The FSA
Who are the Financial Services Authority (FSA)?
The Financial Services Authority is the regulator of U.K. financial services. They cover everybody: financial advisors, banks, and stockbrokers. It's all the financial sector.
What do the FSA do?
The FSA make the rules that all financial advisors have to abide by. It covers absolutely everything, from how they conduct business with their clients, to the fact that they have to have professional indemnity insurance in place. Everything that you can think of is covered by the FSA rulebook.
Can the FSA recommend an IFA for me?
The FSA won't actually recommend an IFA for you. They will check to see if one that you're consulting is authorized. If you contact them or get onto their website, you can access the public register on there, but they won't actually recommend a specific IFA.