FCA Fines 2013 – H1 2025
FCA fines are on course for a record low in 2025. Analysis of £4.79bn in fines since 2013 with breakdowns by year, firm, and individual.
What the report covers
This report from Hackford reveals that FCA fines are on course to hit a record low in 2025—projected at just £25m, well below the previous low of £35.3m in 2016.
It analyses over £4.79bn in fines issued across 292 enforcement actions since 2013, offering detailed breakdowns by year, firm, and individual.
The report marks the launch of comprehensive fines data on the Hackford platform, enabling users to search, benchmark, and monitor FCA enforcement activity more effectively.
A must-read for compliance professionals, regtech firms, and journalists tracking the regulator's bite—or lack thereof—in 2025.
Dataset
The dataset covers FCA fines from 2013 to H1 2025, including fine value, year, recipient type, firm or individual attribution and Hackford's enforcement-theme classification.
Key findings
- FCA fines in 2025 are projected at around £25m based on £12.3m issued in the first half of the year.
- A £25m total would be below the previous low of £35.3m recorded in 2016.
- Hackford analysed £4.79bn in FCA fines across 292 enforcement actions from 2013 to H1 2025.
- Fines peaked in 2014 at £1.47bn, driven by forex benchmark, LIBOR and liquidity-scheme misconduct.
- Hackford categorised fines into seven groups, with individual accountability and conduct the most frequent category at 84 fines.
- Client protection, suitability and fair-treatment fines were concentrated in earlier years, with none in 2023 and two in H1 2025.
- The largest FCA fine to a firm in the dataset was Barclays Bank PLC's £284m penalty in 2015.
- Median fines were £5.62m for firms and £100k for individuals across 2013 to H1 2025.
Methodology
Hackford used FCA-published news and enforcement data covering fines from 2013 to the first half of 2025.
Each fine was reviewed to determine whether it was issued to a firm or an individual.
Each fine was assigned to one of seven categories based on the published notice, enforcement context and legal references.
Who should read this
- Compliance teams benchmarking FCA enforcement themes
- Regtech teams building enforcement and risk-monitoring workflows
- Journalists covering FCA activity and regulatory priorities
- Researchers analysing firm and individual accountability trends
Definitions
- FCA fine
- A financial penalty issued by the Financial Conduct Authority to a firm or individual.
- Individual accountability and conduct
- Hackford's category for misconduct or incompetence by named individuals under APER or COCON.
- Financial crime, AML and sanctions
- Hackford's category for failings relating to money laundering, sanctions compliance, internal fraud or bribery and corruption controls.
- Client protection, suitability and fair treatment
- Hackford's category for customer-facing failings including mis-selling, misleading promotions and client asset safeguarding.
Report FAQ
What period does the FCA fines report cover?
The report covers FCA fines from 2013 to the first half of 2025.
How did Hackford classify FCA fines?
Hackford reviewed FCA-published notices and assigned each fine to one of seven enforcement-theme categories.
Download report
Citation: Hackford, "FCA Fines 2013 - H1 2025", 2025.
- 2025 figures are based on fines issued in the first half of the year and include an annualised projection.
- The report includes Shay Jacob Reches' additional 2016 penalty and a 2023 fine for Jes Staley following the June 2025 ruling noted in the report.