Specialist dispute resolution & regulatory defence
We support advice networks, IFAs, wealth managers, platforms and SIPP providers in managing high-stakes disputes under the FCA's DISP framework. Drawing on direct tenure as a Financial Ombudsman Service investigator and extensive experience with complex IFA casework, we build technically sound defence submissions, perform complex loss calculations and extract actionable root-cause intelligence to meet Consumer Duty requirements.
Complaints in regulated wealth management and pensions are rarely simple customer service friction. They are technical disputes that touch on suitability boundaries (COBS), administrative dealing lag, statutory tax triggers, and defined benefit transfer or pension switching advice.
When firms treat complaints as purely administrative tasks, two costly outcomes follow:
01
Defensible advice is conceded unnecessarily, because the investigation lacks the regulatory precision to counter weak arguments.
02
Systemic operational failures are overlooked, creating repeat complaints, FOS case fees and avoidable distress-and-inconvenience awards.
We provide independent, senior-level intervention at every stage of the dispute lifecycle, so your responses are compliant, defensible and aligned with the Ombudsman's approach.
A
Objective: Deep-dive case analysis across complex financial products.
B
Objective: Issuing sound responses within the eight-week DISP time limit.
C
Objective: Defending your firm's commercial and regulatory position when a complaint escalates to the Ombudsman.
D
Objective: Calculating precise compensation where an error or unsuitable recommendation has occurred.
Under PRIN 2A, complaints can not be handled in isolation. Firms are expected to identify root causes systematically and show that systemic issues are being fixed. Every dispute we manage feeds into our root-cause framework:
| Failure Category | Operational Indicator | Regulatory Risk Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| Pensions & Platform Drag | Execution lag between instruction validation and trade settlement. | Foreseeable harm under PRIN 2A.2 and COBS best execution. |
| Statutory Notice Failures | Omission of the flexible access statement following an MPAA trigger event. | Statutory non-compliance (SI 2006/567) and client tax exposure. |
| Servicing & Fee Disclosures | Failure to evidence ongoing reviews against recurring adviser charging. | Consumer Duty price and value outcome breaches. |
| Vulnerable Customer Harm | Red flags missed in transactions for clients experiencing distress or cognitive decline. | FCA vulnerable customer guidance and SYSC systems and controls. |
We turn isolated complaint data into clear, defensible board reports and MI dashboards, so Compliance Directors and SMF holders can demonstrate proactive governance.
Client: IFA network · Area: Pension disinvestment / settlement · Service: FOS Defence & Redress · Claim: £35,000
Context. An IFA network faced an escalated FOS complaint after a client withdrawal request. Multi-asset disinvestment settlement delays caused the client to miss a property purchase completion deadline, and the complainant claimed £35,000 for market-movement losses and consequential distress.
Our action. We carried out a forensic audit of the whole operational chain, separating platform dealing cut-offs, fund manager valuation points and adviser communication logs. We showed that the IFA had told the client about fund settlement timeframes in line with COBS disclosure rules, and we identified an uncommunicated internal platform clearance hold as the primary cause of the delay.
Direct experience of the full lifecycle of Ombudsman disputes, and an insider understanding of how cases are decided and how to structure an effective submission.
Qualified in Pension Transfers & Planning Advice, for peer-to-peer technical evaluation of complex DB transfers, SIPPs and decumulation strategies.
We understand how platform operations, trading desks and payroll software interact with DISP, COBS and SYSC.
Calibrated file testing, past-business reviews and Section 166 support, including complex AML and UBO audits, delivered to a standard that withstands regulatory challenge.
Explore this servicePractical implementation of PRIN 2A across advice and operations, with outcome-based MI and board dashboards that evidence good customer outcomes.
Explore this serviceWhether you're facing a contentious FOS referral, need complex pension redress modelling, or want an independent reviewer to clear a complaints backlog under DISP rules, contact Compass Compliance Consulting for a confidential consultation.