Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
FCA and PRA committed to driving competition and innovation
The Financial Conduct Authority is looking at what rules can be stripped out following Consumer Duty and if fair value assessments need to be every year.
Two more S166s into insurance firms
The Financial Conduct Authority commissioned two skilled person reports into insurance businesses between October and December 2024, taking the running total for the financial year into double digits.
FSCS opens to claims after Scottish broker stopped from trading by FCA
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has opened for claims from customers of Arthur Temlett, who traded as Abacus Insurance Consultants and was forced to stop carrying out any regulated activities by the Financial Conduct Authority at the start of…
Seven kilometre high pile – FCA moves to clarify email deletion plans
The Financial Conduct Authority has acknowledged it hit the headlines last week with criticism of its plans to delete emails held in staff inboxes after a year, and has sought to explain what it is doing and why.
FCA within a whisker of green sweep on authorisations
The Financial Conduct Authority delivered a top rating of ‘green’ across 16 authorisation metrics with only one ranked as ‘amber’ and none in the red zone during October to December last year.
Broker Diversity Push: No progress measured in 2024 benchmark
For the third year running the percentage of six key broking leadership roles held by women has stayed stuck at just over 16%, according to the latest Broker Diversity Push benchmark from Insurance Age.
6% of FCA financial promotions cases caused by GI & Protection
The Financial Conduct Authority has revealed the general insurance and protection sector accounted for 6% of its workload in the final quarter of last year against firms breaching financial promotion rules.
FCA actions against misleading financial adverts nearly doubles in 2024
The Financial Conduct Authority intervened to get nearly 20,000 financial promotions withdrawn or amended in 2024, almost double the amount compared to 2023.
Lords Committee ‘unconvinced’ on FCA name and shame proposal
The House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee is unconvinced on the FCA’s name and shame plans as it branded the consultation an “abject failure” and urged if concerns have not been addressed in the regulator’s second consultation the…
Blog: The compliance threat to M&A
Jill Hambley, managing director of Insurance Compliance Solutions, tackles the compliance basics smaller brokers must keep front of mind before listing a business for a potential sale to make sure any deal doesn’t end up on the scrapheap.
FCA issues restrictions on Scottish broker because of personal lines premium concerns
The Financial Conduct Authority has taken action to stop Arthur Temlett, trading as Abacus Insurance Consultants, from carrying out any regulated activities, including acting as an insurance broker.
FCA targets 400 headcount as it continues Leeds office expansion
The Financial Conduct Authority has expanded its Leeds regional office, with 100 more people expected to join this year.
Premium finance: industry welcomes Supreme Court appeal and hopes for clarity
As evidenced by differing actions by premium finance specialists in recent months there are differing views in the market, but the hope remains that a Supreme Court case on motor finance, to be heard on 1-3 April, can help to bring clarity.
FCA insurance related fines total £1.1m in 2024
The Financial Conduct Authority handed out £1.11m in fines to two general insurance broking individuals in 2024, as firms achieved the second year in a row of zero fines.
Sicsic FOI uncovers insurance firms’ £2.7m S166 bill
Insurers and insurance intermediaries paid a total of £2.7m for Financial Conduct Authority-commissioned skilled persons reviews in the financial year 2023/24, according to a Freedom of Information request by Sicsic Advisory.
FCA reveals review findings of first annual Consumer Duty board reports
The Financial Conduct Authority has set out five areas for improvements and five good aspects having reviewed the first annual Consumer Duty board reports from 180 firms.
FCA not seeking further headcount boost, says CEO Rathi
The Financial Conduct Authority is not “anticipating further significant growth” in headcount with the figure having risen from around 4,000 in 2020 to just over 5,000 today, CEO Nikhil Rathi has confirmed to the Treasury Committee.
No change to Premium Credit disclosure arrangements
Premium Credit is not asking distribution partners to make any changes to existing customer journeys after reviewing the implications of a legal ruling for commission disclosure in motor finance.
US insurance group looks to sign up MGA partners after UK arm gets PRA nod
US specialty insurer Fortega has received approval to establish Fortegra Insurance Company UK.
Review of the Year 2024: iprism’s Ian Lloyd
Ian Lloyd, CEO of iprism, reflects on integrating the MGA’s first acquisition, the over-use of the term AI and how he might shake the curse of ‘dad dancing’ by appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.
Brokers raised concerns to Biba on initial FCA ‘name and shame’ proposals
Brokers raised concerns to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association about the Financial Conduct Authority’s original transparency proposals, the trade body has confirmed to Insurance Age.
FCA makes “significant changes” to ‘name and shame’ proposals
The Financial Conduct Authority is making four “significant changes” to its initial transparency proposals labelled ‘name and shame’.
MPs and peers slam “incompetent at best, dishonest at worst” FCA
A cross-party group of MPs and peers has hit out at the Financial Conduct Authority and demanded substantial changes after its call for evidence found the regulator “is seen as incompetent at best, dishonest at worst”.
Blog: What implications could the motor finance scandal have on insurance brokers?
As the industry shoots itself in the foot. Again. Matthew Maxwell Scott, founder and executive director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations explores how the motor finance scandal fallout might see brokers caught in the cross-fire.