and Insights

IFPR MIFIDPRU Gap Analysis Case Study:  Key Challenges and Insights

The Challenge When our client approached us, they faced a significant hurdle. ...
The Investment Firms Prudential Regime (IFPR)

The Investment Firms Prudential Regime (IFPR)

The challenge The Investment Firms Prudential Regime (IFPR), implemented on 1st ...
Launching an Appointed Representative

Launching an Appointed Representative

The challenge The client wished to launch as an Appointed Representative, and ...

DOWNLOAD: Your 10-Step Guide to CASS Compliance

In 2024, almost a quarter of CASS audit reports were returned as ‘qualified’ or ‘adverse’,  proof that meeting the FCA’s elevated expectations remains a major challenge across the industry. Weaknesses in governance, reconciliation, documentation, and oversight are still common, and the regulator is taking notice.

The FCA’s scrutiny is not limited to newly authorised firms. Long-standing businesses once considered low risk are also in scope. Past performance offers no protection if current standards are slipping. CASS compliance is no longer just good practice; it is a critical safeguard against regulatory action.


Download the guide

More from the investments team

FCA Transaction Reporting Proposals on the Horizon

FCA Transaction Reporting Proposals on the Horizon

The FCA has announced proposals aiming to overhaul the reporting requirements ...
FCA Consolidator Review: Key Takeaways for the Financial Advice and Wealth Management Sector

FCA Consolidator Review: Key Takeaways for the Financial Advice and Wealth Management Sector

The FCA’s latest review examines consolidation activity across the advice and ...
Our Takeaways from the FCA’s Multi-Firm Review of Client Categorisation in Corporate Finance Firms

Our Takeaways from the FCA’s Multi-Firm Review of Client Categorisation in Corporate Finance Firms

The FCA has called time on box-ticking approaches to client categorisation. ...