BY AMI

Regular readers and those who have heard me speak know that I am often less than impressed by the way the FCA operates.  This time I am far from alone.  In July, the FCA launched an eight-week consultation proposing changes [...]

2 weeks ago / No Comments

BY AMI

I am becoming concerned about what next February and March might feel like.  As the existing Help to Buy scheme ends, pressure will escalate on builders, conveyancers, lenders and brokers to ensure timely completion.  At the same time, the 3% [...]

2 weeks ago / No Comments

BY AMI

As the number of Data Subject Access Requests channelled through lawyers and claims managers to intermediary firms, where the consumer had an interest only mortgage, sails towards 5,000 there are huge impacts on firms.  These fishing expeditions to see what [...]

1 month ago / No Comments

BY AMI

As this unique year sees an August spike in interest in housing and mortgages, our friends at the FCA also appear to be returning to business as usual.  Having had seven days to respond to a consultation on how we [...]

1 month ago / No Comments

BY AMI

When Covid struck the whole of the UK housing market stopped.  Builders, estate agents, valuers and removal firms could not operate and they had to go into lockdown.  Like most of the UK they were facing into the unknown and [...]

2 months ago / No Comments

BY AMI

The FCA has published findings from its 2019 exploratory work into later life lending.  These focus on the equity release sales and advice process, following a review of advice files from 13 of the largest and most experienced firms in [...]

3 months ago / No Comments

BY AMI

When Rishi Sunak bounced the banks into mass payment deferral programmes, he also indicated that this would not impact a consumer’s credit score.  By the time Gov.uk set out their views in May on help with mortgages they stated that [...]

3 months ago / No Comments

BY AMI

The first week of June saw the interim Chief Executive of the FCA make his boldest move since taking the reins.  In announcing that the FCA was invoking FSMA Section 165 powers linked to a data request to 13,000 firms [...]

4 months ago / No Comments

BY AMI

On 3 June the FCA published guidance on the value of insurance products (GI and pure protection). The focus is on products which, due to coronavirus, may not be able to provide the expected contractual benefits or there is a [...]

4 months ago / No Comments

BY AMI

In its proposed fees budget for 2020/21, the FCA has considered the effect of any fee increases on small firms and has moved to freeze minimum fees and defer the payment deadline for the fees of small and medium sized [...]

5 months ago / No Comments