When the fund stops: Why times are tough for UK asset managers August 6, 2019 It’s been a difficult year for the UK investment industry, and things could get worse before they get better. Fallout from the Woodford saga and increasing fears of a no-deal Brexit are continuing to pummel asset managers as they try to stem ongoing outflows. And with regulatory pressure ramping up, they are facing questions not [...]
Calls for clearer warnings of Woodford-style fund suspension risks August 5, 2019 Investors should be given clearer warnings about the risks of investing in funds that could suspend withdrawals, industry professionals have said. Neil Woodford’s equity income fund suspended trading in June after becoming overwhelmed by withdrawals, but it has been suggested that investors may not have understood that the fund could be suspended, leaving them unable [...]
FCA calls for contingent charging ban on pension transfer advice July 30, 2019 Britain’s markets watchdog has proposed banning financial advisers from getting paid only when a customer moves a pension pot, a practice known as contingent charging that it said cost consumers £2bn per year. MPs called for the ban last year after accusing the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of being too slow to prevent “vulture” advisers [...]
Let’s end the government monopoly of financial regulation July 19, 2019 The growth of financial regulation seems inexorable. Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, has noted that in 1980 there was one UK regulator for every 11,000 people employed in finance, compared to one for every 300 people by 2011. At that rate of growth, the number of regulators will overtake the number [...]
Woodford offloads stake in Raven property investment firm July 1, 2019 Embattled stockpicker Neil Woodford has jettisoned his 12 per cent stake in Raven Property Group, bringing the total he has raised since the suspension of his flagship fund to £459m. Raven announced today that it has bought back 72.1m shares from Woodford at 36p per share. Read more: Neil Woodford cuts stake in AI firm [...]
RBS GRG scandal: The baggage that could drag down Andrew Bailey’s quest to lead the Bank of England June 2, 2019 This summer, the Bank of England is expected to announce a successor to Mark Carney as governor. Among the runners in the contested race is Andrew Bailey, the financial watchdog chief who stands a solid chance of taking Carney's crown. While the boss of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) certainly has the credentials for the [...]
Private bank Raphaels fined £1.89m for failures that left customers cashless on Christmas Eve May 30, 2019 Private bank Raphaels has been fined £1.89m for poor controls over its outsourcing arrangements. The 230-year old bank was fined £775,100 by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and £1.1m by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in connection with the failings between April 2014 and December 2016. The weaknesses in its systems came to light on [...]
Libor broker banned by regulator for dishonest trades May 29, 2019 A broker who was acquitted of helping jailed former UBS trader Tom Hayes rig the Libor benchmark has today been banned by the regulator for dishonesty. Terry Farr, who was formerly a manager on the Japanese Yen desk at brokerage Martins, has been banned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from regulated financial activity. Read [...]
UK regulators cautiously welcome EU backtrack on no-deal share trading rules May 29, 2019 UK regulators have welcomed a move by their EU counterparts to backtrack on rules that would have stopped European investors from trading shares in some of the biggest British companies in London after a no-deal Brexit. Read more: EU leaders tell UK the Brexit deal cannot be renegotiated However, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said [...]
UK peer-to-peer finance company Lendy collapses amid investigation May 25, 2019 UK property finance firm Lendy has collapsed and administrators from RSM have been appointed following a court order on Friday afternoon. The lender is under investigation by financial regulators, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the appointment was made "following action taken by the FCA". Read more: Treasury launches probe into FCA's review of London Capital & Finance "There is [...]