The FCA has issued a ‘Dear CEO’ letter to General Insurance Intermediaries setting out its expectations for maintaining adequate arrangements that safeguard client money especially during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
It reminds firms of their obligations to continue to oversee the CASS arrangements. It requires firms to discuss the contents of the letter with the board and agree what further action is necessary to help ensure adequate arrangements are in place, highlighting the following areas:
- application of client money rules to firm’s business model;
- governance and oversight;
- oversight of third parties, including due diligence;
- client money calculations and reconciliations;
- acknowledgement letters for all client money accounts.
You can find further information regarding client assets and coronavirus here.
Pension Transfers – considering a workplace pension
Alistair MacDougall Compliance Defined Benefit, FCA, Pension, Pension Transfer, PI, Switch, transfer
We recently reviewed a pension transfer report where the client was recommended to transfer out of the defined benefit scheme into the client’s pre-existing SIPP. We considered that the recommendation to transfer appeared to be appropriate. However, the client had what the FCA calls an ‘available qualifying scheme’, more commonly referred to as a […]