Following the FCA’s January 2025 response to the government’s request for ideas to support its growth mission for the UK economy, the FCA has now published an engagement paper seeking feedback on the different ways that it...more
Potential issues identified from stakeholder feedback to the FCA and PSR call for information include insufficient competition between digital wallets and between payment systems within digital wallets. The majority of...more
In the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) carried out a review of a sample of consumer credit firms and non-bank mortgage lenders to assess their approach to financial...more
HM Treasury has published its long-awaited response to the February 2023 consultation on its proposed approach to bringing Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) within the FCA’s regulatory perimeter. The government is clear that “swift...more
The FCA believes that there is a continuing problem with poor safeguarding practices across the industry due to poor implementation of the current regulatory framework under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (PSRs) and...more
On 19 September 2024, the FCA published an update on its review of the cash savings market and investigation into the practices of the largest 9 firms with easy access savings accounts. With a focus on the effectiveness of...more
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has published a policy statement and final Specific Direction to banks and other payment firms participating directly or indirectly in CHAPS (the UK’s high-value payment system) to...more
Following industry feedback - in particular prudential concerns for some smaller firms in the market – and work with the FCA, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is consulting on a proposal to reduce the maximum level of...more
Following the January 2024 launch of a review of historical motor finance commission arrangements and sales across several firms, the FCA has announced that it now plans to set out the findings from the review in May 2025...more
On 8 May 2024 the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee (TSC) published its Report on SME Finance. Recognising that SMEs are a key part of the UK’s economy, the TSC Report focusses on 5 areas which may act as barriers...more
The Bank of England has published the final versions of three Codes of Practice on wholesale cash distribution and accompanying Guidance relating to information gathering, third-party arrangements and cash centre closures and...more
From 31 July 2024, the FCA's Consumer Duty will apply to closed products and services (that is, products that were closed prior to the 31 July 2023 deadline for new and existing products or services open to sale or renewal)....more
Open Banking Limited (OBL) has published two data collection frameworks for approval by the Joint Regulatory Oversight Committee (JROC), one for API availability and performance (under the theme ‘Levelling up availability and...more
Following the publication in July 2023 of a policy statement on payment service contract termination rules and freedom of expression, HM Treasury (HMT) has now published a further statement on implementation, timings and next...more
As part of a June 2023 action plan between the UK government and key regulators to ensure fair treatment of consumers and help those struggling to make payments, the FCA has agreed to focus on the savings market, with a...more
HM Treasury has published its response to the first-stage consultation on the strategic approach to reforming the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA), described in the response as ‘an ambitious overhaul’ of the regime. The...more
Under the new Consumer Understanding Outcome, firms in scope of the Consumer Duty must support retail customer understanding so that all communications meet the information needs of retail customers; are likely to be...more
The outlook for 2023 looks uncertain, following another tumultuous year. The collapse of a number of large cryptocurrency exchanges has shone another spotlight on the digital asset market. The financial system’s resilience...more
Following a government announcement in June this year of a commitment to 'ambitious long-term reform' to create a consumer credit regulatory regime that fosters innovation but also maintains high levels of consumer...more
With interest rates rising and inflation and energy prices at record levels, the government, major mortgage lenders and the UK FCA have agreed a range of measures that firms can use to support their existing mortgage...more
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out new proposals for the credit information market to help deliver better lending decisions for borrowers. The proposals will be of interest to firms in the consumer lending...more
At a time when there is an increased focus on the UK's economic outlook, the FCA has published a report highlighting how firms are treating customers in financial difficulties. The FCA review has already led to significant...more
For many firms, the "price and value" outcome will raise many new issues, and assessing whether a product or service represents fair value will require a wholly new approach....more
This article is the second in a series on areas impacted by AI. It focuses on the upcoming implementation of a new Consumer Duty, a higher standard of behaviour for financial services firms directly or indirectly interacting...more
In the discussion paper, the UK financial supervisory authorities have not provided a new legal framework or their intended future approaches for regulating the use of AI and machine learning in financial services. However,...more