I Wish I’d Paid More Attention to Redress and Governance Before Trusting Any Firm

As someone who has been around markets long enough to see good products ruined by bad behavior, the FCA’s decision to revoke Verus Financial Services’ permissions hits a nerve. I wish earlier in my career I had understood that how a firm handles redress, assets, and regulator engagement matters just as much as performance claims. A firm that ignores an Ombudsman ruling, breaches asset restrictions, and moves money without approval isn’t just making administrative mistakes, it’s showing a fundamental disregard for client protection.

Markets can be volatile, but governance shouldn’t be. When a company stops cooperating with regulators or fails to honor enforceable compensation orders, that’s not a temporary issue, it’s a structural risk. This case is a reminder that trust in financial services is earned through compliance and transparency, not marketing or reputation built years ago.