Offshore Review: How easy is it to advise in the UK?

Legally, there is little to stop an adviser or insurance intermediary registered and regulated anywhere in the European Economic Area operating in the UK.  The Insurance Mediation Directive and the more recent Markets in Financial Instruments Directive introduced in November 2007 allow regulated products and adviser services from any of Europe’s 27 member states and European Free Trade Association members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to passport from one country to another. Whilst countries such as France maintain a publicly available list of financial advisers passported in from ot...