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Glossary

Unauthorised firm

A firm that does not have the required FCA authorisation or registration for the service it is offering. A reader should check the firm and its contact details independently.

A firm that does not have the required FCA authorisation or registration for the service it is offering. A reader should check the firm and its contact details independently.

Equity release may involve a lifetime mortgage, secured against your property, or a home reversion plan. It will reduce the value of your estate and impact funding long-term care.

How this page is kept
Written by
Equity Release Facts editorial
Last checked
7 September 2026
Next review
7 September 2027

Where this comes from

This entry follows Financial Conduct Authority. It is a plain-English explanation of how the term is used in the UK, not a quotation, and it does not override a provider’s own wording.

  • Financial Conduct Authority

Checked 7 September 2026. The whole vocabulary sits on one page, so you can look up two words in the same sentence without going anywhere: see this entry in the full glossary.

Covered properly here

How to check the person you are talking to

Verify that the person advising you is who they say they are.

Read the guide called How to check the person you are talking to
Worth knowing

Equity release may involve a lifetime mortgage, secured against your property, or a home reversion plan. It will reduce the value of your estate and impact funding long-term care.

Read next

How this page is kept
Written by
Equity Release Facts editorial
Last checked
7 September 2026
Next review
7 September 2027

Questions people ask about this

Short answers to the things that come up most. None of it is advice, and every figure on this page carries its source.

What does unauthorised firm mean?

A firm that does not have the required FCA authorisation or registration for the service it is offering. A reader should check the firm and its contact details independently.

Where does this definition come from?

It follows the Financial Conduct Authority. It is a plain-English explanation of how the term is used in the UK rather than a quotation, and it does not override a provider's own wording, the conditions of a plan you hold, or advice from your solicitor.

Where is unauthorised firm covered in full?

On the guide "How to check the person you are talking to", which helps you verify that the person advising you is who they say they are. A glossary entry explains a word. The guide works through what it actually means for a decision, with its sources and the date each was checked.

Does looking up unauthorised firm commit me to anything?

No. There is nothing on this page to fill in and nothing is collected by reading it. Looking up what a word means is not a decision, and we are not able to advise you about your own circumstances in any case.

Worth knowing

Equity release may involve a lifetime mortgage, secured against your property, or a home reversion plan. It will reduce the value of your estate and impact funding long-term care.

Talk it through with an adviser

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Advice is required to proceed with equity release and there may be other options which better suit your circumstances. Only if your case completes would an advice fee be payable, and the adviser will tell you what theirs is before you commit to anything. Other lender and solicitor fees may apply.

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