2025 in review for financial crime prevention

The past 14 months have seen the implementation of significant new regimes for financial crime prevention. Emma Radmore and Stephen Wilson examine the main themes of the year and provide a heads-up for 2026.

Emma Radmore (emma.radmore@wbd-uk.com) is legal director in the UK Financial Regulation team at Womble Bond Dickinson. Stephen Wilson (stephen.wilson@wbd-uk.com) is a managing associate with the team. He has 19 years of experience in both non-contentious and contentious regulatory matters, including as a member of the FCA's Enforcement Division and its General Counsel's Division.

As we near the end of 2025, we can reflect on some significant developments, both in law and regulation as well as in regulatory stance. Financial crime prevention is an area that sees constant change, as regulators and enforcement agencies strive to keep up with evolution in business practices, technology and consumer behaviour, in addition to the ongoing struggle to stay one step ahead of the criminals.