Consumer Duty: High street banks prepare for major regulatory shakeup as clock ticks down May 31, 2023 Banks in the UK have just two months to prepare for the incoming Consumer Duty, with some prominent bankers suggesting the new regulatory standards will prompt widespread changes in the industry. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) flagship Consumer Duty, which will come into effect on 31 July, requires firms to deliver good outcomes for retail [...]
City needs a whole ecosystem to attract the best and brightest May 9, 2023 Soft power success or waste of time and money? We’re more inclined to side with the Lord Mayor than some on Twitter when it comes to the weekend’s festivities. Clearly, the coronation was always going to kick off an almighty debate on the role of the Royal Family in the twenty-first century; but regardless of [...]
FCA continues crypto ATM crackdown and warns of further action again ‘illegal’ sites May 5, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it had inspected sites in Exeter, Nottingham and Sheffield suspected of hosting illegally operated crypto ATMs, as part of a continued crackdown on the illegal sector. The city watchdog said the inspections were part of a joint operation with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Yorkshire and Humber [...]
Post-Brexit powers mean regulators need greater oversight, City figures warn May 5, 2023 Ex-ministers and City figures have warned that the government is not doing enough to improve the scrutiny of regulators after Brexit, in a sign that past rows about protecting the independence of the UK’s top financial regulators could resurface in the coming months. Following Brexit, UK financial regulators, such as the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and [...]
London listings: Watchdog proposes doing away with ‘standard’ and ‘premium’ segments May 2, 2023 The UK’s financial watchdog announced proposals to streamline listing rules in the UK as it seeks to make the UK market a more attractive destination for firms to list. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) acknowledged that the UK’s listing regime was seen by some as too complicated and has proposed merging the ‘standard’ and ‘premium’ [...]
‘I knew I wouldn’t be loved’: The FCA’s ESG chief talks ruffling feathers in the fight against greenwashing April 27, 2023 ESG has become the City’s favourite acronym over the past three years and almost every boss and investment manager has scrambled to plant their flag on the standards as closely as they possibly can. But those claims and labels don’t always stand up to scrutiny. Greenwashing is running rampant. Clean and green claims are being [...]
Leaseholders to gain new rights under FCA insurance reforms April 21, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed insurance reforms to protect leaseholders from paying extortionate sums for insurance. Under the new plans, leaseholders will be defined as “customers of buildings insurance” and insurance firms will be obliged to act in the leaseholders’ best interests. A leaseholder is someone who has bought the right to live [...]
FCA will ‘keep its eyes’ on banks’ Q1 results for evidence of savings rate profiteering April 20, 2023 Savers are facing a rising “loyalty penalty” from high street banks, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned. Customers banking with the UK’s big name lenders are likely to earn less competitive interest rates on their savings over time, while new savers are given more attractive offers, the City watchdog told MPs today. “Harm” from [...]
WANdisco: FCA probes tech firm ‘mis-stating’ financial position – after $115m of false sales revealed April 20, 2023 WANdisco, the beleaguered tech firm, is now under investigation by the The Financial Conduct Authority into alleged fraud. It is looking to whether the data activation platform misrepresented its accounts, and comes after the chief executive and finance boss stepped down after an internal investigation found that $15m of revenues and $115m of sales last [...]
FCA: Brits saved almost £1bn after shake-up of overdraft rules according to City regulator April 19, 2023 People have collectively saved nearly £1 billion due to a shake-up of rules around overdrafts, according to calculations by the City regulator. The rules, introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), reduced high fees for unarranged borrowing and swept away complex charging structures, which made it hard for people to compare borrowing costs. The £1 [...]