FCA & Regulatory Position

Cotswolds Capital is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The firm does not hold FCA permissions and does not carry out regulated activities as defined under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

This is a considered and deliberate position. The advisory work the firm undertakes, including strategic counsel on complex transactions, capital relationships, negotiation, and independent strategic matters, does not require FCA authorisation. The firm does not manage client money, does not hold client assets, does not provide investment advice as defined under FSMA 2000, and does not operate as a financial intermediary in the regulated sense.

Where a client engagement touches on matters that do require regulated advice, including investment advice, tax advice, or legal counsel, the firm directs clients to appropriately authorised and qualified professionals and does not seek to provide those services itself. 

The absence of FCA authorisation does not reflect the standard to which the firm holds itself. Cotswolds Capital operates in accordance with the principles and behavioural expectations that the FCA applies to authorised firms, not because it is required to do so, but because those principles represent the correct standard for a firm operating in the environments it does.

In practice this means the firm applies the following standards across all of its engagements and relationships.

The firm acts with integrity at all times and does not place its own interests ahead of those of its clients.

The firm provides clear, honest, and considered counsel and does not make representations it cannot substantiate.

The firm manages conflicts of interest carefully and discloses them to relevant parties where they arise.

The firm maintains robust confidentiality standards and treats discretion as a structural discipline rather than a courtesy.

The firm does not accept engagements where it considers its involvement inappropriate, where a genuine conflict exists that cannot be managed, or where the instructions received are inconsistent with the firm's own ethical standards.

The firm keeps records of its engagements, its advice, and its decision-making in a manner consistent with good institutional practice.

The firm's principals hold themselves to the standard of conduct expected of Senior Managers under the FCA's Senior Managers and Certification Regime, notwithstanding that the regime does not apply to the firm by virtue of its unregulated status. This means that each principal takes personal responsibility for their own conduct and for the quality and appropriateness of the advice and counsel they provide.

The firm does not hide behind its unregulated status. Where a client or counterparty has a concern about the firm's conduct, that concern will be taken seriously, investigated properly, and responded to with the same rigour that a regulated firm would be expected to apply.

The firm is not subject to FCA oversight and clients do not have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in connection with the firm's services.

The protections afforded to clients of FCA-authorised firms under FSMA 2000 and the FCA's conduct rules do not apply by operation of law to the firm's services.

Clients are encouraged to satisfy themselves as to the appropriateness of engaging an unregulated adviser for their particular circumstances and, where relevant, to take independent regulated advice before making decisions that require it.

The Financial Conduct Authority maintains a public register of authorised firms and individuals at fca.org.uk/register. Cotswolds Capital does not appear on this register. Clients and counterparties are encouraged to verify the regulatory status of any firm they engage with through the FCA register.

Any questions regarding the firm's regulatory status or conduct standards should be directed to the firm through the contact details on this Site.

Cotswolds Capital is the trading name of Cotswolds Capital Advisors Limited (CRN 16873557), Cotswolds Capital Inc. (EIN 61-2316210), and Cotswolds Capital Consulting L.L.C. (MLN 1562611).

© Cotswolds Capital 2026. All rights reserved.