Authorisation and Approval are the cornerstones of FSA regulation, and mark the ways in which firms and individuals join the regulated community. Conducting designated investment business without the requisite authorisation or approval is a criminal offence.  The FSA requires firms to do many of the checks into individuals it submits for approval themselves. Firms therefore need to be sure that their procedures are comprehensive and effective to avoid repercussions as a result of hiring someone unsuitable, and seeking their approval from the FSA.

This course covers, in detail, the procedures that must be followed, and tests that must be satisfied, in order for an individual to become an approved person under the FSA rules. It will also cover the requirements a firm must meet, and must continue to abide by, in order to become, and to remain, authorised.