Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Temporary measures forcing lenders to offer greater support to borrowers in financial difficulties could become permanent, under new proposals announced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA also announced that 17 lenders will pay up to £47 million in redress to financially-distressed borrowers, after failing to offer appropriate support. The payments will be made…
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A series of measures designed to reduce the risk of money laundering via the Post Office have been set out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator brought together partners including the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), industry and government to strengthen controls while seeking to ensure that legitimate customers can continue to use…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its business plan setting out its top priorities for the year ahead. The plan includes the introduction of consumer duty and reforming the UK’s listing regime. The FCA says that the programme aims to achieve better outcomes for consumers and markets, in line with its three-year strategy. Last…
Read moreThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed final mortgage guidance, setting out the ways mortgage lenders can help customers worried about or already struggling with their mortgage payments because of the rising cost of living. The regulator has also published new data and analysis on the mortgage market. This shows that, in addition to the…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has publicly censured Amigo Loans for failing to conduct adequate affordability checks on borrowers and guarantors. The FCA says it would have imposed a fine of £72.9 million however Amigo demonstrated that this would cause it serious financial hardship. A fine would also have threatened Amigo’s ability to meet its…
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As firms continue to get ready for the implementation of the Consumer Duty, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that is offering support to firms through the transition with a programme of engagement, which includes setting out in letters the expectations of the Duty and arranging a series of regional in-person events for specific groups of…
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With six months to go before the Consumer Duty comes into force, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a review of how firms are planning to implement the Duty. The FCA reviewed a sample of implementation plans and found that many firms show they understand and embrace the shift to delivering good customer outcomes,…
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The FinandilcConduct Authority (FCA) has fined Pembrokeshire Mortgage Centre Limited (PMC) (trading as County Financial Consultants) (in liquidation) £2,354,331 for unsuitable advice to consumers to transfer out of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) and other defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. The FCA’s view is that most people should keep the guaranteed income provided by…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has obtained a judgment against London Property Investments (LPI), NPI Holdings Limited, their director Daniel Stevens and his father, Tony Stevens, for arranging mortgages without FCA authorisation and exploiting vulnerable customers who were in financial difficulty. The judgment found that the defendants arranged high-interest, unaffordable bridging loans for consumers about…
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Mark Steward has announced he will be stepping down as the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight after seven years with the regulator. Since joining the FCA in 2015, Stewards has led the delivery of some of the FCA’s most complex, high-profile, and precedent-setting enforcement cases, with many notable successes…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned firms that offer Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products that although some agreements are unregulated after finding that some lenders were using web adverts and posts from social media influencers that are breaking rules. The FCA also reminded the businesses that the financial promotions of all BNPL products…
Read moreThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is warning lenders and brokers to stop using misleading terms in their advertising or face regulatory action. The FCA says that the increased cost of living means that more people may take out loans. Marketing that does not give clear information and warnings about the potential consequences of borrowing puts…
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A review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found that challenger banks need to improve how they assess financial crime risk, with some failing to adequately check their customers’ income and occupation. In some instances, challenger banks did not have financial crime risk assessments in place for their customers. The regulator’s review, conducted over…
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