The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has urged investors in the EEA Life Settlements fund who bought directly or via a financial adviser to consider making a complaint as it believes some are "likely to have been mis-sold the product".
The regulator is also asking advisers to make sure they complied with a Financial Services Authority request in 2012 to review their sales of traded life insurance policies (TLPIs).
That request followed a review of TLPI sales which revealed "high levels" of unsuitable advice. As a result, it recommended the products should not reach ordinary retail investors in the UK and, in January this year, the FCA banned the promotion of TLPIs to most retail customers.
The FCA is now asking advisers to re-examine their sales of the EEA Life Settlements fund, an unregulated collective investment scheme made up of TLPIs. In some cases they should offer redress. Where significant mis-sales are discovered, firms must also contact their supervisor at the FCA.
The FCA warned: "If firms do not act on our guidance, they may be failing to pay due regard to the interests of their customers or to treat them fairly, which could lead to regulatory action."
It has also urged investors to complain to the firm which sold them the investment before the deadline for claims expires from 1 December 2014. It told consumers: "The deadline will vary and will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case - particularly when the sale or advice occurred and when the investor realised there was a problem.
"Those who wish to complain should do so before it may be too late."
Investors may either make a complaint to the firm which sold the product or make a claim against it. If the firm has gone out of business, the FCA recommended contacting the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
The EEA Life Settlements Fund is an unregulated collective investment scheme made up of TLPIs, typically of US citizens. It is based in Guernsey and previously listed on the Channel Islands Securities Exchange.
In the regulator's view, TLPIs are high-risk investments because they rely on calculating how long the policyholders will live, which is easy to get wrong. The asset class also has a lack of liquidity and extra complexity, due to the fact several firms in different countries are taking responsibility for different parts of the product. In January 2014, the FCA imposed rules banning the promotion of TLPIs to most retail investors.
