The FCA has published CP17/28, a consultation paper on the proposal to formalise rules on dealing with insistent clients. The rules will be based on what was originally guidance in Factsheet 035 (February and June 2016) in relation to pension reforms. However, the rules will apply to any kind of business not just pensions transfers, conversions or opt-outs.
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Since the pension freedoms came into being in April 2015, there has been a marked increase in the number of clients wishing to effect a pension transfer contrary to advice received. The FCA intends to formalise guidance to advisers in new rules in response to the feedback they have received from firms. The consultation paper gives firms an opportunity to give more direct feedback to the FCA. It is worth reading even if you do not intend to give feedback so you can get a feel for what is coming.
Read the fact sheet and consultation paper.
If you need any more information meantime, contact your usual ATEB consultant or click here.
The FCA has published a Thematic Review report which provides some observations around the quality of wind-down planning in firms. The report can be read here. A brief summary of the key observations is noted below. Liquidity During wind-down a firm must continue to pay its liabilities as they fall due. Failure to do […]
The FCA’s proposed Consumer Duty is getting a lot of airplay in the trade media. First mooted in the FCA’s business plan a while back, it has been the subject of a couple of consultation papers, namely CP21/13 (May 2021) and CP 21/36 (December 2021). We have already written briefly about the Consumer Duty […]
In March 2019 the FCA published PS19/8 to increase the ombudsman service’s award limit from £150,000 to £350,000 for complaints about acts or omissions by firms on or after 1 April 2019. It was increased to £160,000 for complaints referred to the service on or after 1 April 2019 about earlier acts or omissions. At […]
The FCA has consulted on proposed changes to the Appointed Representatives (AR) regime. The proposed changes aim to reduce potential harm arising across the sectors where they operate. The context in which these changes are considered necessary is that FCA data show that principals have more complaints per £1m of revenue compared to non-principals, […]
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 […]