Regulatory

New plans from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will ensure a higher and more consistent standard of consumer protection for users of financial services and help to stop harm before it happens. The FCA is concerned that currently, financial services do not always work well for consumers. The ne

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is "encouraged" by reporting by applicants on stewardship, according to a new report which analyses reports from the first signatories to the revised Code published in September 2021. According to the report, 'Effective Stewardship Reporting: Examples from 2021

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today confirmed a series of rule changes to ensure that the UK’s public markets remain a trusted and attractive place to list successful companies, providing opportunities for companies to grow from which investors will benefit. The reforms address, an

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has reformed its decision-making process to ensure it can make faster and more effective decisions for consumers, markets and firms. As part of its transformation to a more innovative and assertive regulator, more decisions will be taken by the FCA’s senio

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is proposing that firms offer a new 'default' investment option to help non-workplace pension customers save for their retirement. Currently, non-workplace pension customers have to choose their own investments from an increasingly wide range of options. This co

The Annual Review of Corporate Governance published today by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) found that there was a general improvement in reporting against the UK Corporate Governance Code. The report highlights areas of high-quality reporting, however, there is still room for further improve

UK auditors are showing poor professional judgment in a number of cases and must improve their standards, according to a new report published by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). In the latest Developments in Audit 2021 report, the FRC revealed that for the third year running around 30% of audi

A new report from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has set out the key elements required by audit firms to ensure they are delivering high quality audit. The FRC’s report, What Makes a Good Audit?, highlights the six key attributes that contribute to the running of high-quality audit prac

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed banning debt packager firms from being paid to refer customers on to other firms. Debt packagers are regulated providers of debt advice, who refer customers on to other providers of debt solutions. They rely on income from referral fees paid by thes

Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has been slapped with a financial sanction of nearly £720,000 in connection with failings in its audits of Interserve. Interserve, a major outsourcing company, went into administration in 2019 after financial restructuring plans drawn up by the company’s l

Sophisticated investors and pension funds are among those who will have access to new types of investment opportunities following changes made by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA has confirmed that it will be taking forward proposals to create a new type of open-ended investment fund w

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that social media is encouraging young people to invest in risky cryptocurrencies. The financial regulator warned that “hype” on social media platforms and in the news is driving new investors to channel their money into high-risk investme

Charles Randell has asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to commence the process to appoint his successor as chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). Mr Randell plans to step down in Spring 2022.

David Costley-Wood, the former head of KPMG Manchester restructuring, "advanced an untruthful defence" at a disciplinary hearing into KPMG's misconduct in the sale of Silentnight, according to the Financial Reporting Council's (FRC) Independent Disciplinary Tribunal. Last month, KPMG was fined

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has said that listed companies must be more transparent about their use of alternative performance measures such as "underlying profits" and "core operations." This comes after a new review by the watchdog which revealed that listed firms needed to be more open