FCA fines financial planning firm £107k for unsuitable pension transfer advice

£2.6m in redress paid

clock • 2 min read

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined LJ Financial Planning (LJFP) £107,200 for providing its customers with unsuitable pension switching and transfer advice and for failing to manage its conflicts of interest.

LJFP, based in Warrington, advised 114 customers to transfer their pensions into self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) between March 2010 and December 2012. The firm did not provide any advice on the underlying investments that were to be held in those SIPPs, the FCA said, and the investments were often high-risk, esoteric and illiquid. The regulator said that, when advising the clients, LJFP failed to consider not just whether a SIPP was suitable, but also whether the investments held within that SIPP were suited to the customer's needs and appetite for risk.  The firm knew the ...

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

Non-financial misconduct: Is the FCA's final guidance progress or overreach?

Non-financial misconduct: Is the FCA's final guidance progress or overreach?

'The FCA's rationale is clear: workplace culture drives conduct risk'

David Hamilton
clock 26 January 2026 • 4 min read
FCA ban and £2m fine upheld against 'worst' British Steel adviser

FCA ban and £2m fine upheld against 'worst' British Steel adviser

Upper Tribunal backs regulator's findings in key BSPS misconduct case

Sahar Nazir
clock 19 January 2026 • 2 min read
Failed financial advice firms tracker

Failed financial advice firms tracker

Firms that the FSCS has confirmed as failed since the start of 2023

Professional Adviser
clock 19 January 2026 • 1 min read