Find out about building societies, becoming authorised, registering and reporting rules and changing details.
Building societies provide many services, including:
- mortgages
- lending
- investments
- money transmission
- banking
- insurance
These services are regulated activities.
Building societies are dual-regulated, which means that they are regulated by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
You can apply for access to the register of members of building societies.
Register and get authorised
Before your building society can offer financial services, it must be:
- authorised by the PRA
- registered with us
Report to us and the PRA
All building societies must send:
- two copies of your annual return and accounts to the FCA
- one copy of your annual return and accounts to the PRA
Read more about annual returns and reporting.
You must also report to us on other matters, including:
- the identity of controllers
- compliance with the law on new current accounts as set out in the Immigration Act
Read more about reporting requirements.
Public documents will be published in the Mutuals Public Register.
Change your details
You must tell us of any change to your society’s:
- registered address
- name
- memorandum or rules
- accounting year-end date
We may also need information about other changes, for example if your approved person changes.
Cancel your registration or dissolve a building society
If your society no longer wishes to be registered, or if you wish to stop trading (be dissolved), you must:
- cancel your Part 4a permissions (through Connect)
- dissolve your registration
Find out how to dissolve, or cancel the registration of, a building society.
More information
Read more about mutual societies:
- mutual society members’ rights
- find or request information on a society
Page updates
19/08/2019: Link changed Updated link to Mutuals Public Register