Scrutinise your Product Governance Framework “Product oversight and governance refers to the systems and controls firms have in place to design, approve, market and manage products throughout the products' lifecycle to ensure they meet legal and regulatory...
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Consumer Duty: Data to demonstrate compliance It’s now just over a year since Consumer Duty came into force for open products and 31st July 2024 saw the regime extended further to closed products. FCA took this opportunity to share feedback, and highlight areas where...
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Robust risk management and good governance are crucial elements for success! As we approach the second half of 2024 and look forward to 2025, where are the regulators focusing their attention? In Ireland, we see the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) focusing on: Fighting...
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The UK’s financial promotions regime saw some significant changes in the past year, including the introduction of a regulatory gateway for approvers of third-party financial promotions. The emphasis on financial promotions isn’t new. In recent years, we’ve seen the...
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“Depending on who you speak to, AI could either lead to the destruction of civilisation, or the cure for cancer or both. It could either displace today’s jobs or enable an explosion in future productivity. The truth probably embraces both scenarios. At the FCA we are...
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The SM&CR review was announced as part of the Edinburgh reforms towards the end of 2022, with HM Treasury indicating that “ some stakeholders have raised concerns about their experiences of specific aspects of the regime .” Consequently, the government is assessing...
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The FCA’s thematic review on complaints handling took place almost 10 years ago, but its findings continue to be relevant and are echoed in the FCA’s Consumer Duty work. The regulator aims to ensure firms treat customers fairly by supporting those in difficulty and...
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Conflicts of interest is a subject matter that should be relatively easy to understand and as such, straightforward when it comes to compliance. Why then do we hear of senior managers who have failed to declare a potential conflict or to recuse themselves from related...
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Following the initial milestone of 31st October 2022, the FCA reviewed a sample of the implementation plans from some of the larger firms operating in the UK. These were firms deemed to be of higher risk as they operate in the retail market and could impact both...
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The Irish Client Asset Regulations (the CAR) were introduced to inspire public confidence and protect investors if an investment firm became insolvent. Revisions were made to the CAR in 2015 and today, we see Ireland preparing for further enhancements with the...
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This is one of the questions addressed in the UK's consultation Review of the UK Funds Regime . During 2022, the UK Government published its final response on how it aims to enhance the fund regime in the UK. In its publication, the HMT acknowledged the role that the...
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This statement encapsulates the importance of the annual reports and their audit, not just in verifying the financial status of individual firms, but by the impact upon the wider UK infrastructure. We’re all too aware of high-profile firms going bust without any...
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