FCA bans husband and wife advisers over GTEP mis-selling

Wife also fined £50,000

Tom Ellis
clock • 2 min read

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned a husband and wife financial adviser duo from working in financial services for "integrity failings" following a string of mis-selling claims.

John Chiesa and Colette Chiesa were founding partners of Scottish IFA Westwood Independent Financial Planners, which became insolvent and went into sequestration after the FCA took action over their mis-selling of geared traded endowment policies (GTEP) in May 2011. Mrs Chiesa was also fined £50,000 for attempting to mislead the FCA during an interview with the regulator. Westwood, and therefore the Chiesas with unlimited liability as partners of the firm, had a string of "significant" liabilities arising from numerous claims against them filed with the Financial Ombudsman Service, th...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Regulation

The impact of the Overseas Fund Regime explained

The impact of the Overseas Fund Regime explained

Initially covers UCITS funds issued in most EU and EEA member states

Mark Rendle
clock 18 August 2025 • 3 min read
Viewing Consumer Duty through the vulnerability lens

Viewing Consumer Duty through the vulnerability lens

Clients can be vulnerable in many ways

Mark Sanderson
clock 14 August 2025 • 4 min read
Why the FCA's data request demands more than compliance

Why the FCA's data request demands more than compliance

Shift towards data-driven regulation arrives at a 'pivotal juncture'

Claire Cherrington
clock 31 July 2025 • 4 min read