Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a warning over an unauthorised lender which is using the details of an authorised firm. Brits Finance claims to offer personal loans that can be used for house repairs, but the FCA has confirmed it does not authorise this firm. Instead, the FCA has warned that Brits Finance…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published findings from its thematic review of packaged bank accounts. In 2013, the FCA introduced new rules on packaged bank accounts. These were designed to help customers understand whether the product was right for them. Firms are now required to establish and record whether customers are eligible to claim…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today announced that it will consult on new guidance on the treatment of customers with mortgage payment shortfalls (commonly referred to as arrears). This guidance covers remediation for mortgage customers who may have been affected by the way firms calculate these customers’ monthly mortgage payments. The FCA has identified…
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The energy industry has launched a new set of principles to help protect prepayment customers. Citizens Advice worked with Energy UK to make sure the new standards support the most vulnerable prepayment meter customers at risk of self-disconnecting because they are unable to top up their meter.The principles include commitments by energy suppliers to: consider the…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned Andrew Barry Hart, the sole director, controller and ultimate owner of Wage Payment and Payday Loans Limited (WPPL), from performing any role in regulated financial services. The FCA has also cancelled WPPL’s interim permission and refused its applications for WPPL to be authorised to carry out regulated activities…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Sonali Bank (UK) Limited (SBUK) £3,250,600 and has imposed a restriction, preventing it from accepting deposits from new customers for 168 days. It has also fined the bank’s former money laundering reporting officer (MLRO), Steven Smith, £17,900 and prohibited him from performing the MLRO or compliance oversight functions…
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Glasgow-based independent law firm Yuill & Kyle Limited has secured full authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority. Yuill + Kyle managing partner Stephen Cowan said: “Quite often as part of an audit process a creditor may take the view that they will not deal with a legal firm unless they have the FCA consent. Because Y+K…
Read moreFollowing a decision by the United States Department of the Treasury(link is external) to designate the PacNet Group as a ‘significant transnational criminal organisation’, we understand that the ceasing of PacNet Group firms’ operations has led to some customer payments, including direct debits, not reaching creditors and firms. Firms affected by this should assess their payment…
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TalkTalk has been issued with a record £400,000 fine by the ICO for security failings that allowed a cyber attacker to access customer data “with ease”. The ICO’s in-depth investigation found that an attack on the company last October could have been prevented if TalkTalk had taken basic steps to protect customers’ information. ICO investigators…
Read moreAire, a credit scoring startup has confirmed authorisation with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The company also announced that it raised a further $2 million in funding earlier this year led by White Star Capital alongside Sunstone Capital and Accion Venture Lab. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Aneesh Varma said: “It’s a huge step for us and also for…
Read moreIntelligent Lending, trading as Ocean Finance has been fined £130,000 after sending more than seven million texts offering a new credit card powered by a major lender. Manchester-based Ocean Finance believed it was complying with the law because the third party firm it obtained names and phone numbers from claimed it had people’s consent to send…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will mark six months since the implementation of the Senior Managers’ and Certification Regime by providing feedback on implementation so far and proposing measures to further strengthen the regime. The proposed rules will reinforce the importance of individual accountability at the most senior level of organisations. The new measures are…
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PRA Group has announced its UK business has received full authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Tiku Patel, Chief Executive Officer of PRA Group Europe said “The FCA approval process requires very high standards of conduct and customer treatment and we are delighted to have received full authorization. Delivering fair customer outcomes is at the…
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