Tailored Handbooks

Tailored handbooks contain those parts of the Handbook applying to particular types of firms or sectors. To rely upon a tailored handbook, you need to satisfy yourself that your firm matches the attributes listed for that tailored handbook. If your firm does not have the required attributes you will have to use the full Handbook or the 'build a personal handbook' facility.

Tailored handbooks do not contain the following (they remain available in the full Handbook if required):

• the FSA's policies and procedures on authorisation, enforcement, decision making or handling complaints against itself
  tailored handbooks do contain the FSA's supervisory policies and practices
• the material governing the handling of complaints by the Financial Ombudsman Service
  tailored handbooks do contain the reporting requirements for, and rules on gaining exemption from, FOS levies; the FOS complaints handling rules will be relevant to your firm if a complaint against it is referred to the FOS
• the material governing the Financial Services Compensation Scheme
  this material is relevant if your firm is wound up, cannot meet its obligations or in similar circumstances only; you will also need to refer to COMP if your firm wishes to recover money from another firm in default and which your firm holds on behalf of clients in connection with non-investment insurance mediation; tailored handbooks do contain the applicable reporting requirements for, and rules on gaining exemption from, compensation levies
• fee and levy rules
  your firm will be invoiced for the fees and levies that it must pay; you only need these materials if you wish to understand how they are calculated, please refer to the full Handbook
• if your firm is an investment firm and subject to consolidated supervision rules outside IPRU(INV), those rules
• those parts of IPRU(INV) that are applied on a transitional basis by BIPRU TP (these provisions remain available in the full Handbook if required).

If you have followed these instructions and your firm breaches a requirement in the Handbook because you reasonably rely on the fact that it isn't in a tailored handbook, we will not bring disciplinary action.

Tailored handbooks do not take account of any requirement or waiver which modifies the application of the Handbook for your firm.

Please also remember that the definitive version of the Handbook for legal purposes (including for actions brought by third parties) remains the legal instruments published on Handbook online.