23 May 2025
New UK crypto regime takes a step closer
HM Treasury has published a draft statutory instrument which, when brought into force, will introduce a new regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK.
7 March 2025
Is the FCA’s name and shame policy now dead in the water?
On 6 February the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee published its response to the latest iteration of the FCA’s proposals to “name and shame” firms under investigation by the regulator.
8 October 2024
Finfluencers – in the FCA’s sights
In March 2024 the FCA published a clear warning to those advertising trading and investments on social media about the risks of doing so, making it clear that it will “will take action against those touting financial products illegally.” Just two months later, in May 2024, the regulator announced that it had commenced criminal proceedings against a number of individuals for advertising foreign trading schemes on their social media platforms.
19 August 2024
Motor finance: FCA drives towards formal redress scheme
The FCA is conducting a review into whether motor finance customers were overcharged as a result of the widespread use of discretionary commission arrangements in the motor finance industry. It had expected to set out its next steps in light of this review in September 2024. However, it has announced that it will not now do so until May 2025.
26 June 2024
Market abuse letters - an increasingly used tool
Maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of the financial markets remains a key FCA priority and, indeed, is a statutory legal obligation on the regulator. Against that, however, is the fact that FCA’s track record in taking enforcement action against insider dealing and other forms of abusive behaviour is relatively poor. Since 2017 it has only achieved three criminal convictions for insider dealing, whilst its record for imposing civil fines on firms and individuals for breaches of the Market Abuse Regulation (“MAR”) is also unimpressive.