Chris Woolard on BNPL, regulatory run-ins and getting financial rulemaking right February 2, 2023 The regulatory veteran wants a rulebook for the 21st century, but getting it right might trump speed, Charlie Conchie writes. Urgent. That was the word used by the former-interim chief of the City watchdog Chris Woolard when he gave his verdict on regulation of buy-now pay-later services in a landmark review two years ago today. [...]
Sir Nigel Wilson: City grandee to step away after decade of success at Legal and General January 30, 2023 Respected City grandee Sir Nigel Wilson will step away from the top job at Legal & General after more than a decade at the helm. The insurer and pensions provider announced Wilson’s planned retirement to markets this morning. Wilson will stay with L&G until a successor is found, with the firm expecting that process to [...]
FCA to take swift action against firms flouting consumer duty rules, lawyers warn January 29, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority is expected to take swift action against firms that fail to comply with new rules to protect savers and retail investors, City lawyers have warned. The City watchdog announced a major overhaul to consumer regulation last summer in the new Consumer Duty, which is set to shift greater onus onto companies [...]
Direct Line boss James quits as another insurance firm counts the cost of the deep freeze January 27, 2023 Direct Line said it was seeking a new chief executive following the resignation of Penny James. James, who was also a director of the FTSE 250 company, will be leaving with immediate effect. Jon Greenwood, who was Direct Line’s chief commercial officer, will step in as acting chief executive officer until a permanent replacement is [...]
Barclays promotes Wright and brings in ex- Credit Suisse dealmaker Deasy to co-head its investment banking division January 25, 2023 Barclays has appointed Taylor Wright and Cathal Deasy as new co-heads of investment banking yesterday. Wright and Deasy will jointly manage the business and will be tasked with “deepening client relationships and dealmaking efforts around the world”. They will replace John Miller and Jean-Francois Astier and report to Paul Compton, global head of Barclays’ corporate [...]
Borrowers warned of rise in ‘advance fees’ scams with over £700 lost on average and Londoners more likely to fall victim – Lloyds Bank January 24, 2023 The rising cost of living has lead to 82 per cent increase in financial scams that target victims by charging fees for products and services that do not materialise, according to Lloyds bank. Victims lost £711 on average, and although the amount lost is lower than £1,194 recorded the previous year, the bank said fraudsters [...]
PPI scandal: Supreme Court case could ‘open door’ for hundreds-of-thousands of new claims for UK banks January 12, 2023 British banks could face a new wave of payment protection insurance (PPI) claims following a hearing at the UK’s Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will decide whether to expand the reach of a six-year time limit to let thousands more PPI claims be heard in UK courts. PPI policies cover the costs of debt repayments [...]
Bank of England makes £3.8bn profit from Liz Truss mini budget bond sales January 12, 2023 The Bank of England has trousered £3.8bn in profits from ditching bonds it hoovered up to stem financial chaos caused by Liz Truss’s calamitous mini-budget, the central bank told City A.M. The Bank announced today it has ditched all the £19.3bn of gilts purchased last autumn to stabilise the UK debt market. Governor Andrew Bailey [...]
UK insurance: shares in Aviva and Admiral shrug off Bank of England’s warnings of a ‘prolonged’ recession in the sector January 10, 2023 The UK’s insurance companies were told to brace themselves for a “prolonged” recession by boosting their risk management processes, the Bank of England (BoE) has said in a letter to sector CEOs. In a letter to insurance chief executives, the BoE’s insurance watchdog warned that various risks might stem from the downturn as it called [...]
Sunak and Starmer offer little new year cheer on ailing UK growth path January 10, 2023 This brand new weekly column, published every Tuesday, will drill down into the stories behind the numbers to reveal what makes the UK – and global – economy tick. But, today, inspired by what resembled soon-to-broken new year’s resolutions by political leaders last week, it will make the case for why a stable government economic [...]