Consumer Credit Register
You can register with the FCA which means you will have permission to continue your consumer credit activities after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ceases to exist on 31 March next year.
The FCA are calling this 'interim permission' and it will last until you need to be fully authorised by them sometime between 2014 and 2016.
They recommend that you register early, so to encourage that they are offering you a 30% discount if you register before the end of November 2013.
The cost of interim permission will be £150 (£105 with discount) for sole traders and £350 (£245 with discount) for most other businesses, although there are some exemptions. This fee will cover you until you need to be fully authorised.
Visit fca.org.uk/clicked to register straight away or to find out more information on registering, including frequently asked questions and step-by-step guides.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART – PLEASE NOTE
The Government has decided that there will be a programme of rebates to OFT licence holders reflecting the closure of the OFT at the end of March next year.
Full details of how rebates will be made - including the eligibility criteria, the mechanism to be used, and when - will be announced later in the year. Firms must maintain a valid OFT licence until the end of March in order to continue trading legally.
