City watchdog slaps Al Rayan Bank with £4m fine for ‘egregious’ anti-money laundering failures January 11, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority issued a £4m fine to Al Rayan Bank on Wednesday for “egregious” failures in its anti-money laundering rules. The FCA said that between April 2015 and November 2017, Al Rayan allowed money to pass through the bank and be used within the UK “without carrying out appropriate checks.” Al Rayan is [...]
FCA to expand guidance for insurers on protecting cash-strapped customers January 11, 2023 The City watchdog has vowed to update guidance for insurers on protecting customers amid the UK’s cost-of-living crisis. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today set out plans to expand guidance, which was first introduced during the pandemic, to ensure all struggling customers are protected. Under the FCA’s proposed new guidance, insurers will be [...]
FinTech sector asks UK government for more clarity in 2023 December 22, 2022 A group of UK based FinTech companies have written an open letter to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) calling for greater clarity on how open banking will be regulated from 2023 onwards. The letter criticizes the Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee (JROC), a regulatory body established in March by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The [...]
Car premiums increase 17.4 per cent after FCA price walking ban December 20, 2022 The average car premium has soared 17.4 per cent in the past year, according to recent research. Data published today by market researcher Consumer Intelligence shows that average premiums now cost £877, surpassing by 6.7 per cent current inflation rates. According to senior insight analyst Georgia Day, the unsurprising surge has been driven by the [...]
Metro Bank fined £10m by FCA for publishing incorrect information December 12, 2022 Metro Bank has been slapped with a £10m fine for publishing incorrect information to investors, while two of its former executives have received a warning. The lender was told to pay up by the Financial Conduct Authority for breaching rules, while its ex chief executive and chief financial officer were given fines also. The original [...]
FTSE 100 firms hit with four times more fines than last year December 12, 2022 The value of fines against FTSE 100 companies has increased fourfold over the previous year, Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence research shows. Companies on the FTSE 100 index received £1.6bn in fines in the year ending on 30 June 2022, compared to just £354m worth of fines in the previous year. The £1.6bn figure marks an [...]
Post-Brexit reforms: Hunt aims to ‘turbocharge’ economy with biggest banking shake-up in 30 years December 9, 2022 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled plans to “turbocharge growth” with the biggest shake-up in banking reforms for three decades. His so-called Edinburgh reforms announced this morning seek to “seize the benefits of Brexit” by cutting EU red tape for the financial sector. The new measures build on the government’s Mansion House 2021 package, with a [...]
Santander slapped with £108m fine by FCA for anti-money laundering failures December 9, 2022 Santander has been fined more than £107m by the Financial Conduct Authority for anti-money laundering failures. The banking giant will have to pay £107,793,300 to the watchdog after it was found to have “serious and persistent gaps” stopping the scourge. FCA found that between 31 December 2012 and 18 October 2017, it didn’t properly oversee [...]
FCA tightens financial promotion rules over risky investment fears December 6, 2022 The City watchdog revealed it is tightening its financial promotion rules today amid fears that firms are peddling products to consumers without proper oversight.
Insurers are undervaluing policy holders’ cars, FCA warns December 4, 2022 The UK’s financial watchdog has warned insurers against undervaluing policyholders’ vehicles after seeing evidence of customers being offered payouts less than their cars are worth. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had seen evidence of customers who have had their cars written off being offered less money than their vehicle’s fair market price. It [...]