Exclusive: How much the Financial Conduct Authority spent on its RBS GRG small business unit report March 12, 2017 The long-awaited report into Royal Bank of Scotland's Global Restructuring Group (GRG) cost the City watchdog more than £40,000 for the associated prep and monitoring work alone. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed under a Freedom of Information request submitted by City A.M. that it ran up a bill of £40,722.68 for scoping, overseeing the review and [...]
PPI claims: Ministry of Justice clamps down on claims management companies responsible for pesky PPI calls February 14, 2016 Ministers are cracking down on companies handling claims for payment protection insurance (PPI) refunds by capping their charges. The Ministry of Justice announced today that it would be limiting the fees charged by claims management companies (CMCs), many of which are claiming more than one-third of consumers' financial claims for themselves. "We want to do all we can [...]
FCA fines plummet in 2016: Epidemic problems in wind down, say experts December 23, 2016 Fines levied by the UK's financial watchdog have fallen to their lowest level in nine years. The amount imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fell by 97 per cent during 2016 – just £22m of penalties have been dished out, compared with £905m in the previous year. And according to City law firm [...]
As the Co-Op Bank goes on sale, is now the time to buy UK banks? February 14, 2017 It wasn't hard to spot the irony when Paul Flowers, chairman of the avowedly ethical Co-Operative Bank and a methodist minister, was arrested for drug possession in 2013. In the same year, the mutual Co-operative Group ceded control of the ailing lender to its bondholders, after a massive £1.5bn hole was discovered in its balance [...]
Barclays is selling its Irish insurance unit, as it continues to ditch its non-core business November 8, 2016 Barclays announced today it has agreed to sell its Irish insurance business, marking the latest step in a long journey to scale back its non-core business. The bank will sell Barclays Insurance (Dublin) Designated Activity Company and Barclays Assurance (Dublin) Designated Activity Company to Monument Re for an undisclosed sum and the deal is expected to [...]
It’s a thumbs up from the City: Over half of bankers think the Senior Managers’ Regime was a good idea March 6, 2017 Bankers have given their blessing to a recently introduced set of rules designed to increase personal accountability, the next tranche of which is due to take effect tomorrow. Over half (55 per cent) of nearly 200 senior finance execs polled by Duff & Phelps think the Senior Managers' and Certification Regime, which first came into force last [...]
Fresh batch of bankers to be brought within landmark accountability scheme on Tuesday March 5, 2017 Even more bankers are to be brought within the remit of the Senior Managers' and Certification Regime on Tuesday, one year after the first tranche of rules came into force. Under the Certification Regime, which is designed to increase levels of personal accountability in the financial sector, banks are required to identify any workers who could [...]
The Co-operative Bank has put itself up for sale February 13, 2017 The Co-operative Bank has put itself up for sale after making "considerable progress" on its turnaround plan that saved the lender from near-extinction in 2013, it said this morning. A number of US hedge funds came to the rescue of the ethical lender four years ago, bailing it out after the lender revealed losses of £600m [...]
City Moves for 10 February 2017 – who’s switching jobs? February 10, 2017 Squire Patton Boggs Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Ian Wood as a partner in its global energy and natural resources practice group in the London office. Ian joins the firm from the energy and infrastructure group at King & Wood Mallesons in London, along with senior associate Rebecca Slater from his previous team. Ian has expertise in power [...]
Lloyds Banking Group cuts bonuses after PPI hits profits again February 25, 2016 Lloyds Banking Group may have hiked its dividends, but its workers are in for less of a treat. In a statement today the lender said its 2015 bonus has been cut to £353.7m. That figure is 4.3 per cent lower than last year's £369.5m. As a percentage of pre-bonus underlying profit, the bank's total bonus [...]