There are so many tangible benefits of sending regular newsletters to your clients and connections.

Recipients benefit from:

• Keeping their financial plan front of mind
• Reading about topics that affect them
• Feeling reassured about volatility
• Being in contact with you more than once a year.

For your business, regular newsletters could lead to:

• A higher conversion rate
• Better in-person conversations
• An expansion of your network.

All this to say, newsletters are a good thing for financial planning/advice businesses.

BUT – and it’s a big “BUT” – they must comply with the FCA’s financial promotions rules.

There are three words that you need to keep in mind here: “fair, clear, and not misleading”. OK, that’s technically four words… These four words are the lighthouse that will guide your newsletters through the choppy waters of FCA regulation.

If you “crash”, there could be serious consequences (you might have read about the finfluencers who have been prosecuted for falling foul of the rules).

So, here are four easy ways to make sure your newsletters remain in line with FCA expectations.

1. Don’t give any advice

Your newsletter is a way to offer educational insights, not to tell readers what to do.

Read that again.

It’s the first rule of thumb that every Yardstick copywriter learns, and if you’re producing your own content, you need to learn it too.

As an adviser, you have your own opinions about certain products or strategies. But the point is: you don’t know the circumstances of the person reading your newsletter, and you can’t guarantee that what you recommend will be right for them.

Here’s an example of “advising” rather than “discussing”.

• Advising: “You should always invest for a minimum of five years, ideally 10 or more.”
• Discussing: “In most cases, it’s recommended that you invest for a minimum of five years, ideally 10 or more.”

Here’s another:

• Advising: “The best way to grow your wealth is through consistent stock market investment.”
• Discussing: “Historically, market returns have outpaced cash interest over the long term.”

Avoiding imperative language like “should”, “best”, “must”, and “essential” can help you turn a piece of advice into a talking point.

2. Clickbait is a no-go

Under Consumer Duty, the FCA has cracked down on using “vague buzzwords” or misleading imagery to encourage clicks.

Let’s say you write an article about the upcoming inclusion of pensions in Inheritance Tax (IHT) calculations.

You write a catchy headline: “The taxman is coming after your pension – act now before it’s too late”.

Sure, people will probably click on it. But it’s not a fair view, it’s not balanced, and it could certainly be considered misleading because:

• Not everyone’s estates will be subject to IHT.
• The legislation comes in on 6 April 2027, but that doesn’t mean it will be “too late” for clients to form an estate plan – it depends on their age, circumstances, and existing arrangements.
• Telling clients to “act now” looks like scaremongering at best, and reads like a financial scam at worst.

Here are two compliant headlines that work just as well: “Pensions and Inheritance Tax: A helpful guide” or “Will your pension be caught in the Inheritance Tax net? 3 ways to find out”.

3. Evidence your claims

Knowing something to be true is not enough. When you make claims in a newsletter, you need to provide sources to back them up.

There are a few ways to style your sources:

• Put a link on the source name, such as the BBC or Money Marketing.
• Add a footnote or source number, like this [1], followed by a numbered list at the bottom of the article.

Source quality matters too. Impartial sources such as MoneyHelper are useful, as is independent research, such as the Pensions UK Retirement Living Standards.

4. Use risk warnings

Risk warnings are pieces of text that explain the risks and limitations of products or financial actions that you discuss in your newsletter.

As an example, at the bottom of an article about market volatility, I might include the following:

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

In a newsletter about IHT, I would write:

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning or tax planning.

Including risk warnings doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want in the main body of the newsletter. They are a belt-and-braces add-on – ideally, your newsletter copy should comply with FCA regulations on its own, without needing the warnings at all.

Note: if you’re part of a network, they may have their own risk warnings and take their own view of compliant wording.

Speak to the Yardstick content team about FCA-compliant, reader-friendly newsletters

If you want to produce a monthly newsletter that falls within the FCA’s guidelines and remains readable and topical, get in touch today.

With syndicated and bespoke packages tailored to what you need, our team of specialist copywriters, editors, and a brilliant proofreader can help you stay in touch with your clients and connections.

Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.