Prominent MP slams City watchdog over lack of action on allegations of interest swap mis-selling January 20, 2019 A prominent MP has blasted the head of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Andrew Bailey over the watchdog’s response to alleged mis-selling by Clydesdale Bank. Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, head of the all party parliamentary group on fair business banking, said the FCA had failed to “press the case for justice and compensation” for thousands [...]
MPs fear FCA proposals on overdraft rules could end free banking January 15, 2019 The head of the UK’s financial watchdog told MPs this morning that he is “very alert” to the possibility that proposed rules to tackle charges for unplanned overdrafts could raise the cost of planned consumer borrowing. MPs raised concerns that changes to overdraft rules could negatively impact the availability of free banking as banks would [...]
Leading MP slams Lloyds Banking Group’s overdraft fee changes January 13, 2019 An influential MP has slammed Lloyds Banking Group for trying to “game the system” with its new overdraft fees. Labour MP Rachel Reeves, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy select committee, said Lloyds’ upcoming overdraft changes would increase fees for the majority of customers and went against the spirit of recent recommendations from [...]
Government rules out new regulations to stop a repeat of RBS SME debacle January 11, 2019 Ministers are burying their heads in the sand by refusing to regulate loans to small and medium size businesses, according to Treasury Select Chair Nicky Morgan. The former financial secretary to the Treasury launched a scathing attack on the government after it refused to back proposals from her committee intended to protect SMEs. A report [...]
High street remains in hedge funds’ sights as bets against the consumer sector rise in final quarter January 6, 2019 Hedge funds continued to turn the screws on high street retailers, restaurants and makers of consumer goods at the end of last year, with short positions in the sector increasing 20 per cent. The rise in bets against the industry came in the final three months of the year, and means nearly one-third of total [...]
City watchdog plans to overhaul treatment of whistleblowers in 2019 December 31, 2018 The City watchdog is planning an overhaul of its approach to whistleblowers in the new year, in order to encourage more people to feel safe in coming forward. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that it would announce details of the plan, first reported by the Financial Times, later in 2019. It will revisit how it maintains [...]
Telit shares take a knock after FCA announces wider investigation into company announcements December 18, 2018 Shares in technology company Telit Communications have taken a five per cent hit after the financial watchdog announced it was broadening the scope of its investigation into the company. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) first announced its investigation into Telit, an internet of things solutions provider, in March. Telit notified investors that the watchdog was assessing a [...]
Aston Martin remains in short sellers’ sights despite Soros cash-out, as stock continues to fall December 16, 2018 Aston Martin's struggling stock continues to be targeted by short sellers, with London-based Adelphi Capital raising its bet against the carmaker to £15m last week. The manufacturer behind James Bond’s vehicle of choice would have wished to slip under the radar of hedge funds after its shares crashed from an initial £19 in October to £11.49 [...]
CMA orders shake-up of pension advice market due to lack of competition December 12, 2018 Pension scheme members are at risk of getting a bad deal due to a lack of competition in the pension advice market, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA said today that pension trustees, who oversee companies’ pension schemes, are not given sufficient information to help them choose advisers. The report found [...]
UK scores top marks in anti-money laundering review December 7, 2018 The UK’s finance sector scored top marks in a review by a global anti-money laundering watchdog published today. However, due to its status as the largest financial services provider in the world, it still faces a “significant risk” of money laundering, the Paris-headquartered Financial Action Task Force said. While Britain has a “robust” regime to [...]