TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for consumer credit reform.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess consumer credit reform following HM Treasury’s Phase 1 consultation on the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the Financial Conduct Authority’s policy statement on Regulation of Deferred Payment Credit, which will bring lenders offering Buy Now Pay Later agreements under FCA regulation from 15th July 2026.
Delegates will consider how the regulatory framework can evolve alongside innovations in the lending ecosystem, balancing market growth and product development with consumer protections, and how the BNPL regime links to wider reforms of the Consumer Credit Act, ahead of HM Treasury’s publication of Phase 2 of the consultation. The FCA’s ongoing consultation on proposed changes to financial promotions rules for consumer credit will also be assessed, including priorities for firms in delivering the consumer understanding outcome under the Consumer Duty, and approaches to communicating APR and other credit costs.
The conference will discuss expansion of alternative forms of lending to support underserved consumers, drawing on the Financial Inclusion Strategy and the FCA and Prudential Regulation Authority’s plans to support growth in the mutual sector. The agenda will consider how increasing access to credit, including through mergers, new account openings, and supporting regional economies, as well as innovations such as Open Banking, Variable Recurring Payments, and small-sum personal loan pilots, could reduce reliance on high-risk lending.
Further sessions will assess reform to debt enforcement, including proposals to make the Enforcement Conduct Board an independent statutory regulator, alongside emerging approaches in debt and financial advice and technological solutions aimed at reducing reliance on high-risk or harmful credit. Delegates will examine how these developments interact across the credit lifecycle, from product design and affordability assessment to enforcement and consumer support, as well as what practical measures may be needed to translate strategic ambitions for inclusion, innovation, and consumer protection into effective market outcomes.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy and regulatory reform:
- HM Treasury consultation on the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and proposed phased approach, including information requirements, sanctions, criminal offences, and longer-term changes to rights, protections, scope, and transitional arrangements
- FCA regime for Deferred Payment Credit, including bringing BNPL within regulation, credit-worthiness and affordability requirements, Financial Ombudsman Service coverage, and proportionality for firms
- market development and consumer access:
- options for improving access to affordable credit, including Open Banking, Variable Recurring Payments, small-sum lending pilots, and provision for underserved consumers
- growth of the mutual sector and wider financial inclusion priorities, including regional access, alternative provision, and reducing reliance on higher-risk lending
- debt, enforcement and consumer support:
- reform of debt enforcement regulation, including proposals for an independent statutory regulator and links with debt advice
- co-ordination across lenders, Credit Reference Agencies, trade associations, third sector organisations, and technology providers to address problem debt, coerced debt, and credit reporting issues
- consumer protection and market oversight:
- implementation challenges arising from new consumer credit rules, including regulatory burden, transitional arrangements, and implications for brokers and information services
- financial promotion, advertising, and product communication requirements, alongside broader approaches to transparency, affordability, and consumer outcomes
- sector-specific pressures and emerging issues:
- motor finance consumer redress and its implications for credit availability and market stability
- interaction between consumer credit reform and wider financial inclusion measures, including dormant assets and cross-market collaboration to expand access to credit
