Related provisions for MCOB 12.1.3

Reasonable non-monetary benefits

Gifts, Hospitality and Promotional Competition Prizes

1

A retail investment product provider5 giving and a firm receiving gifts, hospitality and promotional competition prizes of a reasonable value.

Promotion

2

A retail investment product provider5 assisting another firm to promote its retail investment products5 so that the quality of its service to clients is enhanced. Such assistance should not be of a kind or value that is likely to impair the recipient firm's ability to pay due regard to the interests of its clients, and to give advice on, and recommend, retail investment products5 available from the recipient firm's whole range or ranges.

Joint marketing exercises

3

A retail investment product provider5 providing generic product literature (that is, letter heading, leaflets, forms and envelopes) that is suitable for use and distribution by or on behalf of another firm if:

(a)

the literature enhances the quality of the service to the client and is not primarily of promotional benefit to the retail investment product provider;5 and

(b)

the total costs (for example, packaging, posting, mailing lists) of distributing such literature to its client are borne by the recipient firm.

4

A retail investment product provider5 supplying another firm with 'freepost' envelopes, for forwarding such items as completed applications, medical reports or copy client agreements.

5

A retail investment product provider5 supplying product specific literature (for example, key features documents, minimum information) to another firm if:

(a)

the literature does not contain the name of any other firm; or

(b)

if the name of the recipient firm is included, the literature enhances the quality of the service to the client and is not primarily of promotional benefit to the recipient firm.

6

A retail investment product provider5 supplying draft articles, news items and financial promotions for publication in another firm's magazine, only if in each case any costs paid by the product provider for placing the articles and financial promotions are not more than market rate, and exclude distribution costs.

Seminars and conferences

7

A retail investment product provider5 taking part in a seminar organised by another firm or a third party and paying toward the cost of the seminar, if:

(a)

its participation is for a genuine business purpose; and

(b)

the contribution is reasonable and proportionate to its participation and by reference to the time and sessions at the seminar when its staff play an active role.

Technical services and information technology

8

A retail investment product provider5 supplying a 'freephone' link to which it is connected.

9

A retail investment product provider5 supplying another firm with any of the following:

(a)

quotations and projections relating to its retail investment products5 and, in relation to specific investment transactions (or for the purpose of any scheme for review of past business), advice on the completion of forms or other documents;

(b)

access to data processing facilities, or access to data, that is related to the retail investment product provider’s5 business;

(c)

access to third party electronic dealing or quotation systems that are related to the retail investment product provider's5 business; and

(d)

software that gives information about the retail investment product provider's retail investment products5 or which is appropriate to its business (for example, for use in a scheme for review of past business or for producing projections or technical product information).

10

A retail investment product provider5 paying cash amounts or giving other assistance to a firm not in the same immediate group for the development of software or other computer facilities necessary to operate software supplied by the retail investment product provider,5 but only to the extent that by doing so it will generate equivalent cost savings to itself or clients.

11

A retail investment product provider5 supplying another firm with information about sources of mortgage finance.

12

A retail investment product provider5 supplying another firm with generic technical information in writing, not necessarily related to the product provider's business, when this information states clearly and prominently that it is produced by the product provider or (if different) supplying firm.

Training

13

A retail investment product provider5 providing another firm with training facilities of any kind (for example, lectures, venue, written material and software).

Travel and accommodation expenses

14

A retail investment product provider5 reimbursing another firm's reasonable travel and accommodation expenses when the other firm:

(a)

participates in market research conducted by or for the retail investment product provider;5

(b)

attends an annual national event of a United Kingdom trade association, hosted or co-hosted by the retail investment product provider;5

(c)

participates in the retail investment product provider’s5 training facilities (see 13);

(d)

visits the retail investment product provider’s5United Kingdom office in order to:

(i)

receive information about the retail investment product provider's5 administrative systems; or

(ii)

attend a meeting with the retail investment product provider5 and an existing or prospective client of the receiving firm.