City regulator toughens up financial accountability rules after scandals December 9, 2019 Tougher accountability rules have today been extended to cover around 47,000 firms across the financial sector, as the financial watchdog seeks to clean up the City’s reputation following a string of scandals. The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) holds firms’ senior managers directly accountable for their actions, and is intended to help regulators punish [...]
What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today announced it is using its special powers to ban the marketing of some unregulated mini-bonds to individual investors. Mini-bonds have come under scrutiny since the collapse of lender London Capital & Finance (LCF) earlier this year, but what exactly are the controversial investment products, and what has the FCA [...]
The FCA is proposing a radical change to the UK’s regulation system November 7, 2019 With the recent headline-grabbing noise coming from Westminster, few paid much attention to the key announcements coming out of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Senior figures from the regulator have been giving some of the most significant speeches about the future of financial services in years. But are the right audiences listening to this talk [...]
Investment managers lobby politicians for strong EU ties post-Brexit November 6, 2019 UK fund managers have called on the next government to protect cross-border investment arrangements and secure close alignment with EU rules post-Brexit. Entering the fray of general election campaigning, the Investment Association (IA) also warned against a no-deal Brexit, calling it “the worst possible outcome for UK investment managers”. Read more: Investors urge FTSE 350 [...]
Keep retail investors in separate funds, says FCA head October 28, 2019 Retail investors could have their money separated from institutional funds to better protect individuals following the collapse of Neil Woodford’s investment empire, the head of the financial regulator has said. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Andrew Bailey said in an interview with The Times that he did not think the mixing of institutional and [...]
‘Part of the criticism we face is justified’, says FCA head October 24, 2019 The head of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will say that some criticism of the watchdog is justified in a speech given in the City this evening, and that consumers need to be better warned about the risks related to investment. Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s City Banquet at Mansion House, Andrew Bailey is expected [...]
Regulator denies pressuring administrator to close stricken Woodford fund October 20, 2019 The financial watchdog has hit back at claims it put pressure on administrators to close Neil Woodford’s flagship fund because the scandal surrounding its suspension was undermining confidence in the industry. Link Fund Solutions, which was responsible for overseeing the suspension of the £3bn Equity Income Fund (WEIF), announced on Tuesday that the fund would [...]
Government criticised for refusal to extend financial watchdog’s remit October 10, 2019 The government has been criticised for refusing to back a policy that would allow the financial regulator to recommend changes to its remit after the chair of the watchdog warned that regulatory loopholes were being exploited by “bad people”. In a report released in August, the Treasury Select Committee (TSC) had recommended the Financial Conduct [...]
Watchdog calls for clearer investor warnings in wake of Woodford saga September 30, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will introduce tougher rules for funds that invest in hard-to-sell assets following the suspension of Neil Woodford’s flagship fund. In a policy statement published today, the financial regulator also said investors should be given better warnings about the risks they face if they want to be able to withdraw their [...]
Issues with no-deal Brexit preparations ‘still to be resolved’, warns City watchdog September 16, 2019 The head of the UK’s financial regulator has struck a cautious tone over the City’s preparations for a no-deal Brexit, warning that while progress is “welcome”, there are “issues still to be resolved”. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) boss Andrew Bailey said earlier that overlaps between UK and EU share trading regulations post-Brexit would damage both [...]
