CurveBlock
The Consumer Duty establishes a higher standard of consumer protection focusing on good outcomes: products and services must be fit for purpose, sold to the right customers, and supported by clear information and fair value. For fractional property and renewable platforms this means more than a one-off suitability check. Firms are expected to design products that meet target customer needs, pre‑test communications and monitor post-sale outcomes such as realised returns, actual liquidity and complaint patterns.
In practice, platforms should document target market definitions, undertake product oversight and governance, and run periodic assessments of whether outcomes meet expectations. Financial promotions and marketing must be fair, clear and not misleading; risk disclosures should cover illiquidity, valuation methodology and operational risks (custody, platform insolvency, third‑party providers). Pricing transparency and clear fee-breakdowns are essential under the Duty’s fair value requirement.
Operationalising the Duty also entails data collection and reporting: platforms should track customer experience metrics, complaint root causes and material harm indicators. For retail savers, the Duty increases the regulatory expectation that platforms will manage mismatches between product features and customer needs. When evaluating fractional digital share offerings, savers should look for evidence that firms have conducted product testing, maintain ongoing outcome monitoring, and present transparent, comparable information about fees, governance and liquidity.