On June 29, 2023, the FCA published a policy statement on broadening the range of investor access to the long-term asset fund (LTAF) and setting out final rules to give retail investors and more DC pension schemes access to LTAFs. LTAFs are a new category of investment fund providing investor access to long-term illiquid assets such as venture capital, real estate and infrastructure. Previously, access was limited to DB schemes and the default arrangement within qualifying DC schemes.
The final rules came into force of July 3, 2023, and subject LTAFs to additional protections under the FCA's high risk investment framework.
The FCA is seeking views by August 10, 2023, on whether the protections of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) should be available for LTAFs. The FCA wishes to establish a clear position on this before LTAFs are launched to retail consumers, and if it decides to take this forward will consult quickly on the scope of FSCS protection for LTAFs.
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