Financial Services Investigations

HM Treasury has published a draft statutory instrument which, when brought into force, will introduce a new regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK.

On 6 February the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee published its response to the latest iteration of the FCA’s proposals to “name and shame” firms under investigation by the regulator.

In March 2024 the FCA published a clear warning to those advertising trading and investments on social media about the risks of doing so, making it clear that it will “will take action against those touting financial products illegally.” Just two months later, in May 2024, the regulator announced that it had commenced criminal proceedings against a number of individuals for advertising foreign trading schemes on their social media platforms.

The FCA is conducting a review into whether motor finance customers were overcharged as a result of the widespread use of discretionary commission arrangements in the motor finance industry. It had expected to set out its next steps in light of this review in September 2024. However, it has announced that it will not now do so until May 2025.

Maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of the financial markets remains a key FCA priority and, indeed, is a statutory legal obligation on the regulator. Against that, however, is the fact that FCA’s track record in taking enforcement action against insider dealing and other forms of abusive behaviour is relatively poor. Since 2017 it has only achieved three criminal convictions for insider dealing, whilst its record for imposing civil fines on firms and individuals for breaches of the Market Abuse Regulation (“MAR”) is also unimpressive.

The FCA’s long awaited anti-greenwashing rule came into force on 31 May 2024. This rule is part of the wider Sustainability Disclosure Requirements regime and reflects the FCA’s strong commitment to ESG and to supporting the Government’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.

The FCA’s recent consultation (CP24/2) on changes to its enforcement process has provoked what appears to be unanimous opposition from government and industry bodies. Of particular concern is the proposal in consultation paper (“the CP”) that the FCA will publish information about its enforcement investigations, including the identity of the subject of the investigation, where it assesses it to be in the public interest to do so. 

For firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), it is vital that the business – and its relevant employees – ensure that its conduct is without reproach in order to avoid supervisory or regulatory difficulties. This extends to issues of governance and administrative matters, as well as more obvious issues of conduct (such as, for example, financial misconduct) which often receive more press.

This article first featured in Employee Benefits in November 2023. 

A recent sequence of adverse decisions by the Upper Tribunal could have significant implications for future Financial Conduct Authority cases.

Under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (“SMCR”), which was introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) to seek to remedy perceived industry wide failings following the 2008 financial crash, regulated staff must meet certain standards of fitness and propriety and will be personally accountable to the FCA for any failure to do so.

Firms covered by the SMCR are required to assess, both at the point of recruitment and on an annual basis, whether SMCR staff are fit and proper to perform their role. In the case of senior managers, firms that are covered by the regime must also seek approval from the FCA prior to appointment and in many cases the FCA may wish to closely scrutinise any such application.

Non-financial misconduct has been an area of increasing regulatory focus for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) over the last five years. To date, published regulatory outcomes have focused on the most egregious end of the spectrum, with the FCA handing out bans and fines for those already convicted in the criminal courts of serious sexual offences. However, these cases provide little guidance for FCA-regulated firms grappling with allegations of more nuanced conduct, such as the inappropriate use of social media on a personal

Pre-Brexit, some 8,000 financial services firms based in the EA or EEA relied on the mutual passporting regime to do business in the UK. Since 1 January 2021, such firms have been able to operate under a transitional temporary permissions regime (TPR). While some of those firms have now exited the UK market, most of those intending to continue to operate here are required to apply for full UK authorisation. The deadline for applications is 31 December 2022.

The FCA’s transformation to becoming an assertive, front footed regulator has been accelerated by three recent developments, all of which prioritise the protection of consumers.

This half-year update provides an overview of recent enforcement activity by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in the period from January to June 2022.

As the cost of living continues to rise, and subsequent demand for credit increases, the FCA has been clear with lenders as to its expectations for their treatment of customers. Indeed, with inflation predicated to reach 14%, consumers will see a significant reduction in disposable income and many may experience financial vulnerability for the first time. In this context, the FCA has clearly identified that a potential increase in dependence on credit poses significant risks to consumers.

In a case that attracted national media coverage and emphasises the crucial importance of regulatory compliance and the highest standards of professional conduct in the financial services sector, the High Court dismissed a breach of contract claim brought by an investment manager.

For the fourth year the FCA has published research on the changing relationship between consumers and cryptoassets. In spite of the pandemic, the strong upward trend in public engagement and media coverage has continued, with the FCA estimating 2.3 million adults now hold cryptoassets.

Global financial markets are preparing to transition away from the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and adopt an appropriate alternative risk free rate (“RFR”) by the end of 2021. What are the reasons for the move away from LIBOR, the progress to date in terms of identifying the Sterling Overnight Index Average (“SONIA”) as the most appropriate alternative rate in the Sterling markets, and the steps still required to be taken to ensure such markets are ready for the phasing out of LIBOR by the end of the year

At the end of last month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a letter written to Danske Bank concerning its breach of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Banking Behavioural Undertakings 2002, following loans it had offered under the ‘Bounce Back Loan Scheme’.