Category Archives: FCA

Can IFAs create their own profession?

James Walker  has published BWD’s assessment of the prospects for firms offering financial advice as their core product. He paints a picture of rising regulatory costs and sluggish growth prospects preventing IFA practices from employing the young blood to refresh it. Last … Continue reading

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Can we afford financial services in times of austerity?

  Thomas Philippon , the celebrated economist, gave a lecture on Tuesday Morning as part of London University’s Leading Minds series. The gist of his talk is that the cost of financial services (the collective name for everyone who is an … Continue reading

Posted in FCA, Fiduciary Management, Financial Conduct Authority, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How low can guidance go?

The FCA have published an important document that sets out to define where guidance ends and advice begins. Thankfully , it’s one you can read without feeling guilty that you aren’t going to answer 150 consultation questions! The FCA has … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, FCA, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hats off to all workplace pension providers

  I’ve referred earlier this week to an excellent article by Kim North in Money Marketing in which she points to the ongoing work Scottish Widows have been doing on the participation of women in workplace pensions. In the same … Continue reading

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Straight talking from the IMA on charges?

  In one of the least incisive video interviews I’ve seen this year, here’s Ian Smith of Pensions Week quizzing Jonathan Lipkin- IMA Director of Public Policy Decision- on how the IMA and its members are facing up to the … Continue reading

Posted in FCA, Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Education, governance, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More thoughts on the future of the Pensions Regulator.

  Yesterday , Professional Pensions advertised my blog “two into one can go” under the more contentious headline “why tPR has had its day“. I’ve given Jack Jones editorial licence and the headline’s fine with me. It was a bad … Continue reading

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“What we need and what we want” – financial education in schools

  Many congratulations to Tracey Bleakley and all at pfeg for getting personal finance onto the national curriculum from today. Speaking on Wake Up To Money this morning, Tracey was asked what the one piece of financial advice she’d give to those in her … Continue reading

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Pension PlayPen respond to FCA on IGCs and DC Governance

This is less of a blog – more of an epic! If you want to have a go yourself, the link is to http://www.fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/consultation-papers/cp14-16-response-form   The Pension PlayPen’s response was submitted online and this text is what we got back … Continue reading

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The FCA and Social Media (Canute II)

  The FCA have set out their policy on social media which concentrates on the use of Twitter. It is worth a read, if only to establish why the supervision of the internet is as feasible as Canute’s supervision of the … Continue reading

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“Value for money” key to DC Governance say FCA.

The FCA published yesterday an important consultation (CPA14/16) proposing rules for independent governance committees (IGCs). The introduction of IGCs was agreed by the ABI as part of a deal with the Office of Fair Trading that fended off insurers being referred to a more serious investigation. The main … Continue reading

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