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Key takeaways
What should a financial adviser never outsource? Advice and suitability decisions, responsibility for good customer outcomes under the Consumer Duty, approval of financial promotions, complaint decisions and senior manager accountability. Case admin, chasing providers and lenders, document collection, data entry and diary management can move to an outsourced team.
- Keep: advice, suitability and customer outcomes.
- Keep: promotion approval and complaint decisions.
- Outsource: case admin, chasing, documents and data entry.
- The firm stays responsible to the FCA for outsourced work.
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Chat on WhatsApp →Why do these stay with the firm?
Because the FCA holds the firm responsible for its advice and customer outcomes, and SYSC 8 keeps responsibility with the firm when it outsources. The Consumer Duty requires firms to act to deliver good outcomes, which depends on judgement by authorised people.
What should never leave an advice firm?
These carry regulatory accountability.
- Advice and suitability decisions.
- Sign-off of client files.
- Approval of financial promotions.
- Complaint outcomes.
- Senior manager responsibilities.
What can an advice firm outsource?
Case admin: chasing lenders and providers, collecting documents, keying data into platforms, preparing file checklists, updating the CRM and managing diaries. Paraplanning support can also be bought in, with the adviser reviewing and owning the recommendation.
What does this look like in practice?
A pattern we see: advisers spend more time chasing than advising. With case admin outsourced and file sign-off kept in-house, they see more clients without weakening compliance.
Advice firm never-outsource checklist
- Keep advice and file sign-off with advisers.
- Keep promotion approval and complaints inside.
- Outsource chasing and data entry.
- Document oversight of outsourced work.
- Check SYSC 8 and Consumer Duty fit.
Next step
Track one adviser's week. Hours spent chasing and keying data are the hours to move first.
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Chat on WhatsApp →Sources and further reading
- Consumer Duty · Financial Conduct Authority
- FCA Handbook SYSC 8: Outsourcing · Financial Conduct Authority
Frequently asked questions
What can financial advisers outsource?
Case administration such as chasing lenders and providers, collecting documents, data entry, file checklists, CRM updates and diary management, and often paraplanning support. Advice, suitability, promotion approval and complaint decisions should stay with the firm's authorised people.
Does the Consumer Duty affect outsourcing?
Yes. Firms remain responsible for delivering good customer outcomes, including where outsourced providers are involved. They should check that outsourced processes support good outcomes, especially for vulnerable customers, and monitor the results.
Can mortgage brokers outsource case admin?
Yes. Many brokers outsource case submission support, lender chasing and document collection. The broker remains responsible for advice and suitability, so it should keep oversight, sample checks and file sign-off in-house with its own advisers.
Written by
Global Bridge Labs (GBL) is a UK–Sri Lanka partner for social media, websites and BPO. Everything here comes from client delivery, not theory.
