Motor finance: Lloyds and Close Brothers shareholders await landmark hearing March 19, 2025 The eyes of shareholders at Britain’s biggest lenders will be on April’s landmark motor finance hearing, as the scandal heads to the Supreme Court. The hearing, scheduled for April 1-3, will allow car loan providers to challenge the October 2024 Court of Appeal ruling that it was unlawful for banks to pay a commission to [...]
Bitpanda set to shake up UK crypto market after FCA approval February 12, 2025 European crypto platform Bitpanda is set to expand operations across the UK following approval from the City regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has permitted Bitpanda to bring its suite of 500 cryptocurrencies to the UK market. Bitpanda’s entry adds to the increasing pressures across traditional banks as they face competition from the modern abilities [...]
FCA has the same ‘red flags’ as the Post Office, MPs say in fresh attack February 3, 2025 A parliamentary group on fairer finance has reignited its row with the Financial conduct Authority (FCA) today, comparing the watchdog to the Post Office and accusing bosses of engaging with criticism in a “disappointing, defensive and dismissive” way. In a new report, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Service, which counts [...]
How to pick a financial adviser January 29, 2025 In a world of volatile markets and ever-changing regulation, having a financial adviser in your corner could be a shrewd move to protect your finances and ensure that you have enough money for a comfortable retirement. The use of financial advisers in the UK has slowly crept upwards in recent years. In 2022, 8.3 per [...]
FCA chief: City firms should get ready for a ‘different relationship’ with us January 28, 2025 City firms should expect a “different relationship” with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and fewer “detailed rules”, as the watchdog rows in behind the government’s drive for growth, its chief executive Nikhil Rathi has said. In an interview with the Following the Rules podcast, the FCA boss warned the regulator was being forced to “rigorously” prioritise its [...]
Going for growth is a game of risk that ministers must embrace January 21, 2025 In the words of the Lord Mayor of London, “the only way you get growth is via risk.” Alastair King made this observation early in November last year, before it was fashionable. These days, it seems everyone’s discovering their appetite for risk. The notion that professional regulators could magic up some pro-growth policies has attracted [...]
FCA: Going for growth means taking risks January 20, 2025 Ashley Alder, chair of the Financial Conduct Authority, says the financial services sector has long recognised that effective regulation can be a powerful enabler of growth. The question now is not should we embrace risk, but how much? January is a time to reflect, re-balance and re-focus. And this year, the relationship between regulation and [...]
Reeves ramps up pressure on regulators in bid for growth January 16, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds are set to meet with a group of watchdogs today as they kickstart plans to cut red tape from the economy and drive growth through regulation. The chiefs of various regulatory agencies, including Competition and Markets Authority, Ofcom and Ofwat, have been summoned to Downing Street. Officials [...]
UK stock funds suffer worst year on record as investors pull nearly £10bn January 8, 2025 UK-focused stock funds suffered their worst year on record last year as investors yanked nearly £10bn from the market, new figures have shown. While equity vehicles globally raked in a record £27.2bn through 2024, UK funds haemorrhaged some £9.6bn in their most sluggish year ever relative to the performance of the wider market, according to [...]
Lloyd’s of London insurer snubs the City with New York IPO plans January 6, 2025 A Lloyd’s of London insurer has dealt a fresh blow to the City by snubbing the London Stock Exchange in favour of New York for its planned IPO, piling fresh pressure on the capital’s bourse after it shrank at the fastest pace on record last year. Aspen Insurance, an underwriting firm which operates out of [...]