Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) Framework
Treating customers fairly (TCF) remains central to the FCA expectations of any firms’ conduct when dealing with consumers of financial services. This means that firms put the well-being of customers at the heart of how they run their businesses.
The FCA have created a framework of six consumer outcomes to explain what they want TCF (Treating Customers Fairly) to achieve for consumers. These remain core to what The FCA expects of firms who deal with consumers of financial services. The FCA use them as an important factor in guiding regulatory decisions and actions.
• Outcome 1: Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.
• Outcome 2: Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.
• Outcome 3: Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
• Outcome 4: Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
• Outcome 5: Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
• Outcome 6: Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.
What does this mean to you?
In short, this means you need to understand what’s going on. You need to be spoken to in a language you understand and not talked at using financial jargon. It means trying to get you the best outcome for your personal circumstances.