PANews reported on December 8th that the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced adjustments to retail investment rules to lower investment thresholds and encourage greater participation from UK residents in the capital markets. The policies include:

• Eliminate complex information documents: Investment institutions no longer need to provide retail investors with "Key Information Documents (KIDs)," and instead, they can provide a more concise "Product Summary."

• Wealthy individuals can voluntarily opt out of retail investor protection: Individuals with assets of £10 million or investment experience can choose to be considered professional investors, thereby investing in higher-risk products, but no longer subject to FCA consumer protection obligations.

• Encouraging retail investors to invest in the market: With UK household investment rates lower than in other countries, the government is pushing residents to put more of their savings into the market, including the recent reduction of the annual tax-free ISA allowance to £12,000.