The New Zealand Financial Markets Authority has published its second annual Financial Conduct Report, setting out its progress over the past year and its regulatory priorities for 2026/27. The report centers on four cross-sector conduct themes that the regulator says will guide its work across the sectors it supervises: managing conflicts from remuneration structures, product design for new and redesigned products, complaints, and fraud detection and prevention. The update also points to recent work on improving access to financial advice, supporting innovation through the regulatory sandbox pilot, responding to scams, and taking enforcement action where misconduct has occurred. It identifies technology transformation as an increasingly important driver across the sector, including the growing role of artificial intelligence, with the Financial Markets Authority framing its approach as supporting innovation while maintaining consumer protection and confidence in financial markets. A key change for the year ahead is the transfer of responsibility for consumer credit to the Financial Markets Authority from 1 July 2026. The move will bring consumer credit under a single conduct regulator for financial services and is intended to strengthen consumer protection and support more consistent oversight across the financial system.
New Zealand Financial Markets Authority2026-06-30
New Zealand Financial Markets Authority releases conduct report setting 2026 27 priorities and consumer credit transfer
The New Zealand Financial Markets Authority has released its second annual Financial Conduct Report, setting priorities for 2026/27 around remuneration conflicts, product design, complaints, and fraud prevention. It also highlights technology transformation and artificial intelligence as growing supervisory issues. From 1 July 2026, the authority will take on responsibility for consumer credit, bringing it under a single conduct regulator for financial services.