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What is financial advertising?

Firms advertising financial products or services must make sure their promotions are fair, clear and do not mislead you. Promotions can be:

  • adverts in the media (eg radio, press, television);
  • direct mail sent to your home;
  • leaflets or posters;
  • letters to customers;
  • shop window advertising;
  • telephone calls;
  • teletext;
  • emails; and
  • websites.

If we find that an advert is misleading we may do any of the following:

  • ask the firm to change the advert;
  • ask the firm to withdraw it;
  • ask the firm to write to customers who may have been misled and compensate them if they’ve lost money as a result;
  • warn the firm; or
  • fine the firm.

Help us raise standards

You can help by reporting adverts to us relating to most financial products and service – for example if they’re about:

  • stakeholder pensions;
  • investments such as:
    • bonds or gilts;
    • structured products;
    • shares/stock in a company;
    • units in collective investment schemes;
    • endowment plans;
    • options, futures and Contracts for Difference;
    • individual savings accounts (ISAs);
    • stakeholder and non-stakeholder investment Child Trust Funds; or
    • funeral plan contracts;
  • deposit and savings accounts;
  • insurance such as:
    • household and motor;
    • travel;
    • payment protection or critical illness;
    • private medical insurance; or
    • extended warranties
      (but not general insurance mediation services)
  • most mortgages;
  • home reversions;
  • home purchase plans (also known as Islamic mortgages);
  • sale-and-rent-back schemes; and
  • financial advice about any of the above products.

To see what might be classified as ‘unfair, unclear or misleading’ see What to look out for.

Matters concerning ‘non-technical’ elements of financial advertisement, such as taste and decency or social responsibility, are regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).