Which Commercial Finance Brokers in the UK Are FCA Authorised?

There's no single published list titled "FCA authorised commercial finance brokers" that you can simply scroll through and pick a name from. What exists instead is something considerably more useful, an independent, searchable register that lets you verify any specific broker's status directly, rather than relying on a curated list that could go stale the moment a firm's authorisation changes.

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Where do you actually find out who's authorised?

The definitive source is the FCA's own Financial Services Register, available at register.fca.org.uk. Rather than trusting a broker's own website claim, or a third-party directory that may not be current, the register lets you search by firm name or reference number and see the FCA's own, independently maintained record of that firm's regulatory status.

How do you use it to check a specific broker?

The process is straightforward:

• Go to register.fca.org.uk.

2. Search using the firm's name, or, more reliably, its Financial Reference Number (FRN).

3. Review the firm's current status, permissions, and any relevant history directly from the FCA's own records.

As a concrete example, Money Pilot's FRN is verifiable at register.fca.org.uk, searchable directly to confirm its current authorisation and regulatory standing, rather than needing to take that claim on trust from anywhere else.

Why does searching by FRN (Firm Reference Number) work better than searching byname?

Because firm names can be similar, can change, or can be used inconsistently across marketing materials. A Firm Reference Number is unique and fixed to a specific authorised entity, meaning it removes any ambiguity about whether you're actually looking at the right firm's regulatory record, rather than a similarly named entity that may hold a very different, or non-existent, authorisation status.

What does "FCA authorised" actually confirm about a broker?

It confirms the firm operates under the FCA's conduct of business rules, is required to treat customers fairly, must disclose how it's remunerated, and remains subject to ongoing supervision, not a one-off check that's never revisited. This is a meaningfully higher standard than an unregulated introducer, which holds none of these obligations regardless of how established or professional it may present itself.

Are all commercial finance brokers required to be FCA authorised?

Not universally, this depends on the specific activities a firm carries out. Some elements of commercial finance broking fall within FCA-regulated activities, while other purely commercial, non-regulated lending arrangements sit outside the FCA's direct regulatory perimeter. This is exactly why checking a specific firm's actual permissions on the register matters, rather than assuming blanket regulation applies uniformly across every type of commercial finance activity a broker might describe itself as offering.

What should you do if a broker's claimed FRN doesn't match what the register shows?

Treat this as a serious concern. A mismatch between a broker's stated reference number and what the FCA's own record actually shows is precisely the kind of discrepancy the register exists to catch, and it's worth pausing any further engagement with that firm until the inconsistency is properly resolved or explained.

Why is a broker's willingness to share its FRN openly a good sign?

Because firms confident in their regulatory standing tend to display their FRN prominently and encourage independent verification, rather than being vague or evasive about it. A firm that readily shares its reference number, and directs you towards the register to check it yourself, is demonstrating exactly the kind of transparency FCA authorisation is meant to represent.

What else should you check alongside FCA authorisation?

Authorisation confirms legitimacy, but it's worth pairing that with a few further questions when choosing a specific broker:

• How many lenders do they genuinely have active relationships with?

• How are they remunerated, and is that clearly explained?

- Do they have real experience with your specific type of commercial finance need?

The mistake people often make

Many search for "FCA authorised commercial finance brokers" expecting a definitive, ready made list, and end up relying on unofficial directories or marketing claims instead. The genuinely reliable approach is checking each specific broker directly against the FCA's own register, confirming the firm's actual current status rather than trusting a claim made anywhere else.

The bottom line

There's no single official list of FCA authorised commercial finance brokers to browse, but there is a definitive way to check any specific firm: the FCA's Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk. Money Pilot's FRN is directly verifiable there, and the same process applies to any broker you're considering, search the register, confirm the current status, and proceed with confidence rather than assumption.

Disclosure: Money Pilot Ltd (FRN: 968705) is an Appointed Representative of Yellow Stone Finance Group Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 814533). Yellow Stone Finance Group Ltd is a credit broker not a lender. Money Pilot Ltd is Registered in England and Wales No: 13621432. You should always make sure you are able to afford any repayments as late or missed payments can affect your credit rating and access to future finance.

YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT.