SAIF Golden Charter

Another step on the pathway to regulation

Celebrating 600 conversations

It’s been four months since we took the second step forward in our Pathway to Regulation by making our Appointed Representative and Introducer Appointed Representative application process available.

We’ve had an overwhelming response from funeral directors, having spoken with more than 600 firms and received hundreds of applications; all from funeral directors keen to now embark on their Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) journey with us.

The vast majority of applications we’ve received are from funeral directors wishing to carry on speaking with families about the detail of their funeral plans and become an Appointed Representative. We’re delighted that our partners are so engaged with FCA regulation and that so many are reaching out to us proactively, eager to move forward.

We’re here to help guide you through the process and help you make the most suitable choices for your business. When you speak with your business manager, they’ll give you all of the information about the two distinct routes to regulation to help you choose to become either an Appointed Representative or an Introducer Appointed Representative.

By joining hundreds of your peers in submitting, you can relax knowing your application is in hand. Doing so now will give you ample time to complete the due diligence checks required by the FCA comfortably ahead of 29 July. Once we’ve received your completed form there’s nothing more for you to do until our professional regulatory partner contacts you with the next steps, so please rest assured you are doing everything you need to.

Partnering for success

We understand that for some, this may seem like a tumultuous time for Independents, but we’re here to make your Pathway to Regulation as straightforward as possible. We’ve enlisted the help of UKGI, our expert regulatory partner, with more than 17 years of experience in guiding non-regulated firms into a regulated environment. They’re working with us to make your journey to FCA regulation as smooth as possible.

After you’ve submitted your completed application form to us, UKGI will be in contact with you to safely gather all of the information the FCA requires. They’ve already started speaking with some of our partners who applied early on, making now the perfect time to submit your application form and be ready for UKGI’s call.

As we navigate this next step it’s important to remember that regulation is there to protect the families you serve and is an extension of the customer focused principles independent funeral directors already work to. Golden Charter was one of the first funeral planning companies to apply to the FCA to become directly authorised. Our FCA application is progressing well and we, and our funeral director partners, are well placed to meet the new regulatory standards.

Support for all

You might be surprised at how little time it takes to complete and submit your application, with much of the information required already known to you, being about your business. Your business manager can walk you through the form or provide you with a handy completion guide to work through in your own time. You can familiarise yourself with these documents here.

We understand that each firm is different and so we’re here to offer tailored support to you and your business every step of the way. Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll have access to our exclusive regulatory webinars we hold for funeral directors during step two of their Pathway to Regulation.

If you’d like to continue offering funeral plans to your families without interruption following July 29 of this year, take the next step today. Speak with your business manager or email.

Click here for our feature on the benefits of Paperless Applications.