1.      a download of the FSA Register via electronic delivery, which is a paid-for service.

2.      an online search tool that enables you to interrogate the FSA Register, which is provided free of charge.

The register is supplied via our website, FTP site or HTPP protocol.  This is a quicker, easier, more reliable and more secure service than CD.

This is a complimentary service provided to our clients which allows them to run business-to-business enquiries, for instance a list of intermediaries authorised in the last month.  This contrasts with the FSA’s own website, which has been developed for consumer-based enquiries.

We have supplied the register to a large number of blue-chip clients since 1988, when the Financial Services Act of 1986 came into force.

We have a varied client base but in general our clients are large financial services companies.

The FSA do not offer a one-off supply for compliance purposes.  This is because they wish to promote an on-going use of the register rather than a one-off use which will obviously become out-of-date.

We do offer a one-off usage for own-business (marketing) purposes.  However, the FSA wish to encourage regular downloads rather than a one-off use and this is reflected in the pricing.   Depending on what time of year the order is made, it would probably be cheaper to take out a regular download than a one-off purchase in any case.

It is important that clients have up-to-date versions of the register and so we encourage enquirers to take regular updates.

Unfortunately, the FSA apply an ‘all or nothing’ policy to the register.  We can write selections to provide clients with subsets they would be interested in, for instance Scottish intermediaries or actuaries.

Yes, a number of our clients specify extracts from the register that they are interested in. This may be a selection of intermediaries in a given sales area, or a selection of your special intermediary partners, or a list of recently authorised or deauthorised intermediaries.  We would provide you a quotation for the development of your selection, and a quotation for a regular update of the selection. These fees are over and above the standard download fees.

No, if you want individuals’ data the FSA require that you also purchase companies data.

Unfortunately, there is no email data on the register, although the FSA do gather some emails at the time of registration.

Yes, what it means is that you can automatically download the register into your systems every week (or month depending on your agreement).  This saves on time and labour, and means you are not subject to staff holidays or sickness.  Automation is achieved via a straightforward HTPP script.  The majority of our clients already do this.  Contact us and we will guide you through the procedure.

Yes, we can provide access to any number of operators.  However, we strongly recommend that access is limited to two or three authorised users.

This depends on the purpose of your usage; if it is principally for compliance then one scale of fees applies, if it is mainly for other purposes (usually marketing) than another scale of fees applies.  It also depends on the frequency of use; weekly or monthly.

The charges below represent the total fees paid to the FSA and SDM, and are exclusive of VAT.  If individuals’ data is ordered both firms and individuals charges apply.

Compliance charges

Other own business charges

Please note that if you wish to order individuals’ data this fee must be added on to the firms only price.  Hence, for example, the cost of a weekly feed for firms and individuals, for compliance purposes, is £10,050 plus VAT.

You need to complete an order form and sign a register agreement with the FSA.  Both of these documents are available on our website. 

The licence agreement you take out with the FSA is an annual agreement from September through to August.  If you order the register at other time of year, pro-rata charges apply.  For instance, if you order in June, then the agreement will run for three months and one-quarter of the above charges will apply.  Please note you cannot take out an agreement for less than three months.

The provision of our download services is covered by your own standard terms on your Purchase Order.  This covers our download service, and not the data contained in the register.  SDM cannot, of course, be held responsible for the accuracy of the data contained within the register.

SDM charge £1,600 per annum for the weekly download and £995 per annum for the monthly download.  As above, these fees are applied pro-rata depending on when the order is made.  For the individuals’ data there is a further charge of £200.

These charges are included in the above tables.  For example, for firms data on a weekly basis, £1,600 is payable to SDM and £2,475 is payable to the FSA giving a total charge of £4,075.

We charge a reasonable set-up fee of about £500 to £1,000 for this depending on the complexity of the selection.  We charge £150 per download, so for example a monthly download of a specific selection would cost £1,800 per annum.

Yes, SDM provide this service free of charge and as such accept no liability whatsoever in relation to its use.  A copy of the terms and conditions is available on our website.

Note that we are of course obliged to provide the download services in a timely, reliable manner.