Related provisions for PERG 8.12.16
1 - 20 of 54 items.
There are a number of exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order relating to financial promotions sent into the United Kingdom by an overseas communicator who does not carry on certain controlled activities in the United Kingdom. These exemptions apply in addition to any other exemptions which may apply to any particular financial promotion by an overseas communicator.
Article 30 exempts any solicited real time financial promotion made by an overseas communicator in the course of or for the purposes of certain controlled activities which he carries on outside the United Kingdom. This enables an overseas communicator, for example, to respond to an unprompted telephone enquiry made by a person in the United Kingdom or an enquiry which follows a financial promotion made by the overseas communicator and which was approved by an authorised perso
In order to make an unsolicited real time financial promotion, an overseas communicator must rely on either article 32 or article 33. Article 32 provides an exemption for unsolicited real time financial promotions made by an overseas communicator to persons who were previously overseas and were a customer of his then. This is subject to certain conditions, including that, in broad terms, the customer would reasonably expect to be contacted about the subject matter of the financial
This exemption allows a person in another EEA State who lawfully carries on a controlled activity in that State to promote into the United Kingdom. The terms of the exemption are that the promotion must comply with the rules inCOBS 45or MCOB 3 (as relevant). Care should be taken as any failure to satisfy any of the relevant requirements of these rules may mean that this exemption is not satisfied and that the financial promotion may breach section 21 if it has not been approved
Article 39 of the Financial Promotion Order exempts a financial promotion that:(1) is communicated by one participator or potential participator in a joint enterprise to another; and(2) is in connection with or for the purposes of that enterprise.A joint enterprise means, in general terms, arrangements entered into by two or more persons for commercial purposes related to a business that they carry on. The business must not involve a controlled activity. The term ‘participant’
To be a sophisticated investor for the purposes of article 50, the recipient of a financial promotion must have a current certificate from an authorised person stating that he has enough knowledge to be able to understand the risks associated with the description of investment to which the financial promotion relates. Where the financial promotion is an outgoing electronic commerce communication3, the certificate may be signed by a person who is entitled, under the law of an EEA
The exemption is subject to certain conditions. In broad terms, these are that the financial promotion must be accompanied by an indication:(1) that the directors or promoters of the company have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the financial promotion is true and not misleading;(2) that the directors or promoters have not limited their liability;(3) that any person who is in doubt about the investment should consult an authorised person; and(4) that:(a) the directors
Financial promotions made by a prospective customer to a person who supplies a controlled investment or services comprising controlled activities with a view to his acquiring the investment, or receiving the services or receiving information about those investments or services, are exempted. This exemption will only be of relevance to corporate customers or others who are acting in the course of business. Other types of customers will not be subject to section 21 to begin wit
This exemption applies to any financial promotion that is made with a view to or for the purposes of introducing the recipient to certain kinds of person. These are authorised persons who carry on the controlled activity to which the financial promotion relates, or exempt persons where the financial promotion relates to a controlled activity that is also a regulated activity in relation to which he is an exempt person. This is subject to the requirement that:11(1) the person making
This exemption covers twodistinct situations. Article 16(1) applies to all exempt persons where they make financial promotions for the purpose of their exempt activities. These persons would include appointed representatives, recognised investment exchanges, recognised clearing houses, recognised auction platforms5 and those who are able to take advantage of the Exemption Order. So, it allows exempt persons both to promote that they have expertise in certain controlled activities
Under this exemption, the financial promotion itself must not relate to a controlled investment provided by a person who is identified in it, nor must it identify any person as someone who carries on any controlled activity. So, it will apply where there is a financial promotion of a class of products. For example ‘ISAs are great’ or ‘buy into an investment trust and help the economy’. Such financial promotions may be made by a person such as a trade association which is not itself
The exemption can also be used in certain circumstances where an intermediary is advertising its services as an intermediary. This is because advising on and arranging deposits and contracts of insurance other than life policies are not controlled activities. This means that an unauthorised intermediary offering to find the best rates on deposits may identify himself in the financial promotion as he will not be carrying on a controlled activity. This is provided that the financial
Journalists may be able to take advantage of this exemption when writing about investments generally. But the exemption would not apply if the financial promotion recommends the purchase or sale of particular investments such as XYZ Plc shares. This is because it will be identifying XYZ Plc as a person who provides the controlled investment (being its shares) and as a person who carries on the controlled activity of dealing in securities and contractually based investments (by
Financial promotions made only to or directed only at certain types of person who are sophisticated enough to understand the risks involved are exempt. These are:(1) authorised persons;(2) exempt persons (where the financial promotion relates to a controlled activity which is a regulated activity for which the person is exempt);(3) governments and local authorities; and(4) persons whose ordinary business involves carrying on a controlled activity of the kind to which the financial
Article 55 of the Financial Promotion Order contains a specific exemption for professional firms allowing them to make solicited or unsolicited real time financial promotions. This is provided the financial promotion is made:(1) by a person who carries on a regulated activity without needing authorisation under the Part XX exemption; and(2) to someone who has already (that is, before the financial promotion is made) engaged the person making the financial promotion to provide
The article 55 exemption also requires that:(1) the financial promotion relates to an activity to which the Part XX exemption applies or which would be a regulated activity but for the exclusion in article 67 of the Regulated Activities Order (Activities carried on in the course of a profession or non-investment business) which concerns activities which are a necessary part of professional services; and(2) the activity to which the financial promotion relates would be undertaken
The FCA considers that, to satisfy the condition in PERG 8.15.2G (2) that an activity be incidental to the provision of professional services, regulated activities cannot be a major part of the practice of the professional firm. The FCA also considers that the following further factors are relevant.(1) The scale of regulated activity in proportion to other professional services provided.(2) Whether and to what extent services that are regulated activities are held out as separate
One of the effects of the requirements in PERG 8.15.2 G concerns financial promotions which relate to an activity which is not a regulated activity as the result of an exclusion in the Regulated Activities Order. In this case, a professional firm using the Part XX exemption cannot make a real time financial promotion relying on article 55 of the Financial Promotion Order unless the exclusion is provided by article 67 of the Regulated Activities Order. Neither can a professional
Article 55A of the Financial Promotion Order exempts non-real time financial promotions where the financial promotion:1(1) is made by a person who carries on a regulated activity without needing authorisation under the Part XX exemption (referred to in PERG 8.15.6 G and PERG 8.15.7 G as ‘Part XX activities’); and(2) contains a specified statement and is limited in its content to the matters referred to in PERG 8.15.6 G.
The article 55A exemption should enable professional firms to issue brochures, websites and other non-real time financial promotions without any need for approval by an authorised person. This is provided the financial promotion does not also contain an invitation or inducement relating to regulated activities other than those covered by the Part XX exemption. In this respect, it should be noted that, unlike article 55, the article 55A exemption does not extend to activities which
Article 28B (Real time communications: introductions) exempts a real time financial promotion that relates to one or more of the controlled activities about regulated mortgage contracts, as well as home reversion plans, home purchase plans and regulated sale and rent back agreements3. The exemption is subject to the following conditions being satisfied:22(1) the financial promotion must be made for the purpose of, or with a view to, introducing the recipient to a person ('N')
COBS does not apply to an authorised professional firm with respect to its non-mainstream regulated activities, except that:(1) the fair, clear and not misleading rule applies;(2) the financial promotion rules apply as modified below;(3) COBS 7 (Insurance mediation) applies but only if the designated professional body of the firm does not have rules approved by the FCA under section 332(5) of the Act that implement articles 12 and 13 of the Insurance Mediation Directive and that
The financial promotion rules do not apply to an authorised professional firm in relation to the communication of a financial promotion if:(1) the firm's main business is the practice of its profession (see IPRU(INV) 2.1.2R(3));(2) the financial promotion is made for the purposes of and incidental to the promotion or provision by the firm of its professional services or its non-mainstream regulated activities; and(3) the financial promotion is not communicated on behalf of another
The exclusions are available, for regulated activities other than those that relate to home finance transactions4 in the two broad cases set out below. For some of these regulated activities, the exclusions apply in each case. In others, they apply in only one.4(1) The first case is where the nature of the regulated activity requires the direct involvement of another person and that person is authorised or exempt (and acting within the scope of his exemption). For example, this
It would also be an indicator that a publisher or broadcaster might be making arrangements falling within article 25(2) if he receives a commission or other form of reward based on the amount of regulated business done as a result of his carrying the promotion. This would be on the basis that the existence of the financial interest will inevitably have a bearing on the purpose for which the arrangements are viewed as having been made by him. However, the article 27 exclusion will
The purpose of this guidance is two fold:(1) to outline the restriction on financial promotion under section 21 of the Act (Restrictions on financial promotion) and the main exemptions from this restriction; and(2) to outline the main circumstances in which persons who are primarily involved in making or helping others to make financial promotions may be conducting regulated activities requiring authorisation or exemption themselves; this part of the guidance may also be of more
In particular, this guidance covers:(1) invitations and inducements (see PERG 8.4);(2) meaning of 'in the course of business' (see PERG 8.5);(3) meaning of 'communicate' (see PERG 8.6);(4) meaning of 'engage in investment activity' (see PERG 8.7);(5) meaning of 'having an effect in the United Kingdom' (see PERG 8.8);(6) circumstances where the restriction in section 21 does not apply (see PERG 8.9);(7) types of financial promotion, including:(a) meaning of 'real time financial
Even if a person concludes that he is not carrying on a regulated activity in the United Kingdom, he will need to ensure that he does not contravene other provisions of the Act that apply to unauthorised persons. These include the controls on financial promotion (section 21 (Financial promotion) of the Act) (see PERG 8 (Financial promotion and related activities)), and on giving the impression that a person is authorised (section 24 (False claims to be authorised or exempt)).
Authorised professional firms should be aware of the following:(1) PROF 5 (Non-mainstream regulated activities); and(2) MCOB 3.1.9 R (Authorised professional firms) and the exception in article 55 of the Financial Promotion Order (Communications by members of the professions) which applies in relation to financial promotion of qualifying credit or of a home reversion plan3 of authorised professional firms under MCOB 3.2.5 R(3) (Exemptions).3
Article 8(3) of the Financial Promotion Order also has the effect in broad terms that financial promotions made during a visit, call or dialogue will be solicited only if they relate to controlled activities or controlled investments of the kind to which the recipient envisaged that they would relate. In determining whether this is the case, account must be taken of all the circumstances when the call, visit or dialogue was requested or initiated. For example, a person may ask
Controlled activity and controlled investment are defined in Schedule 1 to the Financial Promotion Order and are listed in PERG 8.36.3 G and PERG 8.36.4 G. Broadly speaking, controlled activities and controlled investments are similar to regulated activities and specified investments under the Regulated Activities Order. However, with controlled activities, the exclusions set out in the Regulated Activities Order do not, in most cases, apply. It is important to note, however,
Under section 21(4) of the Act, the Treasury has the power to specify circumstances in which a person is viewed as ‘acting in the course of business’ or ‘not acting in the course of business’. The power under section 21(4) relates only to financial promotions and is distinct from the power in section 419 which relates to regulated activities. To date, the Treasury has not used the power in section 21(4). As a result, the phrase has its ordinary or natural meaning.
Persons who carry on a business which is not a regulated activity will need to be particularly careful in making communications which may amount to financial promotions (because they seek to persuade or incite persons to engage in investment activity (see PERG 8.4)). For example, where a company makes financial promotions to its employees, they may well be made in the course of business. Examples of these include financial promotions concerning employee share schemes, group wide
Anyone who is carrying on a regulated activity is likely to make financial promotions in the course of or for the purposes of carrying on that activity. It is beyond the scope of this guidance to cover regulated activities as such (for a general guide see PERG 2). There are circumstances, however, where persons whose main aim is either:(1) to make financial promotions for their own purposes or on behalf of others; or(2) to help other persons to make financial promotions;may find
The regulated activities which are likely to be conducted in the circumstances referred to in PERG 8.23.2 G are:(1) giving advice on certain investments (articles 53 (Advising on investments), 53A (Advising on regulated mortgage contracts), 53B (Advising on regulated home reversion plans), 53C (Advising on regulated home purchase plans), 53D (Advising on regulated sale and rent back agreements)2 and 56 (Advice on syndicate participation at Lloyd’s) of the Regulated Activities
(1) An introducer is an individual appointed by a firm or by an appointed representative of such a firm to carry out, in the course of designated investment business, either or both of the following activities:4(a) effecting introductions; (b) distributing non-real time financial promotions.(2) An introducer is not an exempt person under section 39 of the Act (unless he is also an introducer appointed representative) and hence cannot benefit from the exemption to carry on regulated
The various exemptions in the Financial Promotion Order are split into three categories:(1) exemptions applicable to all controlled activities (Part IV of the Order);(2) exemptions applicable only to controlled activities concerning deposits and contracts of insurance other than life policies (Part V of the Order); and(3) exemptions applicable to any other types of controlled activity (Part VI of the Order).
Even if a person concludes that he is not carrying on a regulated activity in the United Kingdom, he will need to ensure that he does not contravene other provisions of the Act that apply to unauthorised persons. These include the controls on financial promotion (section 21 (Financial promotion) of the Act) (see PERG 8 (Financial promotion and related activities)), and on giving the impression that a person is authorised (section 24 (False claims to be authorised or exempt)).
Article 72 of the Regulated Activities Order (Overseas persons) provides a potential exclusion for persons with no permanent place of business in the United Kingdom from which regulated activities are conducted or offers to conduct regulated activities are made. Where these persons carry on insurance mediation activities in the United Kingdom, they may be able to take advantage of the exclusions in article 72 of the Regulated Activities Order. In general terms, these apply where