FIN.

Category - Enforcement & Litigation

FCA makes minor rule changes

The FCA has published its latest Handbook Notice. It has made changes to several parts of the rulebook, but mainly minor changes. The changes include: Removing SUP 1A which no longer reflects the FCA’s approach to...

FCA publishes Business Plan 2024/2025

The FCA’s 2024/25 Business Plan highlights the work carried out to date, and what it plans to do in the coming year, the final year of its 3 year strategy. The strategy continues a focus on delivery of the...

Court decides on investment property loans

The Court of Appeal has found in favour of an unregulated lender, confirming that agreements it entered into with individuals were investment property loans which were exempt from the RAO definition of “regulated...

FCA speech: investing in outcomes

Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, has delivered a speech on the FCA’s broad approach to topics in which investors have recently been expressing significant interest. The speech highlighted the following as...

FOS limit to increase to £430,000

The FOS maximum compensation limit will increase from 1 April 2024. It will be: £430,000 for claims referred to FOS on or after 1 April 2024 about acts or omissions by firms on or after 1 April 2019; and £195,000 for...

FCA updates on Woodford

FCA has updated its website with further updates on the Woodford Equity Income Fund. It has confirmed the redress scheme became fully operational on 5 March and that payments are expected around Easter.

FCA secures fraud conviction

Guy Flintham has pleased guilty to fraud in relation to an investment scheme he operated. FCA brought the prosecution, for fraud by false representation and for carrying on regulated activities without authorisation by...

FCA intervenes in 10,000 ads in 2023

FCA has published its financial promotions data for the last quarter of 2023 and the entire past year. It has: caused over 10,000 promotions to be withdrawn or changed in 2023 (a 17% increase on the previous year);...

BoE updates enforcement approach

BoE has published its final policy and feedback to its consultation on its approach to enforcement. We covered the consultation here. The changes (including changes from the original consultation that BoE has made in...

PRA consults on FSCS MELL 2024/25

PRA is consulting on the FSCS MELL for 2024/25. Under FSMA, PRA and FCA must set a limit for the total management expenses that the FSCS can levy on financial services firms. The MELL is the maximum amount that the FSCS...

FCA takes action on motor finance complaints

FCA is unhappy that motor finance firms are rejecting high numbers of consumer complaints about commission arrangements.  After FCA banned discretionary commission arrangements in 2021, many consumers complained and...

FCA reflects on 2023

Nikhil Rathi has reflected on some of FCA’s key achievements and milestones from 2023. He highlighted: the implementation of the Consumer Duty and changes firms have already made as a result; FCA telling GAP...

New Complaints Commissioner for 2024

Rachel Kent has been appointed the new Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner. This is the first Commissioner appointment made by Treasury, as a result of changes in FSMA 2023.  She starts a 5 year appointment on...

FOS consults on plans and budget 2024/25

FOS is consulting on its proposed plans and budget for 2024/25. Questions include: what volume and trends should FOS be expecting in banking and consumer credit, insurance, investments and pensions, SME volumes, CMC...

OFSI defends licence refusal

The High Court has supported OFSI’s decision to refuse to grant licence requests relating to a Designated Person. Mikhail Fridman had filed the first claim under s38(2) of SAMLA (and also the first challenge to...

Lenders go into administration

FCA has confirmed that Morses Club Limited, a home collected credit lender, and its subsidiary Shelby Finance Limited (Dot Dot Loans – an online HCST lender) have gone into administration. It provided information...

FCA updates on Woodford Scheme

Link Fund Solutions is to convene a meeting of all affected investors on 13 December to vote on whether to approve the proposed settlement fund in relation to the LF Equity Income Fund. FCA has confirmed it believes the...

FOS releases half-yearly complaints data

FOS has published data showing the number and outcome of the complaints it has handled about financial businesses for the period of January to June 2023. The key take-aways are: FOS received a total of 93,114...

FCA updates complaints data

FCA has published updated complaints data based on returns from firms. Snapshots from the 2023 H1 data include: a slight increase in complaints from the previous 6 months (5%); most significant increases in the...

FCA updates on skilled persons reports

FCA has published the numbers of skilled persons reports commissioned in the first two quarters of 2023: From April to June it commissioned 11 reports, of which 4 related to retail investments and 3 to wholesale...

FCA censures LCF over fin proms

FCA has censured London Capital & Finance for issuing misleading financial promotions about minibonds to retail investors. The promotions made the minibonds look a more attractive investment than they were and...

Supreme Court rules on limitation in PPI case

In the case of Smith and another (Appellants) v Royal Bank of Scotland (Respondent) [2023] UKSC 34, the Supreme Court has ruled that the claims made by claimants seeking orders under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 were...

UK Finance respond to ban on cold calling

UK Finance has responded to HM Treasury’s proposals to ban cold calling in financial services and is supportive of the proposals. The measures aim to protect consumers, particularly elderly and vulnerable...

OFSI uses disclosure power for first time

OFSI has used its disclosure enforcement power for the first time to highlight a breach of the Russia (Sanctions) EU Exit Regulations 2019. This power allows OFSI to publish notices of breaches where it has decided not...

FCA cancels unused permissions

The FCA has used its power to cancel consumer credit permissions which were not used for 2 years. Mr Roche was authorised by the FCA in January 2015 and held consumer credit permissions of: agreeing to carry on a...

FCA publishes Q2 fin proms data

FCA has published its financial promotions data for Q2 2023, which showed that 1507 promotions were amended or withdrawn as a result of FCA intervention. As with the data for Q1, the majority of cases related to retail...

FOS blogs on consumer card protections

FOS has published a blog on how businesses can help consumers who have problems with goods and services. It has noticed that consumers aren’t always aware of the protections they have when paying for goods or...

Consumer Duty takes effect

The Consumer Duty has taken effect for all on-sale products. FCA has reminded consumers of the protections it gives them.
Read our summary of what FCA is expecting from firms.

Regulators publish revised Complaints Scheme

Following a joint consultation between FCA, PRA and BoE in July 2020, the regulators have set out final changes to be made to the Complaints Scheme. The revised Complaints Scheme and policy statement was initially due...

FCA bans pensions adviser

FCA has banned Paul Steel of Estate Matters Financial following its finding that he provided unsuitable advice to customers to transfer out of DB pension schemes, including the BSPS scheme. FCA has also brought High...

FOS warns on credit hire risks

FOS is warning that many consumers do not understand the risks of credit hire, which could leave them facing large bills. Credit hire is used as an alternative to claiming on motor insurance, and involves claims or...

FCA responds on Odey supervision

The Treasury Committee has published FCA’s response to its enquiry on the supervision of Odey Asset Management, following the media allegations of highly inappropriate behaviour by Cripin Odey (which he has...

Ombudsman News updates FOS initiatives

The latest edition of Ombudsman News highlights: what FOS is doing to prepare for the Consumer Duty; the annual complaints data from 2022/3; its items on hybrid scams and escape of water in unoccupied properties...

FSM Bill gets Royal Assent

As expected, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 got Royal Assent on 29 June.  Heralding it, Treasury described its key features as: bringing the ability to tailor financial services regulation to fit UK markets...

FOS warns of “hybrid” scam increase

FOS has noted that the number of complaints it receives about scams generally is increasing – with a 17% increase in APP fraud complaints, but also a higher proportion of “complex” scam complaints, for...

FSM Bill completes Parliamentary process

The FSM Bill returned to the Lords for consideration of the few amendments the Commons had made.  These were agreed, and so the Bill has completed its Parliamentary passage and now awaits Royal Assent. It is expected to...

BoE updates on CHAPS APP plans

The Deputy Governor of BoE has written to the Treasury sub-committee on Financial Regulation to update on progress on protection from APP fraud within the CHAPS system. The letter confirms the BoE’s intention to...

BoE speaks on enforcement approach

Oliver Dearie has spoken on the rationale behind the proposed changes to the way in which BoE is looking to change its approach to enforcement. He said the proposals reflect lessons learned over the past decade and...

Lords passes FSM Bill

The FSM Bill has had its third reading in the Lords, and has been passed and returned to the Commons as amended in the Lords.   The Commons now needs to consider the Lords’ amendments, and, if all is agreed, the...

FOS publishes annual complaint data stats

FOS has published the annual complaints data for the 2022/23 financial year and commented on the common themes. Of the most complained about products current accounts had a 40% uphold rate; credit cards 34%...

FSMB Lords Report stage day 2

Day 2 of the Report stage for the FSM Bill took place on 8 June. In the first session, the Lords debated clauses including those on: reporting requirements under the competitiveness and growth objective, a Government...