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Perspective - Blog

TPR announces new approach for pension regulations

Published on 17 May 2018. By Ash Daniells, Senior Associate

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has announced new plans for the regulation of pensions, which will see a "clearer, quicker and tougher" approach. The plans are aimed at increasing standards in the pension sector following criticisms levied at TRP after the collapse of businesses such as Carillion and BHS.

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Perspective - Blog

Cybercrime and its impact on D&O insurance

Published on 15 May 2018. By Ash Daniells, Senior Associate

Cybercrime has risen in recent years, perhaps more than anybody ever expected. For a long time, the focus was on defending businesses against such crimes. Now, with more people aware of cybercrime and the risks, insurers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact such crime may have on D&O policies.

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Perspective - Blog

FSCS – reviewing the funding of the fund of last resort

Published on 09 May 2018. By Sarah Dowding, Senior Associate

In its third consultation paper on this topic, the FCA has recently confirmed that: - FSCS claims in respect of investment advice will benefit from an increased compensation cap, from £50,000 to £85,000; - product providers will have to start making contributions to FSCS funding for insurance and investment advice claims; and - it proposes new rules to prevent personal investment firms' insurers excluding cover for claims where the firm or a third party becomes insolvent.

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Perspective - Blog

The FCA publishes its 2018/19 Business Plan

Published on 23 Apr 2018.

On 9 April 2018 the FCA published its Business Plan for 2018/19, demonstrating its continued focus on culture and governance in firms, tackling financial crime and the role of technology in the financial services industry.

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Perspective - Blog

FCA success in the High Court: Compensation of £16.9m awarded to misled investors

Published on 16 Apr 2018. By Lucy Kerr, Senior Associate

A five-year court battle between the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and Capital Alternatives Limited concluded on 26 March 2018 when the High Court used its restitution powers under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to award compensation to investors who lost money invested with Capital Alternatives.

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Perspective - Blog

ESMA cracks down on the sale of binary options and CFDs to retail investors

Published on 29 Mar 2018. By Lucy Kerr, Senior Associate

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced its intention to prohibit the sale of binary options to retail investors and to place restrictions on the sale of contracts for difference (CFDs). This is the first use of ESMA's new intervention powers under MiFID II.

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Perspective - Blog

FCA reviews approach to enforcement and penalties

Published on 28 Mar 2018. By Ash Daniells, Senior Associate and Sarah Dowding, Senior Associate

The FCA has announced plans in its recent consultation paper on enforcement to review how it applies penalties which have gone from record highs to record lows over the past 5 years.

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Perspective - Blog

Changes on the horizon - FCA consults on non-workplace pensions

Published on 22 Feb 2018. By Rachael Healey, Partner

The FCA has issued a discussion paper targeted at the non-workplace pension market. The paper marks the start of the FCA's work looking at whether there is harm in the non-workplace pension market and to better understand the potential presence, nature, extent and cause of any harm.

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Perspective - Blog

ESMA to use new powers to attack the sale of CFDs and binary bets to retail investors

Published on 25 Jan 2018. By Lucy Kerr, Senior Associate

ESMA has launched a public consultation on measures to protect retail investors investing in contracts for difference (CFDs) and binary bets. Potential changes include wide-ranging restrictions on the marketing and sale of CFDs, and a complete prohibition on the sale of binary bets to retail investors. An intervention would mark ESMA's first use of its new powers under MiFID II, which came into force on 3 January.

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Perspective - Blog

The FCA pledges to take action against providers of contracts for difference

Published on 12 Jan 2018. By Lucy Kerr, Senior Associate

The FCA has concluded that consumers are at "serious risk of harm" due to the poor practices of some providers and distributors of CFDs. The regulator will take further action against at least one firm in its latest crack-down on these "complex, high-risk" products.

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Perspective - Blog

Initial Coin Offerings – the digital financing process under global scrutiny

Published on 08 Dec 2017. By Rachel Ford, Partner

In an era of social media platforms and the like, the technological world creeps into its corporate counterpart of today. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) storm the corporate world by force, but what does the future hold for the new phenomenon?

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Perspective - Blog

FCA revisits FSCS funding proposals, and abandons plans for significant changes to professional indemnity insurance requirements

Published on 01 Nov 2017. By Robert Morris, Partner

The FCA has published a second consultation paper on the thorny subject of FSCS funding. Although not widely reported so far, the new consultation makes it clear that the FCA will not, after all, consult on significant changes to personal investment firms' professional indemnity insurance requirements.

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Perspective - Blog

FCA allows confidential report to be scrutinised by Treasury Select Committee

Published on 31 Oct 2017.

The FCA has allowed the Treasury Select Committee to review its s.166 report into RBS' Global Restructuring Group (GRG) and has published an interim summary of the report. It is possible that the threat of publication will play on the minds of firms subject to s.166 reports, which may reduce cooperation with skilled persons and therefore the efficacy of this investigatory power.

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Perspective - Blog

The FCA makes clear its expectations of financial advisers

Published on 18 Oct 2017.

FCA, regulatory, financial services

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Perspective - Blog

FCA criticised by Complaints Commissioner for its handling of enforcement limitation issues

Published on 04 Oct 2017. By Lucy Kerr, Senior Associate

The Office of the Complaints Commissioner recently upheld two complaints against the FCA for making a "serious mistake" in its management of limitation issues for two connected investigations. The Commissioner criticised the FCA not only for its mismanagement of the limitation issue, but also for the unnecessary delays in concluding its own internal investigation into these complaints.

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Perspective - Blog

DB Transfers - now what?

Published on 04 Oct 2017. By Rachael Healey, Partner

We know that the FCA is looking closely at defined benefit transfers; we already have the FCA's review of redress methodology and the defined benefit transfer rules. We now have the results of the FCA's review, into defined benefit transfers and it makes for uncomfortable reading for the financial services industry.

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Perspective - Blog

MiFID II & Inducements

Published on 21 Sep 2017. By Matthew Watson, Partner

FCA MiFiD Inducements Consultation Paper

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Perspective - Blog

Life Expectancy - What's the Big Deal?

Published on 21 Feb 2020.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has updated its guidance for insurers participating in longevity risk transfers (PS1/20 and SS18/16), clarifying the risks that should be considered and its expectations of pre-notification for transactions that are large and/or complex.

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Perspective - Blog

Brexit delay prolongs uncertainty for insurers

Published on 12 Apr 2019. By Neil Brown, Partner

Yesterday's announcement of Halloween as the new deadline for Brexit will prolong uncertainty for many UK insurers.

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Perspective - Blog

No bouncing back for directors

Published on 20 May 2024. By James Wickes, Partner and Adam Craggs, Partner and Catherine Zakarias-Welch, Knowledge Lawyer

Banned! Fraudsters! – Terms used by the Insolvency Service for directors who abused the government backed loan scheme which was put in place to help businesses struggling during the pandemic.

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