As the FCA brings more scrutiny to bear on Annex 1 firms, there are opportunities for consultants to help these businesses ensure that they have strong financial crime controls in place that are tailored to the risks they actually face.
There is also the chance to help regulated counterparties like banks to review the Annex 1 firms they may be working with. Annex 1 registration is clearly no replacement for careful due diligence.
For both opportunities, the first step is to identify the relevant Annex 1 firms, whether as potential clients or among existing counterparties. So, for those who need to go beyond FCA Register spot checks, we have added a dedicated Annex 1 filter to the Hackford platform and MCP.
What are Annex 1 firms?
Annex 1 firms are financial businesses registered with the FCA for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision but which are not FCA-authorised under the wider financial services regime.
Hackford’s data identifies 1,183 current FCA Annex 1 registrations. These range from commercial lenders whose activity falls outside regulated credit or mortgage activities, to financial leasing companies, money brokers and safe custody providers (such as safe deposit box businesses).
Why now
The FCA has increased its scrutiny of these businesses. In August 2026, it sent information requests to around 900 Annex 1 firms, following work with 300 in late 2025.
On 23 October 2026, it announced restrictions on six lenders following concerns about AML controls. Imposed at each firm’s request, these restrictions limit new customers and new business with existing customers.
Types of Annex 1 firms
Credit lenders are the largest group in Hackford’s Annex 1 data, with 573 firms, or 48.4% of the total. Credit brokers account for a further 121 firms (10.2%).
There are also 72 mortgage lenders and 72 property finance lenders, each representing 6.1% of the total. Beyond lending and broking, the population includes 44 safe-deposit operators and 32 digital asset infrastructure businesses.
Across the population, Hackford identifies 55 different firm types. A consultant working with commercial lenders will need a different list from one supporting safe custody providers. Being able to distinguish between these businesses helps turn a broad list of Annex 1 firms into a more focused set of potential clients or counterparties.
Beyond spot checks
Individual Annex 1 firms are visible on the FCA’s Register. To check an individual firm, look for status “Registered” and type “Supervised for anti-money laundering purposes only”.
Finding a relevant group of firms is a more challenging task than checking an individual business.
Hackford allows subscribers to build a list of Annex 1 firms and segment the results further. Additional filters include Hackford’s proprietary firm types, employee headcount, and financial metrics.
From a search to a working list
For example, a consultant researching commercial lenders can start with the Annex 1 population, then narrow it to the firms relevant to their work:
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Select Add firm criteria → Regulatory profile → AML registration → Annex 1.
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Add firm type, employee headcount or financial criteria, where available, to narrow the results.
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The data can then be exported to CSV for further analysis, or the firms saved to a watchlist to receive email alerts on the changes selected in your watchlist settings.
To see how the Annex 1 filter could help with your research, please get in touch with Hackford.
