How the options actually compare.
There are a handful of ways to keep an eye on the FCA register. From a shared spreadsheet to a purpose-built tool – each has trade-offs. Here’s the honest version.
Six dimensions that decide it.
How each approach performs across the things compliance teams actually weigh.
| Dimension | Manual | Firmwatcher | FCA extracts | General platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring frequency | Monthly or quarterly | Every morning; FCA announcements hourly | As often as you pull them | Varies by provider |
| Alert speed | Days to weeks | Next morning; announcements within the hour | None – you build them | Varies by provider |
| Audit trail | Manual / none | Acknowledgements and watchlist changes, CSV export | None | Varies by provider |
| Setup | Ongoing maintenance | Add firms by name or FRN, or send us your list | Engineering work to load and maintain | Varies by provider |
| FCA-specific | Yes | Yes, purpose-built | Yes | Not always |
| Cost model | Staff time | Subscription | Engineering time | Varies by provider |
The register has its own shape – tools that know it help.
The FCA register has its own structure, update patterns and regulatory significance. Generic compliance tools tend to treat it as one feed among many, so the entries that matter – a new requirement, a disciplinary action, an Upper Tribunal outcome – can get lost among routine updates.
- DetectionDaily detection
We check every morning, so a new entry reaches you the morning after it appears on the register – and an FCA announcement within the hour.
- DetailMeaningful alerts
Alerts name the firm and the kind of entry – a new requirement, a disciplinary action – not just “register updated”.
- RecordBuilt-in evidence
Every acknowledgement and watchlist change is recorded in your audit trail and exportable as CSV – ready when the auditor asks.
Pick the option that matches the load.
- ManualIf the watchlist is tiny
Under five firms, check cadence isn’t critical, and someone on the team genuinely owns running the checks.
- FirmwatcherIf you want the record built for you
Multiple firms, you want timely alerts when something changes, and you’d rather your compliance team spend its time on analysis than on data gathering. That’s where Firmwatcher fits.
- ExtractsIf you have a data team
You want custom analysis across the whole register and you have engineers to build and maintain the alerting on top.
- PlatformsIf FCA is one of many
You need monitoring across multiple regulators and jurisdictions, and FCA is one piece of a broader requirement.
See it against the register you actually watch.
Bring an FRN. We’ll show you the watchlist, the alerts and the audit trail in fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes with the team. No deck – just the product and your questions.
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