Is Your Financial Adviser Regulated? How to Check
Every financial regulator maintains a public register of licenced advisers and firms. These registers are free, take two minutes to search, and are the most reliable indicator of whether an adviser is operating legitimately in your jurisdiction. This page shows you where to look and what to look for.
Six regulators covering the main expat jurisdictions
Each card below links directly to the public register. Search by firm name or individual adviser name. The result will show the licence type, current status, and the scope of activities permitted.
Labuan FSA
Financial services conducted in or from Labuan, Malaysia's international business and financial centre. Covers fund managers, investment advisers, insurance brokers, leasing companies, and holding structures operating under the Labuan financial services framework. Not the same as Securities Commission Malaysia, which covers onshore investment activities.
Go to the Labuan FSA licensees register. Search by company name or browse by licence category. Advisers operating under a Labuan Qualified Company structure should be listed under the relevant financial services licence category.
MAS
All financial advisers, fund managers, insurance intermediaries, and capital markets services firms operating in Singapore. One of the most comprehensive financial regulatory regimes in Southeast Asia. Advisers working with Singapore-based clients must hold a licence issued under the Financial Advisers Act or the Securities and Futures Act.
Use the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. Enter the firm name to see its licences, permitted activities, and current status. For individual advisers, search the Representative Notification Framework listing under their employing firm.
FCA
Financial services firms and individuals operating in the UK. The FCA is the definitive check for any adviser who claims to be UK-regulated. Also relevant for advisers who are regulated in the UK but providing advice to clients living abroad, where additional local licensing may be required.
Search the Financial Services Register by firm name, individual name, or FCA reference number. The result shows the firm's authorisation status, permitted activities, and any disciplinary history. Individual adviser entries show the specific activities they are permitted to perform.
DFSA
Financial services conducted in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The DIFC is a special economic zone with its own regulatory framework and courts. Advisers operating within the DIFC must be authorised by the DFSA. Advisers operating in mainland Dubai or other Emirates fall under the SCA instead.
Use the DFSA Public Register. Search by entity name to see authorisation status, permitted activities, and licence type. If your adviser says they are DIFC-regulated, the DFSA register is the verification point. Check that the specific individual is listed under the firm's authorised individuals.
SCA
Investment advisers, brokers, asset managers, and securities firms operating in the UAE outside the DIFC. Relevant for advisers based in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other Emirates. Many expatriate-focused financial advisers in the UAE operate under an SCA licence rather than a DFSA licence, particularly those not based in the DIFC.
Search the SCA public register for licenced investment advisers and firms. If you are unsure whether your adviser is DIFC-based or mainland UAE-based, check both the DFSA and SCA registers. An adviser who claims UAE regulation but appears on neither register is not regulated in the UAE.
FSCA
Financial Services Providers (FSPs) authorised to give financial advice and provide financial products in South Africa. Relevant for South African expats whose adviser is South Africa-based, or who hold South African financial products such as pension funds, unit trusts, or life policies.
Use the FSCA FSP register to verify an adviser or firm. Search by FSP number or company name. The register shows the authorisation date, categories of financial services the FSP is licenced to provide, and current good standing status.
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What regulation means, and what it does not
Being regulated by a financial authority means that the adviser and their firm have met minimum requirements to operate: they have registered with the regulator, demonstrated a level of professional competence, hold professional indemnity insurance, are subject to conduct rules that govern how they treat clients, and can be investigated and sanctioned if they breach those rules.
It does not mean the advice is guaranteed to be correct, that the adviser will not make mistakes, or that your money is insured against market losses. Regulation is not a quality guarantee. It is a conduct and accountability framework. The difference matters.
What regulation does provide is access to a formal complaints process, access to an ombudsman or dispute resolution scheme in many jurisdictions, and a legal basis for any claim if the adviser has committed a regulatory breach. An unregulated adviser provides none of this. If things go wrong with an unregulated adviser, your legal options are substantially reduced.
Regulation also creates ongoing obligations for the adviser: continued professional development requirements, annual reporting to the regulator, audit requirements in some cases, and the obligation to maintain adequate capital. These obligations filter out the least serious operators over time, though they do not prevent all failures.
If your adviser does not appear on a regulatory register
Finding that your adviser is not listed on the relevant register is not a definitive confirmation of wrongdoing. There are a small number of legitimate edge cases. But absent a clear explanation, the absence of a listing requires an immediate clarification and may require ceasing the relationship.
Ask directly, in writing
Send an email asking the adviser to confirm in writing which regulator they are licenced with, their firm's registration number, and the specific activities their licence covers. An adviser with nothing to hide will answer this question immediately. A delay or vague response is a signal.
Search for the parent company
Some advisers operate under the licence of a parent or introducer firm. The individual adviser may not appear on the register by name, but the firm they work for should. Ask for the firm name and search that. Confirm that the individual is an authorised representative of the licenced firm.
Check whether the licence covers the advice given
Some advisers are licenced for insurance products but not investment advice, or vice versa. If the advice you have received goes beyond what their licence permits, you have less protection even if they are listed on the register. Read the permitted activities section of their register entry.
Do not transfer money until the status is confirmed
If there is any uncertainty about the adviser's regulatory status, pause any transactions. Money transferred based on advice from an unregulated adviser is significantly harder to recover if something goes wrong. Resolve the regulatory question before proceeding.
Contact the regulator directly if you have concerns
Every regulator has a public contact for reporting concerns about unauthorised financial services activity. If an adviser is operating without a licence, this is reportable. The regulators listed above all accept reports of unlicensed financial advice. You do not need legal representation to file a report.
Not sure who you are dealing with?
If you have questions about your current adviser's regulatory status, or you are looking for a regulated alternative for cross-border financial planning in Southeast Asia, a Planning Session is the starting point. Regulatory status and fee structure are addressed in the first five minutes.
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