Lies, damned lies, and statistics.
The FCA has issued the first of its Data Bulletins. It is designed to pass on some of the statistical information they hold. It is an interesting read.
Did you know that:
- Of all the firms it authorises, 28% are general insurance intermediaries, 27% are personal investment firms and 7% are mortgage related businesses;
- 34% of authorised firms are located in Central and Greater London, while the north-east has the lowest concentration with only 2%;
- PPI remains the most complained about product and that nearly £16 billion (yes billion) has been paid out to date in PPI compensation.
You can find the bulletin here.
You may be interested to know that the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” was popularised by Mark Twain who attributed it to the 19th-century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), although the phrase is not found in any of Disraeli’s works and is therefore often attributed to Twain himself.
Pension Transfer charging
Alistair MacDougall Compliance abridged, FCA, P1, Pension, Pension Transfer, PI, transfer
Policy Statement PS 20-06 stated that a firm providing pension transfer advice “… may also not charge less than it would charge for investment advice of the same value”. That seems clear enough, but the rule that gives effect to this statement is subtly different. COBS 19.1B.7 states: “A firm should not charge less […]