For financial advisers, compliance shouldn’t be just another box to tick – it should be the foundation of client trust and professional credibility.
From FCA rules to data protection requirements, Know Your Customer (KYC) and AML checks, advisers operate under some of the strictest regulations in business. Every client interaction, document, and signature must be verified, secure, and auditable.
The challenge? Managing all of that efficiently, without letting admin slow down the service your clients expect.
That’s where digital signatures – and more importantly, the right digital signature platform – can make all the difference.
The Compliance Burden in Financial Services
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) expects firms to maintain complete and accurate records, ensure secure client verification, and demonstrate that every recommendation and agreement is both transparent and documented.
Traditional methods – such as paper documents, postal signatures, or static PDFs – make it harder to prove these requirements have been met.
Documents can go unsigned, signatures can be challenged, and verifying client identity often relies on fragmented processes involving multiple tools, platforms or emails.
In the worst cases, this creates:
- Compliance gaps – missing or incomplete evidence in the audit trail
- Delays and drop-offs – clients forgetting to return documents
- Increased risk – especially around fraud or identity misrepresentation
As regulations and client expectations continue to evolve, financial advisers are looking for more robust, streamlined ways to meet compliance requirements and enhance the client experience.
Why Digital Signatures Are the Natural Solution
Digital signatures have come a long way since their early adoption. Today, they’re recognised under UK and EU eIDAS regulations as legally binding and secure – provided they meet specific standards.
But compliance isn’t just about legality. It’s about trust, verification, and accountability.
A modern digital signing solution like Videosign takes that further, combining identity verification options, secure virtual meetings, and built-in audit trails to create a complete compliance record in one place.
Here’s how.
1. Verifying Client Identity
One of the biggest compliance requirements for financial advisers is confirming who the client actually is.
With Videosign’s integration partners, OneID® and Daon®, you can verify ID before meeting your client face-to-face online.
- Use facial recognition and biometric checks to match clients to their ID documents.
- Confirm identity in a few simple steps – no need for separate downloads or subscriptions.
- Carry out Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks.
- Record the verification process automatically, creating indisputable evidence that all checks were performed.
This not only satisfies requirements, but also gives both adviser and client confidence that every meeting and signature is genuine and compliant.
2. Creating a Complete, Tamper-Proof Audit Trail
In a traditional setup, advisers often store client files, signed PDFs, and call notes separately – causing stress when regulators request full audit evidence.
With Videosign, every step of the client interaction is automatically logged and recorded:
- Meeting recordings and transcriptions show exactly what was discussed and agreed
- Digital signatures are embedded with unique certificates
- A timestamped audit log records actions, participants, and consent
When it comes to demonstrating compliance – you have one secure, accessible record that ties it all together.
3. Secure Document Handling from Start to Finish
Sending sensitive financial documents by email or post introduces risk at every stage.
Who opened it? Who signed it? Has it been altered?
Digital signing within a secure meeting environment eliminates these unknowns.
For advisers, this provides assurance that confidential client information is secure – reducing the likelihood of data breaches and ensuring your firm remains fully compliant. For clients, it gives them confidence that their data and financial affairs are handled professionally and securely.
4. Enabling Remote Witnessing and Approvals
Many financial document still require witnessing. Traditionally, this means coordinating physical meetings – often a source of delay and frustration for clients.
With Videosign, you can witness signatures remotely during a live video meeting.
The platform automatically records video evidence of the signing process, providing indisputable proof that the document was witnessed.
It’s a small change that can have a big impact – saving time, improving accessibility, and giving clients a modern, seamless experience while maintaining complete compliance integrity.
5. Reducing Administrative Overload
Advisers don’t go into business to chase documents.
Yet across the sector, countless hours are spent sending reminders, following up on unsigned forms, or trying to match email trails with client files.
Not only is this inefficient – it also increases the risk of something slipping through the cracks.
Digital signatures streamline the entire workflow:
- Documents are shared instantly during meetings
- Clients can sign securely in seconds
- Completed files are automatically stored and logged
By removing manual admin, advisers reclaim valuable time for what matters most – building relationships and delivering personalised financial advice.
6. Strengthening Client Trust Through Transparency
Compliance doesn’t just protect your business; it protects your clients.
When clients can see that your processes are transparent, secure, and professionally managed, their trust in your advice increases.
With Videosign, clients know:
- Their identity is verified securely
- Their signatures are protected
- Every action is recorded transparently
This clarity helps eliminate doubt, reinforces professionalism, and contributes to long-term client loyalty – something every adviser values.
7. Seamless Integration with Financial Platforms
Efficiency and compliance go hand in hand when your tools talk to each other.
Videosign integrates with leading financial systems like intelliflo and Xplan, allowing advisers to:
- Schedule client meetings directly from their CRM
- Conduct secure video meetings
- Sign and witness documents – all within the same workflow
- Automatically sync signed contracts and audit logs back to the client record
No duplication, no missed steps – just one connected, compliant process.
A Simpler Way to Stay Secure and Compliant
Compliance doesn’t have to feel like a burden.
With the right digital tools, it becomes a natural part of your day-to-day process – efficient, secure, and fully transparent.
Videosign combines all of these tools into one simple, secure platform – helping financial advisers work smarter, stay compliant, and deliver an outstanding client experience.
